# Order Certificate via Public Link

The Certificate Request via Public Link feature in CERTInext enables administrators and authorized users to generate secure, controlled certificate request URLs that can be shared with external users, customers, or internal teams. This capability simplifies certificate request collection while maintaining governance, approval controls, and visibility within the CERTInext platform.

Public Links are commonly used in scenarios where certificate requests need to be initiated by users who do not have direct access to the CERTInext portal.

**Purpose and Use Cases**

The Public Link mechanism is designed to:

* Enable external or distributed users to submit certificate requests securely
* Reduce administrative overhead by standardizing request inputs
* Enforce product, group, and approval policies at the point of request
* Maintain full visibility and control over submitted requests

**Typical use cases include:**

* Customers requesting SSL/TLS certificates
* Business units submitting certificate requests without portal access
* Partners collecting certificate requests for end customers
* Centralized request intake with decentralized submission

 

**Accessing Public Link Configuration**

To create and manage public certificate request links:

1. Navigate to Certificates → Orders → Public Link
2. Click Generate New URL

<figure><img src="/files/MuOzlHgR5FybEpcu5SFx" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

This opens the Public Link configuration dialog, where request parameters and controls are defined.

<figure><img src="/files/mqxSGnkv9MRnuCUhI1Nn" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Public Link Configuration Fields**

Each Public Link is configured using the following fields, as visible in the interface:

***Description***

A mandatory field used to provide a meaningful description for the public link.\
This helps administrators identify the purpose or audience of the link (e.g., *“Customer SSL Requests – Finance Team”*).

***Group***

Select the group under which certificate requests submitted via this link will be processed.

Only groups with auto-approval permissions enabled are available for selection. This ensures that group-level governance and approval policies are enforced.

***Certificate Type***

Allows selection of the certificate category applicable to the link.\
Options may include:

* All
* Specific certificate types depending on account configuration

This field restricts what type of certificates can be requested through the generated link.

***Product***

Specifies the exact certificate product that can be requested using the public link.\
This ensures:

* Requests are aligned to approved products
* Pricing, validation, and issuance rules are predefined

***Auto Approval***

Determines whether certificate requests submitted through this link are automatically approved.

* Yes: Requests are approved automatically based on group and product policy.
* No: Requests require manual approval before proceeding.

This setting is commonly used to balance speed and governance depending on business requirements.

***Enable Authentication***

Controls whether authentication is required before submitting a certificate request.

* Yes: Users must authenticate before submitting the request.
* No: Requests can be submitted without authentication.

This option is useful for controlling access to the request link, especially when shared externally.

***Generating the Public Link***

After configuring the required fields:

1. Review the selected parameters
2. Click Generate URL

CERTInext generates a unique public submission link based on the defined configuration. This URL can then be securely shared with the intended requesters.

**Request Submission and Tracking**

All certificate requests submitted via public links:

* Appear in the Orders section of CERTInext
* Follow the defined approval workflow (auto or manual)
* Are fully auditable and traceable
* Can be tracked through their entire lifecycle (submitted, approved, issued, revoked)

Administrators retain complete visibility and control over all requests, regardless of the submission method.

**Governance and Security Controls**

The Public Link feature enforces governance through:

* Group-level permissions
* Product-level restrictions
* Optional authentication
* Approval workflows
* Full audit logging

This ensures that ease of request submission does not compromise security or compliance.

**Best Practices**

* Use descriptive names for public links to avoid confusion
* Restrict products and certificate types wherever possible
* Enable authentication for externally shared links
* Periodically review active public links and revoke unused ones
* Use auto-approval only for low-risk or well-defined use cases

The Certificate Request via Public Link feature enables flexible yet controlled certificate request submission in CERTInext. By combining ease of use with strong governance, it allows organizations to streamline certificate intake while preserving security, visibility, and lifecycle control.


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