After you purchase an SSL certificate instance, you must use Certificate Management Service to submit a certificate application to a certificate authority (CA). After the CA approves your certificate application, the CA issues the certificate. You can install the certificate on your web server. This way, your website on the web server is accessible over HTTPS. This topic describes how to apply for a certificate.

Prerequisites

An SSL certificate instance is purchased.

For more information, see Purchase an SSL Certificates Service instance.

Procedure

  1. Log on to the SSL Certificates Service console.
  2. On the SSL Certificates page, select Pending Application from the status drop-down list above the certificate list.
    This operation queries all your purchased certificate instances for which no certificate applications are submitted.
  3. Find the certificate instance for which you want to submit a certificate application and click Apply for Certificate in the Actions column.
  4. In the Apply for Certificate panel, configure the parameters.
    The parameters vary based on certificate types. You need to configure the parameters as prompted.

    For more information about the parameters, see Required information for certificate application.

  5. Submit your certificate application to the CA for review.
    After you configure the parameters, perform the following operations based on the type of the certificate that you want to apply for:
    • Domain validated (DV) certificate: Click Next, complete verification of the domain name ownership as prompted, and then click Submit.

      For more information about how to complete verification of the domain name ownership, see Prove the ownership of a domain name.

    • Organization validated (OV) or extended validated (EV) certificate: Click Submit.
    After you submit your certificate application, the following message appears. Make sure that the phone calls from the CA are properly answered and check the verification email at the earliest opportunity as prompted. The CA sends the verification email to your contact email address. Message after you submit an application

What to do next

  • Before the certificate is issued
    Note If you want to modify your certificate application before the certificate is issued, cancel the application, modify the application, and then submit the modified application. If the certificate is issued, you can no longer cancel the application.

    After you submit the certificate application, you can check the review progress in the Status column. To check the progress, click the Status icon. In the message that appears, click View Progress to view the progress in the Certificate Progress panel.

    The CA uses different methods to review applications for different types of certificates. To make sure that your certificate can be issued, you must cooperate with the CA and perform the required operations based on the certificate types. The following table describes the required operations.

    Certificate type Required operation
    DV certificate Wait for the CA to review your certificate application. After the CA approves the application, the CA issues the certificate. In most cases, a DV certificate is reviewed and issued within 2 hours.

    You can view the status of the certificate in the certificate list. After the certificate is issued, the value of Status of the certificate changes to Issued.

    OV or EV certificate After the CA receives your certificate application, the CA verifies the information in your application. The CA issues the certificate only after the information passes the verification. The application requirements of CAs are different. Therefore, the time required for verification vary based on CAs. In most cases, an OV or EV certificate is reviewed and issued within three to five business days.
    After you submit your certificate application, you must cooperate with the CA staff to complete the following verification process:
    • Domain name verification: After the CA receives your certificate application, the CA sends an email for domain name verification to your contact email address. You must complete the verification based on the following process. Verification process
      Note If your domain name fails the verification, the CA rejects your application, and your certificate status remains Verifying.
    • Optional:Verification by phone: The CA staff may contact you by phone to verify the information in your application. Make sure that the phone calls from the CA are properly answered.

    After your certificate application is approved, you can view your certificate status in the certificate list. After the certificate is issued, the value of Status of the certificate changes to Issued.

    If your certificate application is rejected, the value of Status of the certificate changes to Validation Failed. You can view the cause of the failure in the Status column. To view the cause of the failure, click the Verification failed icon icon in the Status column. In the message that appears, click View Cause to view the cause of the failure in the Certificate Progress panel. You must modify the information in your application, especially the enterprise qualification information, based on the cause of the failure. Then, submit the application again.

  • After the certificate is issued

    After the certificate is issued, the value of Status of the certificate changes to Issued. You can view the operations that you can perform for the issued certificate in the Status column. You can click the Issued icon icon in the Status column. In the message that appears, click Deploy or Download to deploy or download the certificate. For more information about how to install a certificate, see Installation overview.