Can I use an SSL certificate? Can I use HTTPS? Do you support Let's Encrypt?
All our web hosting plans include free HTTPS for all domains and subdomains on the account. This means you do not need to bring or purchase your own SSL certificate, a certificate will be issued automatically and at no extra cost. However, you can use your own certificate if you so prefer, eg. for Extended Validation.
How to setup HTTPS for your domain
Once your account has been set up and DNS for your domain has finished propagating, a certificate will be automatically issued and installed within 24 hours. You can follow this process and see currently active HTTPS hosts under SSL/TLS Status in cPanel.
Once the certificate has been issued, you can visit your site using the https:// protocol, and you will see a green padlock in the address bar indicating a secure connection. If you see a warning about mixed content or an insecure connection, please follow the troubleshooting steps listed further below.
Redirecting HTTP connections to HTTPS
Once you have verified that HTTPS connections to your site are working without issues, it is recommended to redirect all HTTP URLs to HTTPS, in order to provide better security by default.
The exact procedure for doing this depends on the software you are running. For many content management systems, such as Wordpress, there are plugins available which automatically configure the redirection. Make sure to also change the application URL in Wordpress (or other CMS) settings to avoid mixed content warnings.
If you are hosting a regular PHP or static application, you may need to make some simple changes to the .htaccess file in your web directory, for which there are plenty of tutorials available online.
When hosting a Node.js application, you may need to include the redirection logic in your application code.
If you are not comfortable with setting up and configuring HTTPS or other aspects on your site, we offer managed hands-on support at a competitive hourly rate. Configuring HTTPS and automatic redirection usually requires no more than 20 minutes of support time.
Using your own SSL/TLS certificate
You may opt to use your own SSL/TLS certificate, purchased from a third-party vendor. Private keys, certificate signing requests (CSRs), and certificates can be managed in cPanel under SSL/TLS.
Let's Encrypt
Let's Encrypt is a well-known certificate authority (CA) which issues free domain validation (DV) SSL/TLS certificates. Instead of using Let's Encrypt, we issue certificates using AutoSSL powered by Comodo, which provides virtually the same service, but is integrated into cPanel.
Therefore, while we do not technically support Let's Encrypt, we still offer free certificates using an alternative provider.
Troubleshooting and common problems
My site is working fine over HTTP but accessing via HTTPS gives an error about an invalid certificate
This usually occurs when the certificate has not been issued yet, or if AutoSSL has been disabled for the domain. Check SSL/TLS Status in cPanel for any errors or notices. If the issue remains unsolved after 24 hours, open a support ticket in our client portal.
I am seeing errors or warnings about mixed content
This means some resources (images, videos, fonts) on your site are not using HTTPS. Make sure that all URLs on your site, including those which refer to pictures and other resources start with https://. If you are using Wordpress, make sure your application URL in Wordpress settings has been changed to include https:// at the beginning.
Also make sure all external resources used on your site are included using an HTTPS URL.
There is a comprehensive guide made by Google for finding and solving mixed content on your website.
If you are still encountering issues, or you are unsure how to proceed, consider our managed hands-on support to have us analyse any application-specific issues and resolve them for you.
When accessing my site over HTTPS, some images/fonts/videos are missing
This is usually due to mixed content being blocked. See above for possible causes.
I have questions or problems regarding HTTPS or using SSL/TLS certificates
If you have any questions regarding HTTPS or SSL/TLS certificates, feel free to open a support ticket in our client portal, and we will be happy to help you!