Getting Started with AutoInstall SSL: Install an SSL Certificate on Windows

This tutorial walks through the steps to automate the installation of SSL certificates on a Windows server using GeoTrust AutoInstall SSL, which is part of the GeoTrust Horizon platform.

Technical Requirements

GeoTrust AutoInstall SSL requires that you have admin access (e.g., via RDP or SSH) to your server. Of course, there are a couple of important points worth noting:

• AutoInstall SSL for Windows is not compatible with shared hosting environments (typically accessed via control panels such as cPanel or Plesk) or website editors (such as Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, etc.)
• AutoInstall SSL is compatible with almost any dedicated or VPS hosting where you have root/admin level access to the server. (Including cloud servers like AWS EC2, Azure VMs, etc.)

GeoTrust AutoInstall SSL supports IIS on Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022.

Installation Instructions

Follow these steps to install an SSL/TLS certificate on your server and have it automatically managed by GeoTrust AutoInstall SSL:

1. After purchasing an SSL/TLS certificate, you are taken to a next steps page. Click Generate Certificate to start.
   • Note: AutoInstall SSL currently supports domain validation [DV] and single-domain wildcard SSL certificates.
2. Choose or enter your domain name. You don’t need to include www. at this point (it can be added later).
3. Choose the Automatic Installation option.

   

4. Choose Windows and install the internal agent using the command provided. To install the agent:
   • Connect to your web server as an administrator (typically this is done using Remote Desktop Protocol/RDP) and open Windows PowerShell.
   • Copy the command provided into PowerShell and press Enter.
   • Once complete, the AutoInstall SSL agent will be installed on your server. It can be used to install one or more SSL certificates.
5. Once the agent is installed, choose the validation method that best suits your setup (e.g., file-based or DNS).
6. Choose to protect domain.com only or to protect the www and non-www versions of your domain (e.g., domain.com and www.domain.com) simultaneously.
   • If you choose to protect www.domain.com and are using DNS-based validation, ensure you have DNS records set up for the www. subdomain.
7. Copy the provided install certificate command into the PowerShell terminal window on your server and press Enter.
   • Review the settings, then type y and press Enter to confirm. GeoTrust AutoInstall SSL will now complete the entire SSL certificate installation process without you having to lift a finger:
     • generate the CSR,
     • submit it to CA,
     • download the validation file,
     • place the validation file at the correct location,
     • wait for the CA to complete the validation process,
     • download the certificate files,
     • convert the files (if needed),
     • install the certificate files, and
     • restart your web server.
   • Confirm everything is properly installed.
8. You’re done! GeoTrust AutoInstall SSL will keep your certificate up to date so it never expires.

Final Takeaways

• AutoInstall SSL uses file validation by default. This is the simplest method and is recommended for most use cases. You can change it to use DNS validation if needed by following these instructions. (Note: DNS-based validation must be used for wildcard SSL certificates.)
• AutoInstall SSL will automatically setup a scheduled task and check your SSL certificate every day. If it needs to be updated (for example, when the certificate will expire soon), AutoInstall SSL will automatically update your SSL certificate.