How do I activate an SSL certificate?
Purchasing an SSL certificate is the first step, but it doesn't secure your site automatically. Think of your purchase as a "credit" for a certificate. To use it, you must Activate it by submitting your website's technical details to the Certificate Authority (CA).
At Nixzoehost, the activation process is designed to be straightforward, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned developer.
Before You Start: The "Golden Rule"
You cannot activate an SSL without a CSR (Certificate Signing Request). This is a block of encoded text generated on your web server that contains your public key.
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If you haven't generated one yet, follow our guide: [How to Generate a CSR].
Step-by-Step Activation Process
1. Locate Your Certificate
Log in to your Nixzoehost Client Area. Navigate to the SSL Certificates section. You will see your purchased certificate with a status of "New." Click the Activate button next to it.
2. Submit Your CSR
In the activation window, you will see a text box.
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Open your CSR file (usually a
.csror.txtfile) in a simple text editor like Notepad or TextEdit. -
Copy the entire block, including the
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----and-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----tags. -
Paste it into the box at Nixzoehost. Our system will automatically extract your domain name and server type from this code.
3. Choose Your Validation Method (DCV)
You must prove to the CA that you own the domain. You will be asked to choose one of three methods:
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Email Validation: An approval code is sent to a specific address like
admin@yourdomain.com. -
DNS CNAME: You add a specific record to your domain's DNS settings.
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HTTP/HTTPS File Upload: You upload a small text file to your servers folder.
4. Provide Administrative Contact Info
Enter the contact details for the person managing the certificate. It is vital to use an email address you check regularly, as this is where your final certificate files will be sent.
5. Final Submission
Review all details and click Submit.
What Happens After Activation?
Once you hit submit, the status of your SSL will change to "Pending Validation." 1. Perform the Validation: Go to your email or DNS settings and complete the verification step you chose in Step 3. 2. CA Review: The Certificate Authority will verify the request. For DV (Domain Validated) certificates, this usually takes 515 minutes. 3. Issuance: Once validated, you will receive an email containing your Certificate (.crt) and CA-Bundle files.
Common Troubleshooting
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"CSR is Invalid": Ensure you copied the entire block of text and didn't accidentally include any extra spaces at the beginning or end.
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Wrong Domain: If the domain shown after pasting the CSR is incorrect, you must generate a new CSR on your server with the correct domain name before proceeding.
