Obtaining Your Certificate

After generating your CSR, submit it to your chosen Certificate Authority. The submission process varies by CA and certificate type. For DV certificates, you'll typically paste your CSR into a web form and complete domain validation through your chosen method. Email validation requires responding to verification emails, DNS validation involves adding TXT records, and file validation requires uploading specific files to your web server.

For OV and EV certificates, the validation process extends beyond technical verification. After submitting your CSR, provide required business documentation and respond to verification phone calls. This process takes days or weeks, so plan accordingly. Track your application status through the CA's portal and respond promptly to any additional requests to avoid delays.

Once validation completes, the CA provides your certificate files. You'll typically receive your server certificate (often named yourdomain.crt), intermediate certificates (may be separate files or bundled), and sometimes a root certificate (though this shouldn't be installed). Some CAs provide certificates in different formats (PEM, DER, PFX) - ensure you download the format appropriate for your server platform. PEM format (Base64 encoded) works with most platforms.