California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Opt-Out Icon

HTTPS site in IIS

Creating a new HTTPS website in IIS using PowerShell simplifies the deployment process and ensures that your site is secure from the start. This blog covers all the prerequisites, provides the necessary scripts, explains the steps to run the scripts, discusses the extensions to save the scripts, suggests any necessary modifications, and provides troubleshooting tips in case of failure.

Before you begin, make sure the following prerequisites are met:

• Windows Server with IIS installed
• PowerShell version 5.1 or later
• Administrator access to the server
• You can also create an SSL certificate (either a self-signed certificate for testing or a valid certificate from a trusted CA) or a new certificate.

Here’s a PowerShell script to create a new HTTPS website in IIS:

$siteName = "NewWebsite"
$sitePath = "C:\inetpub\wwwroot\NewWebsite"
$bindingInformation = "*:443:"
$certificateThumbprint = "3a210b86a45e3bb20147de366197621fe9d2020d"
$certStoreLocation = "Cert:\LocalMachine\My"

# Import the WebAdministration module
Import-Module WebAdministration

# Create the website directory if it doesn't exist
if (-Not (Test-Path $sitePath)) {
    New-Item -Path $sitePath -ItemType Directory
}

# Create the new website
New-IISSite -Name $siteName -PhysicalPath $sitePath -BindingInformation $bindingInformation -CertificateThumbPrint $certificateThumbprint -CertStoreLocation $certStoreLocation -Protocol https

# Verify the website creation
Get-IISSite -Name $siteName

Please make sure to replace it "YOUR_CERTIFICATE_THUMBPRINT" Along with the actual thumbprint of the certificate. You can find the thumbprint in the certificate details in the Certificates MMC snap-in.

To run the script, follow these steps:

1. Open PowerShell with administrator privileges.
2. Copy the script to a new file.
3. Replace placeholder values ​​(e.g. `YOUR_CERT_THUMBPRINT`) with actual values.
4. Save the script with a `.ps1` extension (e.g. `CreateHttpsSite.ps1`).
5. Go to the directory containing the script.
6. Run the script using the following command:

.\CreateHttpsSite.ps1

PowerShell scripts must be saved with a `.ps1` extension, which indicates that they are PowerShell script files and can be run within the PowerShell environment.

You may need to modify the script depending on your specific requirements.

• Site Name: Change the `$siteName` variable to your desired site name.
• Site Path: Update the `$sitePath` variable to the location of your website files.
• Certificate Thumbprint: Replace `YOUR_CERT_THUMBPRINT` with the actual thumbprint of your SSL certificate.
• Application Pool: Modify the `$appPool` variable to use a different application pool.

Generate a self-signed certificate

# Create a self-signed certificate
$cert = New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "yourdomain.com" -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\LocalMachine\My"

# Add the certificate to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store
$DestStore = New-Object System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Store([System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.StoreName]::Root, "LocalMachine")
$DestStore.Open([System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.OpenFlags]::ReadWrite)
$DestStore.Add($cert)
$DestStore.Close()

# Use the thumbprint of the newly created certificate
$certificateThumbprint = $cert.Thumbprint

Benefits of using Powershell scripts to create websites in IIS

• Automation: Using PowerShell scripts, you can automate the entire process, reducing the need for manual configuration. This is especially useful when setting up multiple websites or environments.
• Consistency: Scripts ensure that each website is structured in exactly the same way, minimizing human error and ensuring consistency across environments.
• Efficiency: Creating a website via PowerShell is much faster than using the IIS Manager GUI, saving you time and effort.
• Repeatability: Having a script allows you to reuse it to quickly set up new websites and easily replicate configurations across different servers or environments.
• Extensibility: PowerShell scripts can be integrated into larger automation frameworks, enabling scalable deployment and management of web applications.
• Flexibility: PowerShell provides a wide range of cmdlets and modules for managing IIS, giving you the flexibility to customize and extend your scripts to suit your needs.
• Version Control: Store your scripts in a version control system like Git to track changes, collaborate with others, and roll back to previous versions if needed.
• Documentation: Scripts serve as documentation for the setup process, making it easier for others to understand and replicate your configuration.

If you encounter any issues, please refer to the following troubleshooting tips:

• Permission error: Make sure you are running PowerShell as an administrator.
• Invalid certificate fingerprint: Double-check the fingerprint value. It must be the exact fingerprint of the SSL certificate.
• The site already exists: Make sure the site name is not already in use in IIS. You can list all sites using:

  Get-Website​

• Binding conflicts: Make sure no other site is using the same IP address and port combination. Check your current bindings using:

  Get-WebBinding​

• Script Syntax Errors: Review your script for syntax errors. PowerShell often provides details about the line number and type of error.

Using PowerShell to create a new HTTPS website in IIS can greatly simplify the process and ensure consistency across your deployment. Following this guide will help you set up your site quickly and efficiently.

Always remember to test your setup in a development environment before deploying to production.