Installing an SSL certificate is the most critical step after purchasing a certificate. If not set up correctly, your site may still appear unsafe or SSL errors may occur.
In this guide, we explain step by step the process of downloading an SSL certificate and installing it on different platforms.
How to Download an SSL Certificate?
Once your SSL certificate is approved, you need to download your certificate files. You will typically receive these files:
- Certificate file (.crt):Your master SSL certificate
- Private key (.key): Private key generated when creating CSR
- Intermediate certificate (CA Bundle):Intermediate certificates that complete the certificate chain
- Root certificate:The root certificate of the certificate authority (usually included in the CA Bundle)
You can download these files from your certificate provider's panel or from the link sent by e-mail.
Install SSL Certificate in cPanel
cPanel is the most widely used hosting control panel. SSL installation is very easy:
- Log in to cPanel Click SSL/TLS from the
- Security section
- Open the "Manage Certificates (CRT)" section
- Paste the contents of your certificate file (.crt) or upload the file
- Click the "Upload Certificate" button Go to
- Manage SSL Sites
- Select the relevant domain, match the certificate and private key
- Complete the process with "Upload Certificate"
Installing SSL Certificate in Plesk
- Login to Plesk panel
- Go to Websites and Domains section
- Click on the SSL/TLS Certificates link next to the relevant domain
- Use the "Add Certificate" button
- Upload certificate (.crt), private key (.key), and CA Bundle files
- Select the certificate you installed from the Hosting Settings section of the domain
- Enable HTTPS support and register
SSL Setup on Apache Server
To setup SSL on the Apache web server, you need to edit the configuration file:
- Upload the certificate files to the server (e.g. to
/etc/ssl/directory) - Enable Apache SSL module:
a2enmod ssl - Add the following directives in your virtual host file (port 443):
SSLCertificateFile→ certificate file pathSSLCertificateKeyFile→ private key pathSSLCertificateChainFile→ CA Bundle path
- Test the configuration:
apachectl configtest - Restart Apache:
systemctl restart apache2
SSL Setup on Nginx Server
- Merge certificate and intermediate certificate: Combine master certificate + CA Bundle files into a single .pem file
- Add SSL settings to the server block in your Nginx configuration file:
ssl_certificate→ unified certificate pathssl_certificate_key→ private key pathssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;secure protocols
- Test the configuration:
nginx -t - Reload Nginx:
systemctl reload nginx
Setting up SSL in Windows IIS
- Open IIS Manager
- Click on the Server node and open Server Certificates
- Upload your .crt file using the "Complete Certificate Request" option
- Add HTTPS binding for port 443 from the Bindings section of the relevant site
- Select and save the certificate you installed
SSL Post Installation Check
After installing the certificate, make the following checks:
- HTTPS access: Verify that the certificate is working by opening your site with
https:// - Certificate chain: Make sure intermediate certificates are installed correctly
- Mixed content: Check that there are no resources loaded via HTTP on the page
- 301 redirect: Set up permanent HTTP to HTTPS redirect
- HSTS:Improve security by adding Strict-Transport-Security header
You can check that your certificate is installed correctly with our SSL Checker tool.
Conclusion
Installing an SSL certificate involves a few basic steps, no matter what platform you use: download the certificate files, install them on your server, and configure them correctly. If you have any problems, our technical support team can help you.
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