This interface allows you to manage certificates for your server's services, such as:
- Exim (SMTP).
- POP3 and IMAP.
- The cPanel services (cPanel & WHM and Webmail).
- Your FTP server.
SSL certificates allow your web server to identify itself to the computers that access it.
You can any of the following to secure your server's services:
- A free cPanel-signed hostname certificate.
- A certificate that you obtained from a certificate authority
-
A self-signed certificate.
Warning:
We recommend that you do not use self-signed certificates. They are not as secure as certificates from a certificate authority. Any server could claim to be your server with a self-signed certificate because they do not use a third-party verification system. To remedy this, use certificates from a certificate authority (CA), which verifies that users are securely connected to your server.
For more information about how to generate or purchase a certificate, read our Generate an SSL Certificate and Signing Request documentation.
Free cPanel-signed certificate
cPanel, Inc. offers valid cPanel & WHM license holders a free signed certificate for the services on your server's hostname. This replaces self-signed certificates or expired certificates from other certificate authorities for these services. Your server will automatically order the certificate when the server runs the upcp maintenance script, and then download and install it when it becomes available.
When that signed certificate is less than seven days from expiration, your server will automatically order a replacement free signed certificate. The server will download and install the certificate when it becomes available. Otherwise, if the signed certificate expires, the server will install a self-signed certificate, and then replace that certificate with the free signed certificate when it is ready.
Note:
If you create the /var/cpanel/ssl/disable_auto_hostname_certificate touch file, the system will no longer order, download, and install a free cPanel-signed hostname certificate.
Important:
- Your server's hostname must be valid and resolve in DNS.
- Your server must possess a valid cPanel & WHM license.
- This system will only replace self-signed or expired certificates. It will not replace an existing certificate from a valid certificate authority.
Service SSL Certificates
The interface displays the following table, which lists the services on your server and the certificates for each service:
|
Column
|
Description
|
|---|---|
| Service | The service that the certificate secures. |
| Certificate Domains | The domain of the service that the certificate secures. |
| Certificate Expiration |
The date on which the certificate expires. Notes:
|
| Certificate Key Size | The size of the key, in bits, that the system used to generate the certificate. Larger numbers result in more secure certificates. |
| Actions | (See below) |
Reset a Certificate
This option uninstalls the current certificate for the service and replaces it with a new self-signed certificate.
To reset a certificate, perform the following steps:
-
Click Reset Certificate next to the service for which you wish to reset the certificate.
-
Click Generate a New Certificate to generate and automatically install the certificate.
Warning
- This option automatically erases an existing certificate from the service. If you replace a certificate from a certificate authority with a self-signed certificate, users may see warnings because their client applications do not trust self-signed certificates.
- If your server meets the requirements to obtain a free cPanel-signed certificate, the server will automatically order one the next time that the upcp maintenance script runs. When the signed certificate becomes available, the server will download and install it.
Certificate Details
This option displays details about the installed certificate for the service:
|
Column
|
Description
|
|---|---|
| Domains | The domain of the service that the certificate secures. |
| Issuer |
Information about the certificate authority that issued the certificate. Note: This column displays a warning message for self-signed certificates. |
| Key Size | The size of the key, in bits, that the system used to generate the certificate. Larger numbers result in certificates that are more secure. |
| Expiration |
The date on which the certificate expires. Notes:
|
Apply Certificate to Another Service
This option allows you to apply a certificate to multiple services. This is useful, for example, when you have a signed certificate for your server's main domain that you wish to apply to other services on your server.
To apply a certificate to another service, perform the following steps:
- Click the appropriate Apply Certificate to Another Service link.
-
The interface will scroll down to the Install a New Certificate section. Select the checkboxes for the services for which you wish to apply this certificate.
Note:
WHM automatically enters the details of the Install a New Certificate text boxes with the certificate's information.
-
Click Install to install the certificate to the selected services, or click Cancel to cancel the operation.
Warning:
If you replace a certificate from a certificate authority with a self-signed one, users may see warnings because their client applications do not trust self-signed certificates.
Install a New Certificate
This form allows you to install a new certificate that you can use to secure the services on your server.
To install a new certificate on your server, perform the following steps:
- To use a certificate that already exists on your server, click Browse Certificates. Select the services that you wish for the certificate to secure.
- Click Browse Account and select the username from the menu, or click Browse Apache.
- Select the certificate that you wish to use from the menu.
-
Click Use Certificate to use the certificate, or click Cancel to cancel the operation.
Note:
WHM automatically enters the certificate's information into the Install a New Certificate form.
-
Paste the contents of the Certificate file (
.crt) into the Certificate text box.Note:
Click Autofill by certificate to search for the appropriate private key and CA bundle from cPanel's public CA bundle repository.
- Paste the contents of the Private Key file (
.key) into the Private Key text box. - If you have a CA bundle, paste the contents of that bundle (
.cab) into the Certificate Authority Bundle text box. - Click Install to install the certificate, or click Cancel to cancel the operation.
-
If you selected the
cpsrvddaemon, and the certificate has installed correctly, the interface will prompt you to restart thecpsrvddaemon. ClickRestart cpsrvd to restart the cPanel service daemon.Important:
You must restart the
cpsrvddaemon each time that you install a new SSL certificate for a service.
