How to Generate a CSR for Microsoft IIS 10.X

Need to generate a CSR for your Microsoft IIS 10.X server? This is pretty straightforward. Given this guide's step-by-step format, you will be able to obtain that SSL certificate in a jiffy and increase security over your website.

How to Generate CSR

To generate your Certificate Signing Request (CSR), you will need to log into your server and use the following instructions:

1. Open IIS Manager.
2. In the Connections menu tree (left pane), find and click on your server's name.
3. On the server's Home page (center pane), in the IIS section, double-click Server Certificates.
   


4. On the Server Certificates page, in the Actions menu (right pane), click Create Certificate Request….
   


5. Provide the following information, then click Next:
   
    
   • Common name: Your website's fully qualified domain name e.g., www.example.com.
   • Organization: Enter your legally registered Company or Organization.
   • Organizational unit: Your department within the organization (e.g., IT, Web Security). This can often be left blank.
   • City/locality: The city in which your business is officially registered.
   • State/province: Enter the state or province of your legally registered organization.
   • Country: Select where your company is located from the dropdown list.
6. Configure Cryptographic Service Provider Properties:
   
    
   • Cryptographic service provider: Choose Microsoft RSA SChannel Cryptographic Provider unless you have a specific provider.
   • Bit length: Select 2048 for strong security unless you require a larger bit length. Click Next.
7. Click the … button to browse to where you'll save the CSR. Remember this location and filename! (If you only enter a filename, the CSR will be saved to C:\Windows\System32.)
   


8. Click Finish.
9. Now, open the saved .txt file with a text editor like Notepad. Copy the entire text, including the -----BEGIN NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- and -----END NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- tags. This is what you'll paste into your SSL certificate order form.
   

Review

So there you have it! Generating a CSR for Microsoft IIS 10.X might seem a bit technical at first, but with this guide, it's totally doable. Now that you've got your CSR ready to go, it's time to take the next step and grab an SSL certificate to give your website that extra layer of security and trust. Your visitors (and search engines) will thank you for it!