How to Get SSL Certificate Keyfile from GoDaddy

I needed to grab GoDaddy’s SSL Certificate KeyFile for a CRM company that was connecting my client’s jobs database with my client’s WordPress website.

Specifically, I needed 3 separate files:

1. SSL Certificate File
2. SSL Certificate Key File (GoDaddy called this the Private Key)
3. SSL Certificate Chain File (GoDaddy called this the CRT File)

First, see if your download button is available to the zip for SSL Certificate Keyfile from GoDaddy.

1. Login to GoDaddy.

2. Click your name at top right, then My Products.

3. Scroll down and open SSL Certificates.

4. Click Manage to the right of your SSL.

My Download button was unavailable. If yours is available, then skip this next section.

Next, rekey your SSL Certificate to give you temporary access to the Download button.

5. Click on Rekey & Manage instead to rekey the SSL Certificate. This will give you temporary access to the Download button, and grab the SSL Certificate files.

6. Click the (+) sign by Change encryption algorithm… to open the options.

7. Choose Starfield… from the dropdown menu and SAVE.

8. Scroll down farther, and hit Submit All Saved Changes.

GoDaddy support said to wait about 6 hours for the changes to take effect. I waited 5 minutes, refreshed the Manage screen for the SSL Certificate, and Download button was available!

About 30 minutes later, it was no longer available. So it appears to be temporary access or something. Moving on…

Finally, Download SSL Certificate Keyfiles

10. Click Download.

11. Choose the server type (Apache, in my case, because I’m on cPanel for WordPress.) and click Download Zip File.

The download contains 2 files, one of which is called something like gd_bundle…. This file contains all 3 certificates, in this order:

1. SSL Certificate File
2. SSL Certificate Key File (GoDaddy called this the Private Key)
3. SSL Certificate Chain File (GoDaddy called this the CRT File)

I simply duplicated the gd_bundle… file, renamed them, and removed all keys but the one named by the file name. The file has an unusual extension, like .crt, but it was easy to view and edit in a code editor like Textmate or Coda.