Renewing an SSL certificate involves generating a new Certificate Signing Request (CSR), purchasing and activating your new SSL certificate, completing domain control validation, and finally installing your new SSL certificate. Here are the detailed steps:
- Generate a New Certificate Signing Request (CSR): To renew an SSL certificate, you’ll need to generate a new CSR. This is a unique, encrypted block of text containing information about your site that the Certificate Authority (CA) needs to issue a new SSL certificate. It includes your domain name, your organization name, and geographic information.
- Purchase and Activate Your New SSL Certificate: With your CSR generated, you can now purchase a new SSL certificate from your CA or another provider of choice. Follow the prompts and supply all the requested information, including the CSR you acquired in the previous step.
- Complete Domain Control Validation (DCV): After purchasing your new SSL certificate, you’ll need to complete a validation step before your new certificate can take effect. This is known as Domain Control Validation (DCV). Your CA will offer multiple ways to confirm your identity, but most will offer an option to validate via email. With this method, you’ll receive an email at the address linked to your website. Follow the instructions in the email to complete DCV.
- Install Your New SSL Certificate: Once your DCV is complete, you’ll receive your SSL certificate files. If you’re requesting a new certificate from your host, your certificate should be added to your site automatically. If not, refer to your server’s documentation for uploading and placing your SSL certificate on your server. Then, check all of your pages for “https” in the URL and the padlock icon in the browser bar.
Remember, if your Certificate Authority (CA), hosting provider, or website builder offers automatic updates for your SSL certificate, let it handle this process for you. It’s one less thing for you to worry about, and eliminates the chance of your certificate expiring on your live site.
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