A CSR, or Certificate Signing Request, is an essential part of securing your website with HTTPS. If you’re setting up an SSL/TLS certificate, generating a Certificate Signing Request is the very first step, and understanding how to generate and use it properly ensures your website stays safe, trusted, and SEO-friendly.
Let’s break it down into simple terms and walk through everything you need to know about it, whether you’re running a personal blog or managing a high-traffic e-commerce site.
What Is a CSR?
A CSR (Certificate Signing Request) is a block of encoded text that you generate on your server. It contains important information that a Certificate Authority (CA) uses to create your SSL certificate, including:
- Your domain name
- Your organization name (for OV/EV certificates)
- Your location (city, state, country)
- Your public key
- A signature generated using your private key
Once submitted to a trusted CA, the Certificate Signing Request is used to issue your SSL certificate, which enables HTTPS on your website and ensures encrypted, trusted connections.
Why Is It Important?
Search engines like Google consider HTTPS a ranking factor, and browsers like Chrome label non-HTTPS sites as “Not Secure”. This directly impacts your SEO and user trust.
The CSR ensures that your SSL certificate contains the correct details tied to your domain, and that only someone with access to the private key can use the certificate. It’s the backbone of digital trust on the web.
How to Generate a CSR (Step-by-Step)
Here’s a simplified, step-by-step guide for generating a CSR on a Linux server with OpenSSL – one of the most common setups:
First, log into your server via SSH and run the following command:
openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout yourdomain.key -out yourdomain.csr
Then, you’ll be prompted to enter the following details:
- Country Name (2-letter code)
- State or Province Name
- Locality (City)
- Organization Name
- Organizational Unit (optional)
- Common Name (e.g., yourdomain.com)
- Email Address
After completion, you’ll have two files:
- yourdomain.key (your private key – keep this safe!)
- yourdomain.csr (the file you’ll send to your Certificate Authority)
If you’re using a control panel like cPanel or Plesk, there are built-in tools to generate CSRs with just a few clicks.
What to Do With the CSR
Once you’ve generated your CSR:
- Submit it to a Certificate Authority (like Let’s Encrypt).
- The CA verifies your identity and issues your SSL certificate.
- Install the certificate on your web server using your private key.
You’ll now be able to serve your site over HTTPS, securing all traffic between your users and your server.
Conclusion
Generating and using a CSR is a crucial step in deploying an SSL certificate, enabling HTTPS, and securing your website. It’s also a key part of maintaining trust, improving SEO rankings, and meeting compliance standards. By mastering the Certificate Signing Request process, you’re not just checking a box – you’re actively protecting your users, data, and brand reputation.