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How to install an SSL certificate in DirectAdmin

Updated October 2026 · about 5 min read

In short

In DirectAdmin, open “SSL/TLS Certificates”, click “...” next to your domain, choose “Replace”, paste privkey.pem, cert.pem and chain.pem and tick “Add to the ACME skip list”. In the older interface, use “Paste a pre-generated certificate and key”.

DirectAdmin is a control panel used by many hosting providers. Its certificates page changed in July 2026 (version 1.706), so we describe both versions. If “SSL/TLS Certificates” opens a “Manage certificates” page with a “Certificate list” and an “ACME settings” tab, you have the new interface.

Files you need

privkey.pem, cert.pem and chain.pem.

Upload the certificate from production mode. A certificate from test mode is only for checking the process: browsers don't trust it, and some panels won't accept it at all.

Before you start

  • Since version 1.706, DirectAdmin on many servers issues free certificates by itself. If the certificate list already shows a valid certificate for your domain, you may not need your own.
  • SSL must be turned on for the domain: in “Domain Setup”, select the domain, tick “Secure SSL” and save (on some panels the button is called “Modify”). You can also tick “Force SSL with https redirect” so that the site always opens over https.

New interface (since July 2026)

  1. In the “Account Manager” menu, open “SSL/TLS Certificates” (in some versions “SSL Certificates”). The “Manage certificates” page opens with a list of your domain's certificates.
  2. If your domain is in the “Certificate list”, click “...” at the end of its row and choose “Replace”. If it is in the “Hosts not yet covered by SSL” section, click “...” next to the name and choose the option to upload your own certificate (the form then has an extra “Hostname” field). If the menu has no such option, first create a self-signed certificate for that name, then replace it as described above.
  3. Paste the files into the fields (see below for which goes where). Instead of pasting, you can load the files from your computer with the button at the top of the form: the panel recognizes the key and the certificate by itself.
  4. Leave the option that allows an invalid certificate unticked. Tick “Add to the ACME skip list”: otherwise the panel may later replace your certificate with its own automatic one.
  5. Click “Replace” (or the upload button at the bottom of the form, if the domain had no certificate). The certificate starts working within a few minutes.

What to paste into which field

privkey.pemPrivate key
cert.pemCertificate
chain.pemChain field (CA or intermediate certificates)
The file from the generator and the panel field its content goes into.
  • Private key: the entire contents of privkey.pem
  • Certificate: the entire contents of cert.pem
  • Chain field (CA or intermediate certificates): the entire contents of chain.pem. If chain.pem contains several BEGIN/END CERTIFICATE blocks and the panel has a separate field for each, paste each block into its own field.

Older interface

You will see this interface on DirectAdmin versions released before July 2026, or with the older “Enhanced” skin.

  1. Open “SSL Certificates” and select the option “Paste a pre-generated certificate and key”.
  2. Paste the key and the certificate into the two fields (see below for which goes where) and click “Save”.
  3. Click “CA Root Certificate”, paste the contents of chain.pem, tick “Use a CA Cert” and save.

What to paste into which field

privkey.pemKey
cert.pemCertificate
chain.pemThe field shown after clicking “CA Root Certificate”
The file from the generator and the panel field its content goes into.
  • Key: the entire contents of privkey.pem
  • Certificate: the entire contents of cert.pem
  • The field shown after clicking “CA Root Certificate”: the entire contents of chain.pem

How to copy the content of a file

  1. Windows: right-click the file, choose “Open with” and then “Notepad”. Mac: Control-click the file, choose “Open With” and then “TextEdit”.
  2. Select all the text (Ctrl+A, on a Mac Cmd+A) and copy it (Ctrl+C, on a Mac Cmd+C).
  3. In the panel, click into the field and paste (Ctrl+V, on a Mac Cmd+V). Paste everything, including the BEGIN and END lines, and don't change anything.

Checking the result

Open your website over https:// and click the padlock (or the settings icon) next to the address. The certificate details should show Let's Encrypt as the issuer and an expiry date matching the panel. If the browser still shows the old certificate, wait a few minutes and reload the page.

If you see a warning instead of your website, we explain the error codes on the page “Your connection is not private”. If the site opens over https but looks broken or something doesn't work, see mixed content. Finally, turn on the redirect from http to https so everyone lands on the secure version.

Good to know

  • If the panel rejects the key, generate the certificate again with an RSA 2048 key (step 1 of the generator, “Key type”). DirectAdmin supports ECDSA keys, but older installations may be configured differently.

When you renew

In the new interface, click “...” → “Replace” next to your domain and paste the new files. The domain is on the ACME skip list, so the panel will not renew it by itself: keep an eye on the expiry date (we will remind you by email). If you would rather use the panel's free certificate, remove the domain from the list of skipped DNS names in “ACME settings” and save the changes. In the older interface, paste the new files into the same fields.

Hosting panels change from time to time. If something looks different from this guide, write to kontakt@freessl.pl and we'll update it.

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