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Uploading a Single Domain or SAN Certificate to SolarWinds Service Desk

This article provides guidance on uploading a Single Domain or SAN Certificate to the SolarWinds Service Desk.

First published date

5/14/2024 4:33 PM

Last published date

4/17/2026 9:25 AM

Overview

This article provides step-by-step guidance for uploading and renewing a Single Domain or SAN (Subject Alternative Name) SSL certificate in SolarWinds Service Desk.

It explains the requirements that must be completed before the certificate is uploaded, including verifying the custom domain settings, ensuring the required DNS records are in place, generating the CSR from the SolarWinds Service Desk console, and preparing the certificate as a full chain.

Use this article when you need to:

  • Upload a Single Domain or SAN certificate for the first time
  • Renew an existing certificate without causing service disruption
  • Confirm the correct full chain certificate order before publishing
  • Avoid common upload errors caused by missing or incorrectly ordered chain certificates

Product section

Service Desk

Resolution

Important! SolarWinds recommends generating the CSR from the Service Desk console. When the CSR is generated in SolarWinds Service Desk, the matching private key is securely stored. If the CSR is generated elsewhere, that certificate cannot be used, and a new CSR must be generated from SolarWinds Service Desk and submitted again to the certificate issuer.

    Before you begin

    Please confirm the following before uploading the certificate:

    • Your custom domain has already been added under Setup 🡪 Account 🡪 Domain Management.
    • The required CNAME and TXT DNS records have been added.
    • The certificate file is in CRT, CER, or PEM format.
    • The certificate must match the CSR generated from SolarWinds Service Desk.

     

    Full chain certificate requirement

    The certificate uploaded to SolarWinds Service Desk must now be provided as a full chain certificate. Paste the certificates in this order:

    • Domain/Leaf certificate
    • Intermediate certificate(s)
    • Root certificate

    If the certificate chain is incomplete, the upload may fail with Certificate Issuer is missing. If the certificates are in the wrong order, you may see a DNS TXT record prompt error; in that case, make sure the signed certificate is first, followed by the remaining chain certificates in order.

    Sample full chain certificate

    Use the following sample format when pasting the certificate chain:

    -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
[Domain Certificate]
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
[Intermediate Certificate]
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
[Root Certificate]
-----END CERTIFICATE-----

    Note: Some certificate authorities provide multiple intermediate certificates. Please ensure that all certificates from the CA bundle are included when uploading the certificate.

    Initial upload process

    Use these steps if this is the first time you are uploading a Single Domain or SAN certificate in SolarWinds Service Desk.

    • Go to Setup 🡪 Account 🡪 Certificate Management.
    • Open the Certificate Requests tab and click Request CSR.

    • Submit the generated CSR to your SSL certificate provider.
    • After the certificate is issued, return to Certificate Management.
    • Select the matching CSR and click Attach Certificate.

    • Paste the full chain certificate, with the domain certificate first, followed by all intermediate certificates, and then the root certificate.
    • After the certificate is attached, it will appear as Pending Upload.
    • Click Publish to complete the process.

    Note: After clicking Publish, the certificate enters processing. This can take up to 48 hours, and you will be notified once publishing is complete.

     

    Renewal process

    Use these steps when you are renewing an existing Single Domain or SAN certificate.

    • Go to Setup 🡪 Account 🡪 Certificate Management.
    • On the Certificates tab, hover over the Actions column and delete the current certificate.

    • The certificate status will change to Pending Delete. The old certificate is only removed after the new certificate is successfully uploaded.
    • Open the Certificate Requests tab and click Request CSR to generate a new CSR from SolarWinds Service Desk.

    • Submit the new CSR to your SSL certificate provider and wait for the renewed certificate to be issued.
    • Return to Certificate Management, select the matching CSR, and click Attach Certificate.

    • Paste the full chain certificate in the correct order: domain certificate, then intermediate certificate(s), then root certificate.
    • Confirm the new certificate shows as Pending Upload.
    • Click Publish only after the new certificate has been uploaded.

    Note: After clicking Publish, the certificate enters processing. This can take up to 48 hours, and you will be notified once publishing is complete.

     
    Warning: If you are renewing a certificate, do not click Publish unless the replacement certificate has already been uploaded. Doing so will remove the existing SSL certificate from SolarWinds Service Desk and may cause the site to go down.
     
     

    Validation and troubleshooting

    Before uploading, validate that the certificate matches the CSR generated by SolarWinds Service Desk. A third-party certificate matcher tool may be used for verification. Example tool: GeoCerts Certificate Key Matcher.

    If the error message: Please deploy a DNS TXT record under the name: [missing %{verification_host} value] with the following value: solarwinds-service0desk-verification appears, the most likely cause is that the chain certificates are in the incorrect order. Review the full chain and ensure the signed certificate is pasted first, followed by the intermediate certificate(s), and then the root certificate.

    If you encounter any issues or errors while uploading the certificate, or need assistance during the process, please contact technicalsupport@solarwinds.com.