> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.certinext.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.certinext.io/documentation/certificate-lifecycle-management/ordering-a-certificate/as-a-customer/ordering-dv-public-trust-certificates/phase-1-steps/step-2-certificate-signing-request-csr.md). # Step 2 - Certificate Signing Request (CSR) This screen is where you provide the CSR - a technical file from your web server that the Certificate Authority uses to create your certificate.
#### What Is a CSR? A CSR (Certificate Signing Request) is a block of text generated by your web server. It contains your domain name (called the Common Name) and a public key. The CA reads this information to create your certificate. Your IT team, hosting provider, or server administrator can generate a CSR for you. **📌 NOTE** The public key and signature algorithm from your CSR are used for certificate generation. Subject details such as Organization, Country, and State are pre-filled from your CSR for convenience but can be edited on screen. The values you submit in the form will be the final values in the issued certificate - not necessarily what was in the CSR. #### Variant Differences - CSR Requirements
VariantCSR Common Name (CN) Format & Key Size
DV SSL CertificateCN = yourdomain.com (e.g., www.mybusiness.com). Key size: 2048-bit RSA minimum.
DV Wildcard SSL CertificateCN = *.yourdomain.com - the asterisk and dot are REQUIRED (e.g., *.mybusiness.com). Key size: 4096-bit RSA recommended for stronger security.
DV UCC SSL CertificateCN = your primary domain (e.g., mybusiness.com). Additional domains are added as Subject Alternative Names (SANs). Key size: 2048-bit RSA minimum.
DV Wildcard UCC SSL CertificateCN = your primary wildcard domain (e.g., *.mybusiness.com). Additional wildcard domains are SANs. Key size: 4096-bit RSA recommended.
**⚠️ IMPORTANT** Wildcard certificates MUST have the asterisk in the Common Name: \*.yourdomain.com - NOT yourdomain.com. A CSR generated without the asterisk will NOT work for a Wildcard certificate and the order will be rejected by the CA. If your CSR was generated for the wrong domain, ask your IT team to generate a new CSR with the correct Common Name before proceeding. #### Your Three Options on This Screen ***Option A - Upload CSR File*** *1. Click the Choose File button next to 'Upload CSR'.* *2. A file browser opens. Navigate to your .csr or .pem file on your computer.* *3. Select the file. The filename appears next to the button once selected.* ***Option B - Paste CSR Text*** *4. Open your CSR file in any text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac).* *5. Copy the entire block - starting with -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- and ending with -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----, including those header and footer lines.* *6. Paste the copied text into the 'Paste CSR' text box on screen.* ***Option C - Skip CSR*** *7. Tick the 'Skip CSR' checkbox at the top of the screen.* *8. You can complete the order and pay now, then provide the CSR later.* *9. Use this if your IT team has not generated the CSR yet but you need to start the order.* **💡 TIP** If you use a shared hosting service such as cPanel or Plesk: Log in to your hosting control panel, go to SSL/TLS settings, and generate a CSR from there. For standard DV SSL, enter your domain as the Common Name. For Wildcard variants, enter \*.yourdomain.com with the asterisk. Copy the CSR text from your hosting panel and paste it into the Paste CSR box on this screen. *Click Back to go back, or Next to proceed.* --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.certinext.io/documentation/certificate-lifecycle-management/ordering-a-certificate/as-a-customer/ordering-dv-public-trust-certificates/phase-1-steps/step-2-certificate-signing-request-csr.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.