SSL FAQs
What type of SSL Certificates can I try for free?
We offer a 30-day free trial on and our poplar GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium certificate. To test the GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium certificate ,you may add the GeoTrust Free SSL Trial to your shopping cart from its product page or when you're in the shopping cart.
Can I upgrade my Free SSL Trial certificate?
At this time we only offer free trials on the GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium certificate. However, at any time during your free trial or when your 30-day trial expires, you may log into your account, visit the "My Services" tab, locate the certificate you would like to change, and use the drop down menu to select the SSL certificate you would like to purchase for ongoing use. Regardless of whether or not your 30-day trial has expired at the time you purchase a new certificate, your 30-day trial will automatically end when you install the new certificate.
What are the benefits of your Free SSL Trial products?
- Get a fully functional, single root SSL certificate free for 30-days.
- Use the trial period to ensure it's the right SSL certificate for you.
- Great for testing your server and the certificate's issuance speed.
- Easily upgrade from your trial certificate to a full, live SSL certificate when your trial expires.
Can I initiate an additional free trial after my first trial has expired?
Only one free trial is permitted per common name (i.e., your listed domain name).
How do I know which certificate is right for me?
We offer a variety of certificates in an effort to ensure you'll find what you're looking for. Read through our SSL product descriptions and checkout our comparison charts.
How long does it take to get an SSL Certificate?
Check out our SSL comparison chart to see the average time for issuance for each certificate. Certificates that require only domain authentication will generally be ready in about 10 minutes. For certificates with full organization authentication it may take about 2 days. EV certificates involve an extended validation process that may take up to 10 days to complete.
Do I have to have a different SSL certificate for each web page I want to secure?
No, you don't. SSL Certificates secure your site at the domain level, meaning any page on a secured domain is also secured. Note that secure pages include an "s" after the traditional "http" at the beginning of a URL. For instance, https://www.example.com/index.html represents a secure page on the www.example.com domain.
What is the process for purchasing an SSL Certificate?
Before you begin the purchase process, you will need to generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) and a Private Key. These two blocks of text are generated by your web server and are used during the creation of your SSL Certificate. For instructions on creating a CSR for specific web servers or for Dotster Hosting, click here.
After you've generated the CSR and Private Key, save them to a text file for later use. Now you may begin the process of purchasing your SSL Certificate from Dotster. While moving through the shopping cart process, you will be asked to input your CSR into a text field. Insert your CSR and continue with the order process.
Once you have received your SSL Certificate, you will need to pair your Private Key with your new SSL Certificate during the SSL certificate installation. Make sure you still know what your Private Key is! If at any point you lose your CSR or Private Key, you will have to recreate them and have your SSL Certificate reissued. More information about CSRs and Private Keys ...
What is a site seal and should I put one on my site?
A site seal is one of the advantages to purchasing an SSL certificate issued by a trusted brand. By displaying this image on your site, visitors can easily verify your site's authenticity and as a result will feel more secure conducting transactions on your site.
Different certificates offer different site seals. View our page on site seals to find the one specific to your certificate.
For additional help, please contact our Customer Care staff.
SSL Certificate Site Seals
GeoTrust
Install the site seal specific to your GeoTrust SSL Certificate. Use the table below to determine which seal is designed for your certificate.
| Quick SSL Premium | True BusinessID® SSL Certificates | |
|---|---|---|
| True Site Seal |  |
 |
| Seal Display | Dynamically generated by GeoTrust servers | Dynamically generated by GeoTrust servers |
| Website Profile Information | Click seal to verify domain | Click seal to verify domain and organization name |
| Real-time Data Display | Date and Time Stamp | Date, Time Stamp, and Organization |
| Installation Instructions | Install QuickSSL Premium TrueSite Seal | Install True BusinessID TrueSite Seal |
VeriSign
The HTML code used to display your VeriSign Secured® site seal is dynamically created by VeriSign. Click here to obtain the code directly from the VeriSign site.
