SSL Validation Guidelines

Time to Read: 5 minutes Difficulty Level: Beginner
Tools Needed: Active SSL package with Nublue Last Updated:

Introduction

This article is a brief explanation of the information Nublue requires for common types of SSL orders.

All of our hosting platforms afford you the ability to install a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate to secure your site. For more information on how to install one, please see our guide here.

If you purchase a commercial SSL certificate from us, our SSL provider will need to perform some validation checks to verify the identity of you and your company.

For all types of SSL we ask for the following basic information when you place the order:

  • your company name
  • your company’s address
  • a contact name, number and email address
  • common names for the order (if none are supplied, we will order the certificate to cover both www.your-domain.com and your-domain.com)
  • an email address for validation purposes. This has to be one of several address stipulated by our SSL provider. As part of the process, you’ll need to log into this account and follow a link contained within the email - unless your email service is with us too, in which case we can usually create the address on your behalf and even perform the validation for you.

If you order a Sectigo Instant or a Sectigo EV, additional information is required because the validation checks are more stringent. These 2 types of SSL also require you to have a publicly verifiable address. Typically Sectigo will use the Companies House database to verify the address (for UK-based sites), but they may also use other local government directories or Dun and Bradstreet’s records.

For these types of orders, Sectigo will also attempt to verify that the phone number supplied with the order does in fact belong to you. Again, using Dun and Bradstreet’s data is the most common way of doing this.

For these types of SSLs, if the information submitted for your SSL order differs from the verified address Sectigo finds, they may query the reason why. If necessary, you can update your phone number with Dun and Bradstreet here. Alternatively you can update your phone number in any of these publicly listed online phonebooks and supply Nublue with a link to the online record that we can then forward on to Sectigo to confirm it.

Finally, for an Extended Validation (EV) certificate order, Sectigo require you to complete a certificate request form or “Subscriber’s Agreement”. This will usually be sent to us to forward onto you for completion.

The higher the level of validation, the more security checks are completed by Sectigo. EV certificate orders in particular may be a lengthy process: our supplier needs time to perform all of their necessary checks and may return to query the information provided before issuing a certificate. However, having an EV certificate installed can give your customers a real sense of confidence and security when visiting your site, so it’s a worthwhile addition to any online store.