DirectAdmin SSL Certificate Installation and CSR Generation Guide

DirectAdmin is a popular hosting control panel that stands out with its light and fast structure. SSL certificate installation can be done in DirectAdmin in simple and understandable steps. In this guide, we cover CSR creation, paid SSL installation, Let's Encrypt integration and HTTPS forced redirection in detail.

1. Creating CSR

Via DirectAdmin Panel

1. Log in to DirectAdmin user panel
Click "SSL Certificates" in the
2. "Advanced Features" or "Account Manager" section
3. Check the "Create a Certificate Request" option
4. Fill in the required information:
   • 2 Letter Country Code: TR
   • State/Province: Istanbul
   • City: Istanbul
   • Company: Your company name
   • Company Division: IT (optional)
   • Common Name: www.example.com
   • E-Mail: admin@example.com
   • Key Size: 2048 or 4096
5. Click the "Save" button
6. Copy the generated CSR

Generating CSR with SSH

# Generating CSR with 2048-bit RSA key
openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes \
  -keyout /home/username/domains/example.com/ssl.key\
  -out /home/username/domains/example.com/ssl.csr

# Generate CSR with existing key
openssl req -new -key /home/username/domains/example.com/ssl.key \
  -out /home/username/domains/example.com/ssl.csr

2. Installing an SSL Certificate

1. Go to DirectAdmin → "SSL Certificates"
2. Check "Paste a pre-generated certificate and key"
3. Paste into the first text box respectively:
   • Private Key (-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----)
   • SSL Certificate (-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----)
   • CA Bundle / Intermediate Certificate
4. Click the "Save" button

3. Free SSL with Let's Encrypt

1. DirectAdmin → "SSL Certificates"
2. Check "Free & automatic certificate from Let's Encrypt"
3. Select the certificate type:
   • Certificate Type: Let's Encrypt or Let's Encrypt Wildcard
   • Key Size: EC 256 (recommended) or RSA 2048
4. Check the subdomains you want to protect
5. Click the "Save" button
6. The certificate will be obtained automatically and renewed before its 90-day validity ends

4. HTTPS Redirect

Via DirectAdmin Panel

1. Go to "Domain Setup" section
2. Select the relevant domain
3. Enable "Force SSL with https redirect"
4. Click the "Save" button

Redirect with .htaccess

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301,NE]

5. Common Errors and Solutions

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an additional IP to enable SSL in DirectAdmin?

No, modern DirectAdmin versions can use multiple SSL certificates on shared IP thanks to SNI support.

Does DirectAdmin support Let's Encrypt wildcard SSL?

Yes, you can get a wildcard Let's Encrypt SSL certificate with DNS verification in DirectAdmin 1.60+ versions.

Is separate SSL required for subdomain in DirectAdmin?

If you use Let's Encrypt, you can add subdomains to the certificate. For paid SSL, use either a wildcard or a Multi-Domain SAN certificate.