What is an intermediate SSL certificate?

An intermediate certificate is any certificate that sits between a site’s SSL certificate and a root certificate. An intermediate certificate is signed by a root certificate and the site’s SSL certificate is signed by the intermediate. Each level of certificate verifies the identity of the certificate at the next level. This is called the certificate chain of trust and this chain allows us to verify site SSL certificates while keeping the root certificate and its keys securely offline.

Using an intermediate certificate means that you must complete an additional step to enable your third-party SSL  certificate to be chained to the root and prevent security errors in the web browser. Note that this additional step isn’t required for certificates purchased directly from HostPapa.

For information about how to install third-party SSL certificates, see How to install a third-party SSL certificate on your website.

If you have any questions or need help, you can always contact HostPapa Support by opening a support ticket. Details about how to open a support ticket are here.

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