> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.hosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Renewing an SSL certificate

> Learn all about the renewal process for SSL certificates in this article.

This article discusses the SSL certificate renewal process.

Every SSL certificate contains an expiration date that cannot be modified. Therefore, when you "renew" a certificate, you are actually obtaining a brand-new certificate with a new expiration date for the same domain.

By default, auto-renewal is enabled for SSL certificates. This means that you automatically receive an invoice for an SSL certificate that you purchased from hosting.com before it expires. This invoice is generated **14 days** before the certificate's expiration date.

<Note>
  To confirm the exact expiration date of an SSL certificate, you can use your web browser to look at the certificate details for the site.

  🚧 Important

  If you do not renew a paid SSL certificate before it expires, it is replaced with a free SSL certificate so your site maintains a basic level of security. If you want to continue using a paid SSL certificate on your site, you should purchase and install it as soon as possible.
</Note>

After you pay the renewal invoice, follow these steps to generate the new certificate:

1. Log in to the Hosting Panel at [https://my.hosting.com](https://my.hosting.com).

2. In the left sidebar, under **Products & Services**, click **All Products**.

3. In the list of products, locate your SSL certificate, and then click **Manage**.

4. On the **Overview** tab, in the **SSL Certificate Setup** section, specify the email address and domain you want to use with the certificate.

5. By default, we generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) automatically based on the following information you provide:

   * **City**

   * **State/region**

   * **Country code:** This is the two-letter country code for your location.

   * **Business/organization name:** This can be the name of a company, or the name of a person associated with the certificate.

   * **Business/organization department**

   > 📘 Note
   >
   > Alternatively, you can click **Custom** and paste the text of a CSR you have generated yourself. Please do **not** send us your private key!

6. If you are generating an OV (Organization Validation) or EV (Extended Validation) certificate, complete the additional contact information fields.

7. Click **Submit**.

8. We send you a message with instructions on how to validate your domain.

9. After you validate the domain, the certificate and private key appear on the **Overview** tab in the **SSL Certificate Setup** section. You can then install the SSL certificate and private key on your site.

   > 📘 Note
   >
   > * For information about how to install an SSL certificate in cPanel, please see [Installing a third-party SSL certificate with cPanel](/docs/install-a-third-party-ssl-certificate-with-cpanel).
   > * For information about how to install an SSL certificate in the Hosting Panel, please see [Installing an SSL certificate in the Hosting Panel](/docs/installing-an-ssl-certificate-in-the-hosting-panel).
   > * Alternatively, we can help you install the SSL certificate upon request.

## More information

To view a complete list of SSL certificate options currently available, please visit [https://hosting.com/domains/ssl-certificates/](https://hosting.com/domains/ssl-certificates/) .

## Related articles

* [Installing a third-party SSL certificate with cPanel](/docs/install-a-third-party-ssl-certificate-with-cpanel)

* [Installing an SSL certificate in the Hosting Panel](/docs/installing-an-ssl-certificate-in-the-hosting-panel)