How To Add SSL And HTTPS On WordPress Website

The digital market has changed our lives for good with its ample advantages, but there is one thing that the internet has evaded, i.e., privacy. Users have started sharing everything on the internet, be it the place travelled, restaurants visited, the functions attended, etc. and the list is endless. Users also love to share travel photos, online purchases made, or any other information related to such occasions.

But these users are also sharing sensitive information on the internet which should be kept private. This sensitive stuff includes bank details, credit card information, login credentials, etc. It’s high time all this personal data is secured from intruders since internet security is a major concern nowadays.

Though business owners are trying hard to implement digital security solutions for securing their website and data, remote working can ruin the plan. Hence, website owners are becoming more vigilant by trying varied security solutions for the security of customer data.

One such security solution comes in the form of an SSL (Secure Socket Layers) certificate.

What Are SSL And HTTPS On WordPress

SSL certificates use encryption technology to secure the data transfers between the browser and the server. Encryption turns the plain text into a coded format, thus securing your sensitive information.

This makes your site more reliable and genuine and helps in winning customer trust.

When an SSL certificate is installed on your WordPress website, your customers will see “HTTPS” (hypertext transfer protocol secure) in the address bar and a padlock in the URL.

URLs Of sites having SSL certificates changes from HTTP to HTTPS.

Daily ample data is transferred between the client and the server through HTTP protocol. This data includes sensitive information which needs to be safeguarded against hackers.

Your WordPress (WP) site needs to secure this data transfer because when hackers gain access to such confidential data, it can damage your site’s reputation and cause monetary losses.

These damages can be prevented by switching your site to HTTPS and the same is possible by adding an SSL certificate to your WP site.

Importance Of HTTPS:

Google always demands a secured digital environment for users and hence announced HTTPS as a ranking factor in SEO, which compelled websites to shift their URLs from the unsecured HTTP (hyper-text transfer protocol) to the secured HTTPS.

Google warns users by showing “Not Secure” warnings when they land on HTTP sites, whereas sites commencing with HTTPS, are deprived of this warning message. HTTPS also helps in raising the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) bar, thus placing your site ahead of your competitors.

Payment companies like PayPal Pro, Square, BitPay, etc. ensure that the payments which they accept are from secured sites.

Thus, SSL and HTTPS are essential for securing your site and enhancing your business reputation.

How To Add SSL And HTTPS On WordPress

As stated, SSL certificates are digital security certificates that are globally accepted for securing the website. Their encryption technology uses cryptographic algorithms that convert the sensitive data into a gibberish form making it non-readable to intruders.

Adding an SSL certificate is not a big deal. There are some WP hosting companies like Bluehost, SiteGround, WP engine, etc. which offer free SSL certificates for securing your sites.

You can also buy an SSL certificate from a reliable SSL certificate provider. Since there are multiple SSL products in the digital market, select the SSL certificate as per your business requirement.

Example: Buy SSL Certificate is available at a cheap rate of $8 at SSL2BUY.

This Organization Validation SSL certificate instantly secures your site’s primary domain and unlimited sub-domains with 256-bit encryption. It comes with a huge warranty and a dynamic site seal.

Below-mentioned is a step-wise process for installing an SSL certificate and adding HTTPS to your site.

Generate The CSR:

In this blog, we will cover the generation of CSR for cPanel.

• Login into cPanel > Go to Security > Click SSL/TLS Manager
• Select CSR section > Go to “Generate, view, or delete SSL certificates signing requests”.
• Fill in the form fields wherein the domain name, sub-domains, state, etc. need to be stated in alphameric characters.
• Later, click Generate.

This process will lead to the generation of public and private keys. Send the CSR code to your Certificate Authority (CA) who will commence the vetting process for identification and authentication of your identity including the domain ownership. Later the CA will issue the SSL certificate.

Also Read: Simple Methods To Access Chrome Remote Desktop iMessage

Installing The SSL Certificate Via cPanel:

Though varied servers have similar installation processes, let us discuss the SSL installation process for cPanel.

• Go to cPanel Account > Security > select SSL/TLS option.
• Go to “Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests” and click it.
• Go to the “Upload a new Certificate” option > click “paste the certificate into the following text box”. Paste the code stated on your domain.crt file in this blank field.
• Directly downloading the SSL certificate is also feasible. The code should include the header and the footer.
• Later click on Upload/Save Certificate.
• In cPanel > go to “Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS)”
• Select the domain name for SSL certificate issuance, and add the CABUNDLE under the Certificate
• Authority Bundle box. The CRT and KEY fields as shown in the below image will be automatically entered by the system.
• Select Install Certificates.

Installing SSL in WP using a Plugin:

This is an easy and highly recommended method for start-ups.

Ever heard of the Really Simple SSL Plugin?

• Activate this plugin and install the SSL certificate.
• Once activated, go to Settings > SSL page. This plugin will directly identify your SSL certificate, install it, and redirect your site from HTTP to HTTPS.

Functions of the Plugin:

• Verifies the SSL certificate
• Sets the WP platform for using HTTPS in the URL
• Checks for mixed content errors
• Checks URLs loading from unsecured sources (HTTP) and fixes them

Process:

• Go to WP dashboard > select Plugins > click Add New
• Go to Plugins > locate the Really Simple SSL plugin and install it.
• Later in Settings > Select “Go ahead Activate SSL”

If your site is error-free (mixed content errors), it will instantly get switched to HTTPS, but if these errors persist, follow the below stated steps.

How to Fix Mixed Content Error?

Migration of your WP site from HTTP to HTTPS is not only a complex procedure but is time-consuming also, since there will always be some incorrect URLs (images, videos, embeds, etc.) commencing with HTTP.

They are the culprits which cause Mixed Content Errors and hence these URLs need to be replaced with HTTPS.

The best solution to trace the HTTP URLs is to install and activate WP’s Better Search Replace Plugin.

• Post activation, go to Tools > Better Search Replace.
• In the “Search for” field write your website URL commencing with HTTP
• In the “Replace with” field, write your website URL commencing with HTTPS.
• Later click “Run Search/Replace” for switching your WP site HTTP URLs to HTTPS URLs.

Also Read: iPhone Privacy Concern: Disable Private Browsing Mode in Safari on iPhone

Manual Setup of SSL/HTTPS on WordPress:

This is a difficult task for beginners, but you can always hire a professional (web developer) for this task.

Go to Settings > General Settings. Update your WordPress Address and Site Address fields with HTTPS.

Write your domain name in place of example.com, save the changes, and re-login.

Add the below-stated code in the .htaccess file.

Congrats!! Your WP site is now loaded on HTTPS. In case mixed content errors prevail, resolve the same as stated in the above content.

Update Google Analytics:

To gain a better place in SEO, it’s pivotal for Google to know that your site has switched to HTTPS.

Process:

• Open Google Analytics > Go to Admin > Click Property > Select Property Settings.
• In the URL field, update the domain name with HTTPS. Later click Save.

Wrapping Up:

Running your WP site on HTTP will reduce customers, and revenues and negatively impact SEO. Though your SEO ranking may differ a bit post the shifting process, it will eventually help you in the long run.

Add SSL on the WordPress site, to give your customers a reliable and trustworthy environment.