This article covers generating a CSR request and private key for an SSL certificate. To enable HTTPS automatically on Webhosting with a Let’s Encrypt certificate, follow the guide in the article Webhosting – Quick HTTPS Setup.
In this article, you will learn:
- How to generate a private key and CSR
- How to generate a certificate
- How to enter a certificate in Webhosting Administration
- Frequently asked questions
Generating a private key and CSR
The first step toward generating your own certificate is generating a private key and submitting a CSR (Certificate Signing Request). You can submit this request, for example, using the online CSR Generator ⧉ (external link). Read the warnings carefully before completing the form.
Chcete-li si vygenerovat privátní klíč a CSR sami, můžete použít linuxový nástroj OpenSSL. Perform these steps in the terminal:
- Generate a private key:
openssl genrsa -out privatni_klic.key 2048 - Generate a CSR request:
openssl req -new -key privatni_klic.key -out CSR_zadost.csr - Enter the required information without diacritics. The certification authority verifies these details before issuing the certificate. Pay particular attention to:
- Country Name (2 letter code): Two-letter country code
- State or Province Name (full name): Full country name
- Locality Name (eg, city): City name
- Organization Name (eg, company): Full name of the individual or organization
- Common Name (e.g. server FQDN or YOUR name): Website name (domain)
- Email Address: contact email
The system generates the private key and request and saves them to the unencrypted files privatni_klic.key and CSR_zadost.csr.
Store the private key file somewhere secure, ideally on an external drive used only for this purpose.
Generating a certificate
WEDOS does not offer or arrange certificate issuance (except for the Let’s Encrypt ⧉).
We recommend choosing an international certification authority to secure your website. Many Czech intermediaries can also help you obtain a certificate, as the process is not always simple or easy to understand.
Certifikát žádejte pro doménový název, který používáte v URL adresách Vašeho webu. Pokud se názvy přesně neshodují, bude komunikace šifrovaná, ale nebude důvěryhodná (prohlížeč zobrazí varování).
To secure multiple subdomains, request a “wildcard” certificate *.domena.tld.
Use a SAN (Subject Alternative Name) certificate to secure multiple domains (aliases).
Deploying a certificate on Webhosting
After obtaining the certificate, enter it in Administration as follows:
- Log in to Customer Administration ⧉.
- In the top menu, select Hosting services Webhosting.
- Select the Webhosting on which you want to deploy the SSL certificate.
- In the left menu, click HTTPS.
- Select HTTPS with a custom certificate on the domain (SNI).
- Enter in the form the private key and certificate, both in PEM format. The fields private key password and certificate chain are optional.
- Click the button Apply changes.
Certificate settings usually take effect within 90 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a CSR request for a domain and subdomains?
Enter only the domain name in the CSR request. A reputable certification authority or intermediary adds certificate details according to the selected type (wildcard, SAN, etc.) during verification.