Free SSL Certificates from Let’s Encrypt are being used more and more in the world, until 10/2016 there are more than 10 million websites activated.
SSL or HTTPS in the future will be the standard protocol, as browsers are making improvements to make it easy for users to distinguish which websites are secure, which are not. Even Google places priority on search results for sites that use SSL.
The world’s most popular hosting management system, cPanel has quickly enabled users to activate, use and automatically renew Let’s Ecnrypt certificates to install SSL easily and completely with just a few clicks.
You only need to use hosting providers that have enabled this functionality in cPanel, such as Hawk Host, StableHost, SiteGround, DreamHost …
Now that we no longer have to spend money on buying SSL, refer to the steps below to activate the Let’s Encrypt certification for free SSL.
Note: Changing the url will reset the Like, +1, and facebook comments. However, for the long-term benefit I encourage you to use HTTPS.
Installing a Certificate
Once you’re logged into cPanel, you should see a Let’s Encrypt for cPanel button under Security. Click on it to access your active domains list to install a certificate.
Toward the bottom of the page, you should see the Issue a new certificate section. You should see a list of all your active domains including variations of them with and without a www. prefix.
You can check multiple boxes to install more than one certificate at a time or click the Issue Single link beside the domain where you want your certificate installed.
If you check multiple boxes, click one of the Issue Multiple links at the top or bottom of the list.
Next, click the checkboxes next to the domains you don’t want to include if you selected multiple ones on the list on the previous page. Also select which domain you wish to be the primary one users are going to visit.
If you use one of the domains to access your email, also check the box labeled Install mail SMTPS/POP3S/IMAPS SSL certificate. Finally, click Issue to install your certificates.
The installation process takes about 10 seconds, but can take up to 45 seconds depending on how many certificates you have selected to issue. When the process has completed, you should see a message letting you know the installation was a success.
If something went wrong, try again. It usually works the second time around.
When you return to the main page, you should see your domains with certificates installed listed at the top of the page. You can click the Remove links to delete certificates one-by-one, or the Reinstall link to renew the certificates before the expiry date.
Configure HTTPS for Website
1. WordPress
If you use WordPress, you need to take more step to enable using Let’s Encrypt.
In WP Admin, you install and activate the Really Simple SSL plugin
After the activation is complete, press the Go ahead, activate SSL! button appears on the screen. Or activate in the Settings, SSL menu.
Now when you visit the link http://domain.com, you will automatically be redirected to https://domain.com. At the same time all the .CSS, .JS files will be transferred to https link, the url displayed in the browser will be green.
In case the website is active, there will be many http links that exist in the article content and comment content. You install the Search Regex (or Better Search Replace) plugin and then replace the link to http://domain.com to https://domain.com with Source as Post content and Comment content.
If you do not want to add the SSL plugin, add the following code to the wp-config.php file, configure the https url in Settings and replace the http to https.
# SSL
if ($_SERVER[‘HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO’] == ‘https’)
$_SERVER[‘HTTPS’]=’on’;
2. Other CMS
For other systems I do not use so I do not have specific instructions.
However, in essence you need to do the following:
- Redirect http to https for domain.
- Move the entire image, js, css link from http:// to https:// to the green icon as demo. View-source to see if any unchanged, then update.
Update configuration in Google Webmaster Tools and Analytics
1. Google Search Console
After you have changed http to https, go to Google Webmaster Tools, add a new domain with the https link.
Then proceed to configure this new domain similar to the old domain.
Right out of the dashboard, click Sitemap to add a link file:
Go to Site Settings and adjust the crawl rate
On the Search Traffic menu, select International Targeting, click the Country tab, and select the country you want to target.
Old Http domain will still be kept in Search Console.
2. Google Analytics
With Google Analytics, in the main report page you click on the top Admin tab and select Property Settings in the PROPERTY column
Drag down the Default URL line, switch from http to https:
So done, now wait for Google index all the https urls that your website will appear on Google with new urls, definitely higher position than before.
