{"id":1121,"date":"2020-06-23T08:56:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-23T08:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/?p=1121"},"modified":"2020-06-23T13:13:09","modified_gmt":"2020-06-23T13:13:09","slug":"understanding-the-ssl-validation-process-with-faqs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/understanding-the-ssl-validation-process-with-faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the SSL Validation Process with FAQs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Explore what the three types of SSL validation are, and learn how to verify whether your certificate\u2019s validation was successful on your site and how to validate an SSL certificate through a trusted CA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, I just bought an SSL certificate for my domain name, but my website is still not showing the padlock sign. Is there a technical error in my certificate?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hear this every day from customers who are buying SSL\/TLS certificates for the first time. When we inform them about the certificate signing request (CSR) generation, SSL validation and installation processes, they get flustered \u2014 which is quite normal. That\u2019s because they think it\u2019s going to be a painful and drawn-out process, but it\u2019s really not (as you\u2019ll soon discover).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, whether you\u2019ve already purchased an SSL certificate and looking for its activation procedures or are planning to buy new one, this article will help you navigate the entire SSL validation and authentication process<\/a>. For other two parts of the SSL activation steps, check out these two resources on CSR generation<\/a> and SSL certificate installation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table of contents<\/p>

<\/polyline><\/svg><\/div>
  1. Explore what the three types of SSL validation are, and learn how to verify whether your certificate\u2019s validation was successful on your site and how to validate an SSL certificate through a trusted CA<\/a>
      <\/ol><\/li>
    1. What Is SSL Validation?<\/a>
      1. The 3 Types of SSL Validation Levels<\/a>
          <\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li>
        1. How to Complete the SSL Authentication Process<\/a>
          1. Breaking Down the Domain Validation Process<\/a>
            1. 1. Email Verification<\/a>
                <\/ol><\/li>
              1. 2. File Verification<\/a>
                  <\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li>
                1. Breaking Down the Organization Validation Process<\/a>
                  1. 1. Complete the Enrollment Form<\/a>
                      <\/ol><\/li>
                    1. 2. Await Organization Authentication:<\/a>
                        <\/ol><\/li>
                      1. 3. Prove Locality Presence:<\/a>
                          <\/ol><\/li>
                        1. 4. Complete Telephone Verification<\/a>
                            <\/ol><\/li>
                          1. 5. Await Domain Authentication<\/a>
                              <\/ol><\/li>
                            1. 6. Complete the Final Verification Call<\/a>
                                <\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li>
                              1. Breaking Down the Extended Validation Process<\/a>
                                1. What We Mean by \u2018Operational Existence\u2019 <\/a>
                                    <\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/li>
                                  1. SSL Validation FAQs<\/a>
                                      <\/ol><\/li>
                                    1. Final Thoughts<\/a>
                                        <\/ol><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\n\n\n\n

                                        What Is SSL Validation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                                        There\u2019s going to be a two-part answer to this particular question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        First, some people who search for answers to this question online are looking for something that\u2019s known as an SSL certificate checker<\/a>. This tool is useful for trying to validate that a certificate is properly installed and that there aren\u2019t any issues from the installation process. For example, here\u2019s what it looks like when you search for a website using our SSL certificate checker:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        \"Graphic:
                                        You can use SectigoStore.com’s SSL certificate checker tool to verify whether your SSL certificate was installed properly.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

                                        The second reason why people ask this question is typically because they\u2019re trying to learn more about what SSL validation is in terms of the certificates themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        When you buy an SSL certificate, it doesn’t get installed on your server automatically. You must prove the certificate authority (CA) you control the domain for which you have applied the certificate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        For a business authenticated SSL certificate, the CA also verifies whether your website is backed by and belongs to a genuine business. The process of validating the domain ownership and business\u2019s genuineness is called SSL validation (also known as SSL authentication) process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        To know the technical side of it, scroll down to the FAQ section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        The 3 Types of SSL Validation Levels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                        An SSL certificate can be classified into the three categories according to their validation requirements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        1) Domain Validation (DV<\/strong>): This process enables you to prove domain ownership (and nothing else).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        2) Organization Validation (OV)<\/strong>: This process involves both DV and business authentication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        3) Extended Validation (EV)<\/strong>: This process involves both domain and organization validation, plus your organization must be at least three years old and in good standing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        If you\u2019re not sure which SSL certificate (DV, OV, EV) you bought, please contact your certificate provider and ask them. In general, if there isn\u2019t any validation information stipulated on the certificate, it\u2019s a basic DV SSL certificate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        How to Complete the SSL Authentication Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                                        Let\u2019s understand the steps involved in each type of SSL validation process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        Breaking Down the Domain Validation Process<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                        This basic SSL validation type enables you to prove your domain ownership. The SSL certificates that require only domain validation are known as DV SSL certificates. Here, the CA verifies whether the public key (CSR code) you sent to the CA actually belongs to the server where the claimed website is hosted. There are two ways the CA verifies your ownership:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                        1. Email Verification<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

                                        The CA sends you an email with a verification link on the email address that can be accessible to the legitimate person only. The link can be sent on one of these five (chosen by you) email addresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n