Using Third-Party SSL Certificate
If you've decided to use an SSL from a different provider other than HostGator, there are a few things you need to complete to install SSL to your domain.
This article will discuss the following topics:
- Installing SSL from a Third-Party Provider ⤵
- Installing Third-Party SSL within the Customer Portal ⤵
- Additional Information about Using Third-Party SSL ⤵
Installing SSL from a Third-Party Provider
To install SSL from another company, you will need to complete the following steps:
- Fill out the CSR form to receive a CSR and RSA key. If you want to learn more about CSR and RSA Key, please check out the following article.
- Purchase your SSL certificate (if you haven't already) and send the certificate issuer the CSR (not the RSA Key) from Step 1.
- The certificate issuer will provide an SSL Certificate as well as an SSL CA Certificate (Trusted Authority) (sometimes called a "CA Bundle").
Note: These may be provided as .crt files. If the text for the certificate or bundle is needed, these files may be opened in Notepad.
- Once you have obtained your SSL Certificate, log in to your cPanel, and scroll down to SSL/TLS under the Security section.
- Here you will be presented with several options; click on Manage SSL sites under the Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS).
- With the SSL certificate and SSL CA certificate from your third-party provider and the RSA key from CSR generation in Step 1, paste the certificate details into the associated fields.
Note: Please be sure to copy the entire certificate, including the "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----" and "-----END CERTIFICATE-----" lines.
- Click Install Certificate to complete the SSL installation to the server.
Installing Third-Party SSL within the Customer Portal
Installation via the Customer Portal requires payment via credit card. To use this method with PayPal, please contact us via phone or Live Chat for assistance.
- Log in to your Customer Portal.
- Navigate to the Hosting menu, then click Manage under the hosting package where you want to install the SSL.
- On the next page, click on Manage within the SSL Management box.
- On the next page, locate the domain where you want to install the third-party SSL, then click on its Upgrade button.
- Scroll down to the Third-party SSL Certificates section and click on the Install now for a one-time fee of $10/per website link.
- On the next page, provide the SSL certificate, RSA Private key, and CA bundle on their respective fields. These may be provided as .crt files. To copy their text, you can open them in a text editor (such as Notepad).
Note: If you do not receive a Success! message for each field, attempt copying the entire certificate, including the "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----" and "-----END CERTIFICATE-----" lines.
- Once done, click the Next button to provide payment information and complete the installation.
Once these steps have been completed, we will install your SSL Certificate.
Additional Information about Using Third-Party SSL
For more details regarding the process and what is needed, please see the sections below:
Requirements
The SSL installation form requires the following information:
- SSL Certificate - This field is for the main certificate file, which will be provided by the company issuing the SSL certificate.
- RSA Private Key - This field is for the RSA key we sent when you requested a CSR. Please check your email for that code.
- SSL CA Certificate (Trusted Authority) - This is also known as the CA Bundle or Cert Bundle. This field is optional only if your certificate company does not provide a bundle.
The following article provides more information about what you should know before purchasing a third-party SSL:
Restrictions
When using a third-party SSL certificate on HostGator servers, please keep the following restrictions in mind:
- Shared or Reseller users cannot install an SSL certificate and must have HostGator install it.
- VPS or Dedicated server users may install certificates independently or have HostGator do the installation.
Fees
The fees to have HostGator install a third-party SSL on your behalf are as follows:
- For a single-domain SSL, the fee is $10.
- For a multi-domain SSL, the fee is $25 for up to 5 domains plus $5 for each additional domain beyond the first 5.
- Managed Dedicated Servers can have HostGator install any SSLs free of charge.
Renewing an SSL requires the installation of the new certificate and is subject to the installation fees above.
You may purchase a dedicated IP when installing an SSL. A dedicated IP costs $4 per month (or $48 per year.) Servers not taking advantage of SNI will need a dedicated IP address to install each SSL.
CSR Renewal
The CSR is only required for issuing a new certificate. If you are renewing your certificate or if your certificate is expired, then you will need a new CSR since you will be issued a new certificate with a new expiration date.
Matching RSA Key
If you do not know whether your RSA and SSL Certificate match, please check using this tool before submitting them: https://www.sslshopper.com/certificate-key-matcher.html
If you do not have a matching pair, you will need to request a new CSR, then have the certificate reissued with the new CSR.