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=How to create a CSR=
=Plesk Shared Hosting: Securing Your Sites=


If you want to secure your site you will first need a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) - so how do you create one?
The section below would be for advanced users. If you have questions on how to secure your site or purchase an SSL certification you can contact our billing department Monday - Friday from 9am - 5pm.  
Below are the instructions for our Cloud and Unlimited Hosting customers - if you do not have a Cloud or Unlimited Hosting package with us and will require a CSR please give us a call and we can help you out.  




:First log into your account at [http://hosting.xmission.com http://hosting.xmission.com]
== Free Let's Encrypt SSL==
[[File:Csr-0.png]]
If you do not collect any sensitive data on your website (such as peoples names/addresses/SSN/etc.) or credit card payments, you may just need a Lets Encrypt SSL Certificate. Please review https://wiki.xmission.com/Lets_Encrypt to see if it will meet your needs.  


==What is a CSR and how is it used?==


:Next Choose '''Secure your site with SSL Certificate''' you will find this under Websites & Domains
A CSR is a Certificate Signing Request. This helps show authenticity from the server the website lives on, and allows the generation of a private key. Once the CSR is generated, you can send it to the company you wish to buy your SSL certificate from. The following steps will walk you through that process.
[[File:Csr-1.png]]


== Creating CSR ==
SSL certificates secure transfer of sensitive data from visitors to your website, and also verify the site identity. Below you can find two lists of SSL certificates. The first one showing certificates that you use for securing your websites and the other one showing certificates that you purchased.


:From the next page choose the domain you will be adding your SSL Certificate to and then click on manage
* From side panel click on "'''Websites and Domains'''".
[[File:Csr-2.png]]
[[File:Plesk_tabs_new.png]]


* Click on the domain you wish to use your SSL Certificate on.
* Next choose "'''SSL/TLS Certificates'''" under '''Security'''.
[[File:PleskSSL-1.png|600px]]


:Next click on the '''Add SSL Certificate''' button
* To manage or add a CSR choose ''' Download or remove existing certificates''' - '''Manage''' towards the bottom of the page.
[[File:Csr-3.png]]
[[File:PleskSSL-2.png|600px]]


* Next choose "'''Add SSL Certificate'''".
[[File:SharedHosting-SSL-02.png|600xpx]]


:Finally fill in the required fields
* Next fill in the form to generate a CSR then click "'''Request'''".
[[File:Csr-4.png]]
[[File:SharedHosting-SSL-03.png|600px]]
::'''Certificate name''' - be sure to add a name for this CSR so you can recognize it later.
::'''State or province''' - the state in which your business is located
::'''Location(city)''' - the city in which your business is located
::'''Domain name''' - this is important if you want your site to use '''www''' then make sure to include this in the domain name field - if your site will not use '''www''' then just put the domain name.  
::'''E-mail''' - the email address associated with your domain name


: '''Certificate Name''': This will help you identify this certificate in the repository.
: '''Country''': This is defaulted to United States.
: '''State or province''': The state in which your company resides.
: '''Location(city)''': The city in which your company resides.
: '''Organization Name''': This can be your company name.
: '''Organization Department''': Website, IT or variations, should not exceed 64 characters.
: '''Domain name''': The domain name you are looking to secure, ideally listed as the [https://www.cloudns.net/blog/fqdn-fully-qualified-domain-name/ Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN)]. Example: your-domain.com or www.your-domain.com.
: '''Email''': The website administrator's email address.


Next you will choose Request or Self-Signed
:: '''NOTE:''' when ordering an SSL Certificate the validation email must match your domain with the following conditions:
:: '''admin'''@<domain.tld>
:: '''administrator'''@<domain.tld>
:: '''hostmaster'''@<domain.tld>
:: '''webmaster'''@<domain.tld>
:: '''postmaster'''@<domain.tld>


'''Request''' will be used if you plan on purchasing a SSL Certificate from us - we can then use the CSR you just created to create your SSL Certificate - these two pieces of information go hand in hand to create your SSL Certificate and your Private Key.
* After you fill out the above form it will generate a '''CSR''' this is what you need to purchase a SSL Certificate.
* Confirmation that your CSR was created:
[[File:SharedHosting-SSL-04.png]]


'''Self-Signed''' will be used if you are not going to purchase a SSL but want your site to be secure - although Self-Signed certificates let you use SSL, they are trusted less, and considered as less secure.
== Viewing your CSR ==


* Click on the Certificate name to view your CSR.
[[File:PleskSSL-3.png|600px]]


Now you can take this CSR and place your order for an SSL Certificate at [https://store.xmission.com https://store.xmission.com]
* Locate the CSR section on the page, and copy the text that starts with the line -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- and ends with the line -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- to the clipboard.
[[File:SharedHosting-SSL-06.png|600px]]
 
== Installing SSL Certificate ==
 
If you ordered your SSL Cert with XMission, you will receive an email to approve the creation of the certificate. Once you approve the process, another email will be sent to you with your Certificate.
 
