LEARN IT. BUILD IT. CHECK IT.

The Certificate Field Guide.

Start with what the certificate tells you, or jump directly to the files you need. The workshop runs on your machine; ABOUTSSL never handles your private keys.

01 / READ THE RESULT

Understand the TLS Handshake.

Names, dates, trust and chains—what the checker can and cannot tell you.

5 min read 02 / OPENSSL

Create a Key and CSR.

Encrypted keys, SAN names and clearly marked self-signed test certificates.

6 min read 03 / WINDOWS

Work with PowerShell.

Create a test certificate, request a signed one, and export from the Windows certificate store.

7 min read 04 / CERTIFICATE BUNDLES

Build the Complete PFX.

Match the key, verify the chain, and package the certificate and CA certificates together.

7 min read 05 / FILE FORMATS

Convert Without Guesswork.

PEM, DER, CER, CRT, P7B and PFX—choose the conversion that preserves what you need.

5 min read 06 / IN THE FIELD

Fix the Right Problem.

Missing keys, broken chains, hostname errors and renewal troubleshooting.

5 min read

A Useful Order of Operations

Identify the names and server that need the certificate.
Generate and protect the private key; create a CSR.
Obtain a signed certificate through your chosen CA.
Verify the key match and issuer chain.
Convert or export the required format, then check the deployed endpoint.