Installing a free SSL certificate in cPanel is very straight forward and can be done in less than a minute. Here is the easiest possible steps to get your domain secured.

Step 1: Log in to cPanel

When visiting the URL you will be greeted with the following page:

Simply enter your hosting account details and proceed to login.

Get full protection for any domain, website and backend system in under 5 minutes by using ZeroSSL.

To install this plugin: Make a backup of your website and database. Download the plugin. Upload the plugin to the wp-content/plugins directory, Go to “plugins” in your WordPress admin, then click activate. You will now see an SSL Zen icon on your left navigation bar. Click on it and follow the step by step guide. Installing SSL Certificate for Website Security. Installing SSL will make your website secure, stop breaches of data and make it more trustworthy. In addition, if you want your website to rank better in Google's search results, installing SSL should be your priority. Thus far, the process to install SSL on your website should be clear to you.

Step 2: Locate the 'SSL/TLS Status' application within cPanel

Once logged into cPanel, locate the 'SSL/TLS Status' application within cPanel, it should be under the 'Security' category.

Once you have located it, click on it and proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Verify you do not have an SSL already installed

Within the SSL/TLS Status application, it should show you whether your domains have been secured or not. In most cases, our servers will automatically install the SSL for you as we run checks every 2 hours.

If an SSL is installed correctly on the domain, it should show up as a green icon next to the domain. If otherwise, it will come up as a red icon.

Step 4: Running Auto-SSL

Now that you have confirmed you do not have a working SSL certificate installed on your domain, click on the 'Run Auto-SSL' button towards the top of the page.

After clicking the button, it should then run Auto-SSL. Auto-SSL will now automatically go through all your domains and secure them accordingly with a 2048 bit SSL certificate issued by Comodo or Lets Encrypt.

FAQ

Do all web hosting plans come with free SSL certificates?

All our cPanel Hosting plans come with the ability to install Free SSL certificates.

Is there a limit to how many SSL certificates you can install?

No, there is no set limit. You are free to install as many free SSL certificates as you would like.

Can it be installed on subdomains and addon domains as well?

Yes, you can install it on both subdomains and addon domains.

A correctly implemented security certificate, like an SSL or TLS certificate is what makes your website secure. It will protect the data that is transmitted from your visitor’s computer to your website and back. We’re explaining the best way to implement HTTPS security on your website.

Step 1: Host With Dedicated IP Address

To use an SSL certificate on your website, your site needs a dedicated IP address. Depending on your hosting provider, you may share an IP address with many websites. An SSL/TLS certificate will secure the traffic to your IP address, so your site needs to have a unique IP address.

There are a number of affordable hosting providers that offer dedicated IP addresses for under six or seven dollars per month. If you are satisfied with your current hosting, you can typically upgrade your plan to get a dedicated IP address.

Read More: What is Your IP Address? How To Keep It Private

Step 2: Buy a Certificate

You can use a free and open Certificate Authority, like Let’s Encrypt, or you can purchase a certificate from a site like NameCheap or GeoTrust Quick SSL. A certificate is basically a long series of letters and numbers that only your site knows. This certificate works like a long, complex password that authenticates your website.

Before deciding which Certificate to use, you should decide which type of SSL or TLS certifcate you need. There are Extended Validation, Organization Validation, Domain Validation, and others to choose from.

Types of Security Certificates and Validation:

Domain Validated (DV SSL) Certificates: DV certificates verify that you or your organization have the right to use your specific domain. These certificates don’t check or verify any details about your organization. These are best for businesses needing a low-cost SSL without submitting company documents.
Organization Validated (OV SSL) Certificates: OV certificates checks that you have the right to use a specific domain AND that your company, or entity, is legitimate. When you are given an OV certificate your organization name appears in the certificate itself.
Extended Validation (EV SSL) Certificates: EV certificates are the most thoroughly validated and vetted security certificates. To receive an EV certificate you must verify the legal, physical and operation existence of your organization. You must prove that official records reflect the stated details about your organization. Finally, you must prove that you have the exclusive right to use the domain you’re trying to secure and that you have a properly issued SSL certificate.

In theory you could create your own certificate, but in order for it to be recognized by a Certificate Authority, you’ll need to purchase a certificate from a reputable provider.

Read More: How Do Security Certificates Actually Work?

How To Install Free Ssl Certificate

Step 3: Activate the Certificate

Install Free Ssl Certificate Godaddy

To activate your certificate, you need to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). The easiest way to do this is from your hosting control panel, like WHM or cPanel. Go to the SSL/TLS settings and there should be something like “Generate an SSL certificate and Signing Request”. Fill out the fields in the menu. Once you’ve completed this step you will get a signing request which is a long block of letters and numbers. Copy this text as you’ll need it to verify your identity to your SSL certificate issuer. You will also need an email address that proves you own your website. So you may need to set up an email account on your domain.

Step 4: Install the Certificate

You can do this step yourself or let your web host do it for you. However, if you can do it on your own, it’s a simple process. Just copy and paste the security certificate into your web host control panel and click install SSL Certificate.

If you’re having with this step, make sure you’ve pasted the correct certificate into the correct field.

Step 5: Update Your Site to Use HTTPS

After following the above steps, you should be able to see an HTTPS version of your site if you navigate to ‘https://{your-domain}.com’. However, your users won’t be automatically taken to the secure version of your site. You’ll need to set up your links to redirect to or use the HTTPS links. You should prioritize pages where users enter sensitive information like passwords or payment information.

Keep in mind that Google may prioritize sites that use HTTPS, so for SEO purposes it may be best to use HTTPS on your entire site.

Why Should You Use HTTPS?

Faster Load Times: While adding SSL or TLS means your site will have additional resources to load, TLS certificates can actually improve load times. Most browsers offer HTTPS enhancements for TLS certificates that will make your site load faster. Some browsers will actually block sites that don’t use HTTPS, so you could be losing out on valuable users.
Search Engine Optimization: Search engines tend to give priority to sites that use HTTPS, because it is a sign of trust and security. You may notice that after switching to HTTPS, you begin to get more organic search traffic to your site.
Trust: Visitors to your website will be more willing to make a purcha