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How to get an SSL certificate for your website

If you're wondering how to obtain an SSL certificate for your website, this guide will walk you through the steps to help you secure your website efficiently.

Determine the type of SSL certificate you need

There are different types of SSL certificates, depending on your website's needs. Selecting the right type will depend on your security requirements:

  • Domain Validated (DV) SSL: This is the most basic level of SSL. It verifies only the domain ownership and is generally quick and inexpensive.
  • Organization Validated (OV) SSL: This certificate provides additional authentication by verifying both the domain ownership and the organisation behind it, providing more trust.
  • Extended Validation (EV) SSL: This offers the highest level of authentication and is the most trusted certificate.
  • Wildcard SSL: This type of certificate secures a domain and its subdomains (e.g., www.sslspy.com and blog.sslspy.com).
  • Multi-Domain SSL (SAN SSL): This secures multiple domains under a single certificate, useful for organizations with several distinct websites.

Choose a Certificate Authority (CA)

A Certificate Authority (CA) is the organisation that issues SSL certificates. Popular CAs include:

  • Let's Encrypt (Free)
  • DigiCert
  • GlobalSign
  • Comodo/Sectigo
  • GoDaddy

Let's Encrypt offers free SSL certificates and is ideal for smaller websites or personal blogs. However, paid options like DigiCert or Comodo offer additional support, higher validation levels, and extended warranties, which are critical for businesses.

How to choose a CA

When selecting a CA, consider the following:

  • Price: Some SSL certificates are free (Let’s Encrypt), while others come with annual fees.
  • Validation level: The type of validation required (DV, OV, or EV) will influence your choice.
  • Support: If you need customer support or warranty, you might want to opt for a paid option.

Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

To request an SSL certificate from a CA, you will first need to create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). A CSR is a block of encoded text that includes information about your website and public key.

Steps to generate a CSR

  • Login to your hosting provider or server: Most web hosting providers offer a user-friendly way to generate a CSR through their control panel (e.g., cPanel, Plesk). If you’re managing your own server, you can generate the CSR using software like OpenSSL.
  • Fill in the required information: When generating a CSR, you will be prompted to enter details about your organisation, such as:
    - Common Name (CN): Your domain name (e.g., www.sslspy.com).
    - Organisation Name (O): The legal name of your company.
    - Country (C): The country in which your organisation is based.
    - Email address: An administrative contact email.
  • Submit CSR to the CA: Once the CSR is generated, you’ll need to submit it to your chosen CA when you request the SSL certificate.

Validate your domain

Once you’ve submitted the CSR, the next step is for the CA to validate your domain or organisation. The validation process depends on the type of SSL certificate you chose:

  • Domain Validated SSL (DV): The CA will verify that you own the domain, typically by sending an email to the domain’s administrator, asking you to upload a file to your server, or making a change to your DNS records.
  • Organisation Validated SSL (OV) & Extended Validation SSL (EV): In addition to domain ownership verification, the CA will validate your organisation’s legal existence. This may require providing additional documents, such as business registration records.

The validation process for DV SSL certificates is usually fast, often completed in minutes, whereas OV and EV validations can take several days.

Install the SSL certificate

Once the CA has completed validation, they will issue your SSL certificate. You will receive a file containing the certificate, which you must install on your server.

Installation Process

  • Shared Hosting or Managed Services: Most web hosts like Bluehost, SiteGround, or GoDaddy offer simple tools in their control panel to install SSL certificates. You can typically upload the SSL file and apply it directly to your site.
  • Dedicated Servers or VPS: If you manage your own server (e.g., Apache, Nginx, IIS), you will need to manually install the SSL certificate. This typically involves placing the certificate and private key files in the correct directories and updating your web server’s configuration files.

Once installed, make sure to configure your website to redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS, ensuring that all visitors access your site securely.

Verify installation and renewal

After installation, verify that your SSL certificate is working correctly by visiting your website. You should see a padlock icon in the address bar, and your site URL should begin with https://.

You can also use SSL tools to confirm that everything is properly configured and that your SSL certificate is valid.

If you want to check the expiry date of your SSL certificate, use our SSL certificate expiry checker.

Automatic Renewal

SSL certificates are typically valid for 1 to 2 years. If you use Let's Encrypt, the certificate renews every 90 days, but this process is usually automated. For paid SSL certificates, be sure to renew and install them before expiration, or you risk losing your secure connection and trust indicators.