* An example email should look like:
[[File:XMission_SSL_Email.png|600px]]
 
* Log in to your [https://hosting.xmission.com Control Panel].
* Click on the domain you wish to secure.
* Choose "'''SSL/TLS Certificates'''" under '''Security'''.
* Click on '''Download or remove existing certificates - Manage''' towards the bottom of the page.
* Click on the certificate you created
* Your Certificate Completed Email should contain a Certificate and Intermediate Chain (CA Chain). You will need to copy the Certificate and Chain from the email you received past it in the provided boxes.
[[File:SSL_Email_Cert.png|600px]]
 
;* Be sure to include the "-----Begin Certificate-----" and "-----End Certificate-----" Be careful of having extras spaces or extra lines when copying them in. They can cause errors messages when you attempt to save.
 
[[File:SharedHosting-SSL-07.png|600px]]
 
== Assign your SSL Certificate ==
 
* Now you need to assign the certificate to your site.
* From the side menu bar choose "'''Websites and Domains'''".
* Click on the domain you added the SSL Cert to
* Choose '''Hosting & DNS''' then choose  "'''Hosting Settings'''".
[[File:PleskSSL-4.png|600px]]
 
* Then check the box for SSL Support and select your certificate.
[[File:PleskSSL-5.png|600px]]
* '''Certificate''' - this is where you select the certificate you created.
 
* '''Optional''': Permanent SEO-safe 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS. This option makes it so your site can only be viewed on the secured page. If this isn’t selected, customers can still see the non-secure page unless the website is hard coded to perform this same function.
 
* Click "'''OK'''" at the bottom.
 
After saving the changes, related services for the website will be automatically restarted. Within 1-3 minutes the new SSL certificate should be serving and displaying properly if you refresh the page.
 
{{:Shared_Hosting}}
[[Category:Shared Hosting|Secure Your Sites]]

Latest revision as of 00:01, 15 August 2025

Plesk Shared Hosting: Securing Your Sites

The section below would be for advanced users. If you have questions on how to secure your site or purchase an SSL certification you can contact our billing department Monday - Friday from 9am - 5pm.


Free Let's Encrypt SSL

If you do not collect any sensitive data on your website (such as peoples names/addresses/SSN/etc.) or credit card payments, you may just need a Lets Encrypt SSL Certificate. Please review https://wiki.xmission.com/Lets_Encrypt to see if it will meet your needs.

What is a CSR and how is it used?

A CSR is a Certificate Signing Request. This helps show authenticity from the server the website lives on, and allows the generation of a private key. Once the CSR is generated, you can send it to the company you wish to buy your SSL certificate from. The following steps will walk you through that process.

Creating CSR

SSL certificates secure transfer of sensitive data from visitors to your website, and also verify the site identity. Below you can find two lists of SSL certificates. The first one showing certificates that you use for securing your websites and the other one showing certificates that you purchased.

  • From side panel click on "Websites and Domains".

  • Click on the domain you wish to use your SSL Certificate on.
  • Next choose "SSL/TLS Certificates" under Security.

  • To manage or add a CSR choose Download or remove existing certificates - Manage towards the bottom of the page.

  • Next choose "Add SSL Certificate".

  • Next fill in the form to generate a CSR then click "Request".

Certificate Name: This will help you identify this certificate in the repository.
Country: This is defaulted to United States.
State or province: The state in which your company resides.
Location(city): The city in which your company resides.
Organization Name: This can be your company name.
Organization Department: Website, IT or variations, should not exceed 64 characters.
Domain name: The domain name you are looking to secure, ideally listed as the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). Example: your-domain.com or www.your-domain.com.
Email: The website administrator's email address.
NOTE: when ordering an SSL Certificate the validation email must match your domain with the following conditions:
admin@<domain.tld>
administrator@<domain.tld>
hostmaster@<domain.tld>
webmaster@<domain.tld>
postmaster@<domain.tld>
  • After you fill out the above form it will generate a CSR this is what you need to purchase a SSL Certificate.
  • Confirmation that your CSR was created:

Viewing your CSR

  • Click on the Certificate name to view your CSR.

  • Locate the CSR section on the page, and copy the text that starts with the line -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- and ends with the line -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- to the clipboard.

Installing SSL Certificate

If you ordered your SSL Cert with XMission, you will receive an email to approve the creation of the certificate. Once you approve the process, another email will be sent to you with your Certificate.

  • An example email should look like:

  • Log in to your Control Panel.
  • Click on the domain you wish to secure.
  • Choose "SSL/TLS Certificates" under Security.
  • Click on Download or remove existing certificates - Manage towards the bottom of the page.
  • Click on the certificate you created
  • Your Certificate Completed Email should contain a Certificate and Intermediate Chain (CA Chain). You will need to copy the Certificate and Chain from the email you received past it in the provided boxes.

  • Be sure to include the "-----Begin Certificate-----" and "-----End Certificate-----" Be careful of having extras spaces or extra lines when copying them in. They can cause errors messages when you attempt to save.

Assign your SSL Certificate

  • Now you need to assign the certificate to your site.
  • From the side menu bar choose "Websites and Domains".
  • Click on the domain you added the SSL Cert to
  • Choose Hosting & DNS then choose "Hosting Settings".

  • Then check the box for SSL Support and select your certificate.

  • Certificate - this is where you select the certificate you created.
  • Optional: Permanent SEO-safe 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS. This option makes it so your site can only be viewed on the secured page. If this isn’t selected, customers can still see the non-secure page unless the website is hard coded to perform this same function.
  • Click "OK" at the bottom.

After saving the changes, related services for the website will be automatically restarted. Within 1-3 minutes the new SSL certificate should be serving and displaying properly if you refresh the page.


Additional Development Help

Applications

Domain Management

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