Following the previous SSL tutorial (Let’s Encrypt on WordPress Websites), you will have generated a Free WordPress SSL Certificate using Let’s Encrypt and the WP Encrypt plugin. Now it’s time for you to go ahead and Install WordPress SSL Certificate.
How To Install Free SSL With cPanel?
Having completed that tutorial you will be in the possession of the details for your free SSL certificate files – Usually something like the below.
/public_html/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com
Once generated, the free SSL cert must be installed on your web server.
You can Install WordPress SSL through your web hosting control panel (cPanel).
Install WordPress SSL In cPanel
- After you have logged in, navigate to the SSL/TLS section and select Manage / Install SSL Certificates (or whatever is similar in your web hosting cPanel display).
- Scroll down to the section that let’s you enter a new SSL certificate. Select your domain name from the dropdown list and try the Autofill by Domain button (this may or may not work). If the Autofill works then you should see your new SSL certificate populate the fields below, scroll to the bottom and click the Install Certificate button.
- If the Autofill doesn’t work you’ll have to copy the SSL certificate content across manually. Navigate to the File Manager section of your web hosting cPanel. This should open in a new tab and show you the root directory of your website.
- Navigate your way to the location of your SSL certificate files (example above), this is usually achieved by clicking on the folder icons. When you are in the correct folder you should see the SSL certificate files listed. In particular you are looking for the fullchain.pem and private.pem files. Open/view each of the files and copy the content to a text editor like notepad.exe (do not use word processing software such as MS Word).
- Now that you have the content of the fullchain.pem and private.pem files, you can enter them into your cPanel. Once again navigate to the SSL/TLS section of your web hosting cPanel and select Manage / Install SSL Certificates (or whatever is similar in your web hosting cPanel display). Scroll down to the section that let’s you enter a new SSL certificate. Select your domain name from the dropdown list, this time you will paste the content of the SSL certificate files into the fields provided, as follows…
Free WordPress SSL Certificate Files
Certificate: (CRT) = The first section from the fullchain.pem file.
Private Key (KEY) = The entire content of the private.pem file.
Certificate Authority Bundle: (CABUNDLE) = The second section of the fullchain.pem file.
NB. In each field you must include —–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—– and —–END CERTIFICATE—–.
Confirm Your Free SSL Certificate Install
Check that you have a green tick by the side of each field (signifying that the SSL cert details are correct). Scroll to the bottom and click the Install Certificate button.
Your free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt should now be installed on your web server. To check this open a browser window and enter your website URL with https:// at the beginning (i.e. https://consultantsussex.com). Does the website load with a padlock displaying in the browser top bar? Then You are all done!
HTTPS & Your Free WordPress SSL
Don’t forget you’ll need to make sure that all your content is being served from a secure address (https://) and update your Google Analytics tracking settings to match. After you Install WordPress SSL Certificates. To find out the easiest ways to do this check out the other website tutorials in our blog or contact White Rabbit.
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Founder and strategic mind behind White Rabbit. Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, focused on serving clients with a creative and ethical business model. Digital philanthropist giving time to support charitable groups, projects and organisations; that revolve around the arts, wildlife conservation, local community and heritage crafts.
