Let’s Encrypt certification is now widely available in the world and has become a common standard for website addresses. Even cPanel has its own plug-in support for SSL activation and auto-renewal. However, for some reason, many hosting providers have yet to add this plug-in to cPanel.
If you unfortunately use hosting in these providers, follow the steps below to enable free SSL from Let’s Encrypt.
In this article I use the www.sslforfree.com tool, which allows you to generate SSL manually. The weakness of this method is that you have to manually renew every 3 months because Let’s Encrypt only allows for up to 3 months. Renewal is similar to creation.
Most cPanel also has an SSL/TLS management link in the SECURITY section, we’ll do the Let’s Encrypt install here.
1. Create an SSL Certificate Let’s Encrypt
First, go to www.sslforfree.com, enter the domain you want to create SSL and click Create Free SSL Certificate.
If you want to create SSL for subdomains, you also enter the entire subdomain in this cell, separated by space.
Next you will have to confirm the domain name, SSL For Free offers 3 choices to make include:
- Automatic FTP Verification: Enter FTP information to website automatically confirm domain name.
- Manual Verification: Upload file verification to hosting for confirmation.
- Manual Verification (DNS): If you do not have FTP or Hosting, you can add TXT record to verify.
2. Install and Manage SSL Certificate in cPanel
Once you have created the certificate, click SSL/TLS link in cPanel, then select Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates.
In the Upload a New Certificate box, copy the certificate that was generated in step 1. If the information is correct you will see the domain appear immediately below.
Click Save Certificate button.
Still in the SSL Certificates page, in the top Certificates on Server section, click Install link in the Issuer Let’s Encrypt line.
Next, in the Private Key (KEY) box, enter the Private Key you received in step 1 and click Install Certificate.
If no problem occurs, you will receive the message as below.
So now, you can access the website try HTTPS to enjoy the results.
The next step is to configure HTTPS for your website and update your configuration in Google Search Console and Analytics, the details I’ve covered in the article How to install free SSL from Let’s Encrypt in cPanel, go through it.
3. Renew SSL Certificate
Due to manual activation, the extension must also be done manually. Simply follow the steps above and update the new certificate for the domain.
In the SSL/TLS page, click Manage SSL sites.
Then select Update Certificate next to the corresponding domain name and then enter the Certificate: (CRT), Private Key (KEY), and Certificate Authority Bundle: (CABUNDLE) information.
Good luck!
