In this blog post, you will learn how to install an SSL certificate in cPanel.
What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL Certificate is a type of security that encrypts information sent from one computer to another.
It provides protection for online businesses and consumers by authenticating the identity of websites, providing secure transactions, keeping sensitive information private as it travels across networks, and securing data integrity between two computers.
In order to be effective, an SSL certificate must be issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) who operates in accordance with the CA/B Forum industry standards which govern how CAs issue digital certificates.
These guidelines ensure that when you purchase a site seal or company authentication from any given CA then all browsers will trust that your organization’s credentials are valid whether they come through traditional channels or via our website.
Types of SSL Certificates
Before we look into how to install an SSL certificate in CPanel, let us look at the available types
1). Premium SSL
The most common SSL certificate includes features like 2048-bit industry-leading encryption and the ability to secure unlimited servers.
And these are the types of paid SSL;
Domain Validation (DV)
Issued in minutes with a validity period of up to 100 days for only $18/year!
This type has no “site seal” or other physical proof that you own your domain name but it can be issued within an hour after verification via email address alone — great if you are just setting everything up and don’t want to wait weeks for a single confirmation.
If at any time we find fraudulent use or abuse on your site, the issuer reserve the right to revoke your certificate.
Organization Validation (OV)
Perfect for eCommerce sites includes features like 2048-bit industry-leading encryption and a site seal from Trustico® which can be used on unlimited servers — all this for just $284.90/year!
Issued within 24 hours after verification via email address alone or in person at any time during our business hours.
This type also has no “site seal” but offers far greater protection than DV certificates if you are willing to wait up to a day between application submission and issuance of the certificate itself.
If the issuer finds fraudulent use or abuse on your site, they will revoke this certificate immediately without notice.
So make sure that you have everything set up correctly before you purchase.
Extended Validation (EV)
This is the gold standard for SSL Certificates, providing extensive authentication and validation procedures to ensure that only authorized entities are allowed access to sensitive data which can be verified by any browser in real-time before granting access.
Great protection when processing high-volume credit card transactions like shopping carts or pay-per-click campaigns where click fraud becomes an issue.
The site seal itself has a green background and a fully interactive state along with much higher issuance fees starting at $150/year.
But if this type of security is required then it Is well worth the cost!
Issued within 24 hours after verification via email address alone or in person during our business hours, this certificate even includes free reissues and unlimited server licensing.
The issuer can also revoke this certificate immediately if they find fraudulent use or abuse on your site.
So make sure that you have everything set up correctly before you purchase it.
Wildcard SSL
This is the ultimate in convenience for shopping carts, social networking sites, and other secure web applications where multiple sub-domains are used to access a single common resource such as an online storefront or photo gallery.
Perfect for securing top-level domains like *.mycompany.com without having to worry about maintaining individual certificates for each domain!
Issued within 24 hours after verification via email address alone or in person during our business hours, $108.90/year gets any number of fully qualified cards while allowing full visibility into all certificates issued with the same email address and unlimited server licensing.
EV Multi-Domain (EV MD)
This is exactly like our OV certificate except that it includes multiple fully qualified hostnames for a single domain.
Perfect if you want to secure your main site and every one of its sub-domains all in one shot!
Issued within 24 hours after verification via email address alone or in person during our business hours, $109/year gets any number of fully qualified cards while allowing full visibility into all certificates issued with the same email address and unlimited server licensing.
2). Free SSL
There is also the free DV certificate is perfect for personal websites, blogs, and even home pages where you don’t want to pay a penny out of pocket but just need the bare minimum protection.
Issued within minutes after verification via email address alone.
This type has no “site seal” and offers far less security than any other type we offer since it only provides up to 256-bit encryption.
So if your site receives credit card transactions then we do NOT recommend using this one because eCommerce sites require at least 2048-bit industry-leading encryption!
Either way, this is a popular SSL certificate, and I will show you how to install an SSL certificate in CPanel.
How To Install Free SSL Certificate In Cpanel
1. Go to cPanel Login
To install your SSL, you must first log in to your CPanel account.
You can do so by going to your domain followed by Cpanel.
Example;
example.com/cpanel.
Remember, this may not always work.
The surefire way to log in to your CPanel is using the credentials provided by your hosting provider.
If you are our user, you received your CPanel login details when you signed up with us.
So head over to your email and fetch.
Now that you are logged in, let us move to the step of seeing how to install an SSL certificate in CPanel.
2. Search for Let’s Encrypt
This is how to install the free SSL Certificate on CPanel.
Once logged in, search for Let’s Encrypt (see screenshot above). You can also find it by scrolling to the Security section.
3. Click on Let’s Encrypt™ SSL
4. Scroll to the Issue a new certificate section
If you have more than one domain, scroll to the Issue a new certificate section.
This happens because the domains with SSL already will show up first, and then followed by those without.
That is why you are seeing two sections.
5. Find the domain you’d wish to issue with SSL
The next step to install an SSL certificate in CPanel is to find the exact domain you’d wish to install the SSL.
6. Click on Issue
Once you have identified the domain, click on the ISSUE button next to it (to the far-right).
This will load up a separate window with a bunch of buttons. Ignore them all (do not tweak anything, unless you know what you are doing). And then move to the final step
7. Click on Issue
Finally, make sure the HTTP-01 is ticked, and then click on Issue.
A pop-up window with a success message will load, signaling you have successfully installed an SSL certificate on your domain in CPanel.
In case of an error, you will get the diagnostic results right there and what you need to do to fix it.
Top Things to Consider When Buying an SSL Certificate
SSL certificates are a must-have for any website that takes online payments.
However, there is more to an SSL certificate than meets the eye. In this blog post, we will discuss what you should be considering when buying an SSL Certificate and why it is important.
1). Verify your site’s domain name
An SSL Certificate won’t do much good if the domain name registered with it isn’t actually yours, so this step can not be skipped!
You will need to verify that you own the domain and have access to modify its DNS records before continuing on to other steps in this process.
2). Verify the SSL provider
There are many companies in this industry, so make sure you choose one that is well-respected.
Check to see if they have any complaints against them and ensure they are registered with Google Trusted Stores in order for your site visitors to be able to file reviews about their experiences when buying from you.
3). Verify the SSL Certificate details
Check to make sure that the certificate you are purchasing is actually an Extended Validation (EV) certificate.
These are becoming more popular, so it’s important not to get scammed into buying a lower grade “Domain Validated” (DV) or non-validated certificate instead.