In addition to free AutoSSL, hoston.ch offers paid certificates. They differ mainly in how the owner is verified:
- DV (Domain Validation) – only control of the domain is checked; usually issued within minutes.
- OV (Organization Validation) – the company is verified as well; the company name appears in the certificate.
- EV (Extended Validation) – the most thorough company check, e.g. for shops and financial services.
- Wildcard – covers the domain and all subdomains of one level (
*.yourdomain.ch).
1. Request the certificate
- Create a CSR in cPanel (see the article "Create a CSR in cPanel").
- In the Client Area at https://my.hoston.ch, open the certificate under My Services and click Configure.
- Paste the CSR and choose the domain validation method: e-mail to an address such as
admin@yourdomain.ch, a DNS record (TXT/CNAME) or a file uploaded to the website. - Complete the validation. For OV/EV, the certificate authority will also contact you to verify the company details; this can take a few days.
2. Install the certificate
- Once issued, you receive the certificate (CRT) and the CA bundle by e-mail.
- In cPanel, open Security > SSL/TLS > Manage SSL sites.
- Select the domain and paste the certificate text into the Certificate (CRT) field.
- Click Autofill by Certificate. The private key is filled in automatically if the CSR was created in cPanel.
- If needed, paste the CA bundle into Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE) and click Install Certificate.
Tip: check the installation in your browser afterwards. Purchased certificates are not renewed automatically; you receive a renewal invoice before expiry and then install the new certificate.