---
title: Create a client certificate · Cloudflare SSL/TLS docs
description: "To create a client certificate on the Cloudflare dashboard:"
lastUpdated: 2025-07-21T16:17:45.000Z
chatbotDeprioritize: false
source_url:
  html: https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/client-certificates/create-a-client-certificate/
  md: https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/client-certificates/create-a-client-certificate/index.md
---

To create a client certificate on the Cloudflare dashboard:

1. Log in to the [Cloudflare dashboard](https://dash.cloudflare.com) and select your account and zone/domain.
2. Go to **SSL/TLS** > **Client Certificates**.
3. Select **Create Certificate** and fill in the required fields. You can choose one of the following options:

* Generate a private key and Certificate Signing Request (CSR) with Cloudflare.

* Use your own private key and CSR. This option allows you to also [label client certificates](https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/client-certificates/label-client-certificate/).

  Example OpenSSL command

  To generate and use your own CSR, you can run a command like the following:

  ```sh
  openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout client1.key -out client1.csr -subj '/C=GB/ST=London/L=London/O=Organization/CN=CommonName'
  ```

Note

Client certificates created on the dashboard are issued by a [Cloudflare-managed CA](https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/client-certificates/#how-it-works). If you need to use certificates issued by another CA, use the API to [bring your own CA](https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/client-certificates/byo-ca/) instead.

1. Select a value for **Certificate Validity**, and choose **Create**.
2. Make sure to copy the certificate and private key as they will no longer be displayed after creation.
3. Select **OK** to confirm.

## Next steps

After creating the client certificate, make sure it is installed on the client devices and [enable mTLS](https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/client-certificates/enable-mtls/) for each hostname that should require a certificate from clients.

Refer to our [mTLS at Cloudflare learning path](https://developers.cloudflare.com/learning-paths/mtls/concepts/) for further context.
