How to Install a Self-Signed SSL Certificate
Self-signed SSL certificate can be generated and installed through the cPanel. This is useful if you want your website to show the HTTPS instead of HTTP in a testing environment. This is not advisable to be used once the website is live as this causes errors on a web browser like the certificate can’t be trusted error. This kind of certificate is not trusted by browsers as this is not issued by CA (Certifcate Authority) and can be generated anytime by anyone including hackers.
Follow the steps below on how to generate and install a self-signed SSL certificate in cPanel.
Step 1. Log in to cPanel.
Step 2. Click SSL/TLS under Security.
Step 3. Choose RSA, 2048-bit and click Save.
Step 4. Scroll down and click Generate, view, upload, or delete your private keys.
Step 5. Enter a description for the private key and click Generate.
Step 6. A display message that says the private key has been generated as requested shows. Scroll down and click Return to SSL Manager.
Step 7. Scroll down and click Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates.
Step 8. Fill in the boxes under Generate a New Certificate with the following information.
- Key* - Choose Generate a new “RSA, 2,048-bit" key.
- Domain – Enter the domain name that the SSL certificate covers. Your subdomains may or may not be covered depending on your SSL package. Verify this with your SSL provider.
- City – Enter the city where the business is operating or registered.
- State - Enter the state where the business is operating or registered.
- Country - Choose the country where the business is operating or registered.
- Company – Enter the legally-registered name of your business.
- Email – Even if there is no [*] asterisk in this field, enter the email address where you can be contacted for verification of domain ownership.
Step 9. Click Generate.
Step 10. A success message displays on the screen. Scroll down and click Return to SSL Manager.
Step 11. Click Manage SSL sites.
Step 12. Under Install an SSL Website, click Browse Certificates.
Step 13. Select the SSL certificate generated from Step 9 on the list and click Use Certificate.
Step 14. Scroll down and click Install Certificate.
A pop-up message stating that the SSL certificate has been successfully updated appears. Try accessing the website on a browser. The changes should take effect right away.