How does the validation of a starter certificate at EuropeanSSL work (domain validation)?

The Certificate Signing Request, or CSR for short, contains important information such as the hostname to be protected or the key length and is normally generated directly on your server together with the PrivateKey. You need the CSR to initiate the order on our website and the PrivateKey to install the certificate on your web server after it has been issued. Never pass the PrivateKey on to third parties, as this could otherwise represent a security risk for visitors to your website. If you are unable to generate the CSR yourself, you can also use the CSR generator on our website.

You can easily and conveniently place the order on our website. In doing so, specify the CSR generated previously and select the desired validation method. You can choose between three methods for validating a domain-validated certificate:

• Validation by e-mail

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  An e-mail will be sent to one of the following prefixes, which contains a link to confirm the validation. The following prefixes can be used:
  • admin@
  • administrator@
  • hostmaster@
  • postmaster@
  • webmaster@
• Validation via DNS

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  With this method, a specific CNAME entry must be created in the DNS settings of the domain, which will then be used to validate your domain. You will receive this information from us by e-mail.
• Validation by file

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  For this method, a file must be placed on your web space and be accessible in the browser. You will receive the path and the file from us by e-mail following your order.

After your order, you will receive an order confirmation and an e-mail with instructions on how to confirm your domain ownership. By validating the domain for which you wish to purchase the certificate, you confirm to us that you actually own the domain. For this reason, only the methods described above can be used.

Once ownership has been confirmed, the certificate is issued and sent to the e-mail address stored in your account. The message contains a zip file that contains both the actual certificate (.crt) and all required root and intermediate files in a .ca file.