What should I do if I didn�t receive the approval email? Print

What should I do if I didnt receive the approval email?

If you chose Email Validation for your SSL certificate, the Certificate Authority (CA) sends a verification email containing a unique approval code. If this email hasn't arrived within 15 minutes of activation, it is usually due to a filtering issue or a configuration error.

Follow these steps to locate your email or switch to a more reliable validation method.

1. Check the "Standard" Email Addresses

The CA is strictly regulated and cannot send the approval email to just any address (like yourname@gmail.com). They will only send it to:

• The Registered Domain Contact (the email listed in the WHOIS database for your domain).

• One of these five generic administrative addresses:

  • admin@yourdomain.com

  • administrator@yourdomain.com

  • hostmaster@yourdomain.com

  • postmaster@yourdomain.com

  • webmaster@yourdomain.com

The Fix: Ensure you actually have one of these mailboxes created and active in your cPanel or email hosting dashboard.

2. Search Your Spam and Junk Folders

Because these emails are sent by automated systems and contain links/codes, they are frequently flagged by aggressive spam filters.

• Search your inbox for keywords like "Sectigo," "Comodo," or "Certificate Validation."

• If you are using a corporate email server, check with your IT department to see if the email was quarantined at the gateway.

3. Whitelist the Sender

If your email provider is blocking the CA, you may need to whitelist their domain to allow the message through.

• For Sectigo/Comodo: Whitelist @sectigo.com and @comodoca.com.

• For DigiCert: Whitelist @digicert.com.

4. Resend the Email via Nixzoehost

If youve confirmed the email address is working and the folders are empty, you can trigger a "Resend" manually.

1. Log in to your Nixzoehost Client Area.

2. Navigate to SSL Certificates and click Manage next to your pending order.

3. Look for the Edit Methods/Resend button.

4. Confirm the email address and click Resend Email.

5. Change the Validation Method (The Ultimate Fix)

If email delivery continues to fail, the most reliable solution is to switch to a non-email method. This bypasses the inbox entirely.

1. In your Nixzoehost SSL management area, select Change Validation Method.

2. Switch to HTTP File Upload or DNS CNAME.

3. Follow the instructions provided for the new method.

Note: DNS CNAME is often the fastest alternative if you have access to your domain's DNS settings.

Still No Luck?

If you have tried resending to multiple generic addresses and still haven't received anything, your domain might be under Brand Validation (a manual security review). In this case, the email is held until a human at the CA clears the domain.