General CSR Creation Guidelines

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Before you can get a TLS/SSL certificate, you must generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from your server or device. Learn more about SSL certificates »

What is a CSR?

A CSR is an encoded file that provides a standardized way to send DigiCert your public key and some information identifying your company and domain name.

What information must I include in my CSR?

When you generate a CSR, most server software asks for the following information: common name (e.g., www.example.com), organization name and location (country, state/province, city/town), key type (typically RSA), and key size (2048-bit minimum).

If you're uncertain about the exact company name or location when generating the CSR, don't worry. We offer the flexibility to modify and finalize that information during our review process before issuing the certificate.

What do I do with my CSR?

Once you've created the CSR, you'll need to copy and paste it into the online form where you submit a request to get a TLS/SSL certificate.

Not sure which SSL certificate you need? »

Common Platforms & Operating Systems

Microsoft IIS

CSR Generator: Instructions:

Learn More:

Microsoft Exchange Server

CSR Generators: Instructions:

Learn More:

Apache Server (OpenSSL)

CSR Generator: Instructions:

Learn More:

Tomcat Server (Keytool)

CSR Generator: Instructions:

Learn More:

Microsoft Lync

CSR Generator:

Instructions:

Learn More:

2048-Bit Key Length Required

To remain secure, SSL certificates must use keys that are 2048-bits in length or greater. More details »
Can't generate a CSR with a 2048-bit key on your server platform? Please contact us.

Wondering What Information is Needed for Your CSR?

  1. Common Name (fully qualified domain name [FQDN] your certificate will secure)
  2. Country (two-digit code)
  3. State or Locality (full names e.g., California or Barcelona)
  4. Organization Name (full legal company or personal name as registered in your locality)
  5. Organization Unit (department in your organization the certificate is for [e.g., IT or Marketing])

Generating a CSR for a Wildcard Certificate?

When generating a CSR for a Wildcard certificate, the common name must start with an asterisk (*) (e.g., *.example.com). The Wildcard character (*) can assume any name that doesn't have a dot character in it.

All CSR Creation Instructions by Platform/OS

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We try to keep our online documentation as up-to-date as possible. However, if you have a particular article or platform that you would like to see documentation for, please contact DigiCert Support.