Using an IP Address in an SSL Certificate

The lowdown on IPs in SSL certificates

We're often asked if an IP address can be used in an SSL certificate in place of a fully qualified domain name . The short answer is yes, but we don't recommend it. If your IP address changes your SSL certificate can become useless.

If you decide that you really need an IP in your cert there are specific stipulations, conditions, and limitations to consider. 

Requirements and restrictions on IP addresses in SSL certificates

• Public IP addresses only (e.g., 18.236.49.115)
• Reserved IP addresses (local) are not allowed (e.g., 10.0.0.0)
• Limited Domain Validated (DV) and Organization Validated (OV) certificates only (EV certs cannot have an IP address)
• You must prove that you control the IP by hosting a .txt file containing a generated random string token at a predetermined location on your website. This token and instructions will be provided to you after submitting your IP SSL order. You'll want to review the steps required to prove IP ownership by the HTTPS File Authorization method before placing an IP certificate order. 

Which SSL certificate products will support a public IP address?

• The Comodo PostivieSSL DV certificate found on this page: https://www.geocerts.com/dv-domain-validated-ssl-certificates
• The Comodo InstantSSL OV and GeoTrust True BusinessID certificates found on this page: https://www.geocerts.com/ov-organization-validated-ssl-certificates

Please contact our support team if you have any additional problems or questions.