SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. It is a standard technology that aids in creating an encrypted connection between a web server and a browser. It has become a must to secure sensitive data and information that is being transmitted between two systems. Every internet user shares lots of personal information each day. If not properly encrypted, then this information can be spied upon and stolen.
You had to pay a cost to add SSL certificate to your website; but not anymore. Today, in this guide you will learn how you can add SSL free to your WordPress website using Let’s Encrypt. Let’s Encrypt is a free open certificate authority that has a mission to provide SSL certificate for general public users. It is a project of Internet Research Group, a public service corporation.
Let’s Encrypt is sponsored by many companies including Google, Facebook, etc. Its Automatic Certificate Management Environment(ACME) allows you to install a certificate with just a few commands.
How SSL Makes Your Website Secure?
The encryption of the transmitted data makes sure that all information remains private. Hackers will not be able to interpret and steal the personal information such as Credit Card information, etc. transmitted under the secure layer. If a website is SSL secure, a padlock icon appears in the address bar before the web address.
Prerequisites
- A domain name (example.com)
- Admin Dashboard Credentials
Step 1:
Most of the popular hosting companies today offer an integrated Let’s Encrypt setup. Login to your cPanel using your credentials. Locate Let’s Encrypt or search in the search bar and click on it.
This will bring you to the Let’s Encrypt install page. You will need to select the domain name where you want to use the free SSL.
Step 2:
Click on Install Certificate to add a new Let’s Encrypt certificate to your website.
Select your domain name and add other alternative domain if necessary. Click Install to begin the installation process of Let’s Encrypt.
Step 3:
The installation completes in a minute or two and you will receive an installation successful message.
This concludes the installation of Let’s Encrypt to your WordPress site. Now, you will need to update your WordPress URLs from HTTP to HTTPS and fix insecure content issues.
Step 4:
Go to your WordPress dashboard and Hover over Settings from the left side menu. Click on General. It will bring you to the settings page.
Now, update your WordPress URL and Site URL to https as shown in the image below.
Click Save Changes to update your changes.
If your web hosting provider does not offer a Let’s Encrypt option from the cPanel, you can always contact them, and they will guide you through the process.
It is a bit complicated than the above-mentioned steps and can vary greatly among different web hosting services.
Conclusion:
That’s it. You’ve successfully added free SSL to your WordPress website. Your site is secured than before.
Check out these top 3 WordPress hosting services:
- Check out our recommendations for the best wordpress web hosting.
