Install Let's Encrypt SSL certificates in cPanel

Install Let's Encrypt SSL certificates in cPanel

What is Let's Encrypt?

Let's Encrypt is a free, automated and open certificate authority that provides SSL/TLS certificates. Certificates are valid for 90 days and renew automatically, making them ideal for websites that need HTTPS at no additional cost.

Let's Encrypt advantages

• Free: No cost for the certificate
• Automatic: Renews automatically
• Easy to install: Simple process from cPanel
• Reliable: Recognized by all major browsers

Install Let's Encrypt certificate

1. Access cPanel

• Go to your cPanel panel
• Log in with your credentials

2. Go to SSL/TLS section

On the cPanel main page, look for the "Security" section and click on "SSL/TLS" or "SSL/TLS Status".

You can also search for it using the search box at the top of cPanel.

3. Install Let's Encrypt certificate

In the "SSL/TLS Certificates" section:

1. Click "Manage SSL certificates"
2. Look for the "Let's Encrypt Certificates" section
3. Select the domain for which you want to install the certificate
4. Select additional domains you want to include:
   • www: To include www version
   • Subdomains: If you want to include specific subdomains
5. Click "Install"

cPanel will automatically install the Let's Encrypt certificate. This may take a few minutes.

4. Verify installation

After installation:

1. Go back to "SSL/TLS Status"
2. Verify the certificate is installed and active
3. Check expiration date (should be approximately 90 days from installation)
4. Try accessing your site with https://yourdomain.com
5. Verify the green lock appears in the browser

Install certificate for multiple domains

If you have multiple domains or subdomains:

1. When installing Let's Encrypt, select all domains and subdomains you want to include
2. Or install a separate certificate for each domain
3. Or install a wildcard certificate (if available) that covers all subdomains

Wildcard certificate: Covers all subdomains (e.g., *.yourdomain.com covers blog.yourdomain.com, shop.yourdomain.com, etc.)

Renew Let's Encrypt certificate

Let's Encrypt certificates expire every 90 days, but cPanel can renew them automatically:

1. In "SSL/TLS Status", check expiration date
2. If it's close to expiring (less than 30 days), you can renew it manually
3. Click "Renew" next to the certificate
4. Or wait for cPanel to renew it automatically

Note: In most cases, cPanel automatically renews Let's Encrypt certificates before they expire. Check automatic renewal configuration.

Configure automatic renewal

To ensure certificates renew automatically:

1. In "SSL/TLS Status", verify automatic renewal is enabled
2. If not enabled, contact your hosting provider to enable it
3. Or configure a cron job that renews certificates automatically

Force HTTPS after installing SSL

After installing the certificate, it's recommended to force HTTPS:

1. In cPanel, search for "Redirects"
2. Create a permanent (301) redirect from HTTP to HTTPS
3. Or add this in the .htaccess file:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Verify SSL certificate

To verify your SSL certificate is working correctly:

• Access your site with https://yourdomain.com
• In the browser, verify the green lock appears
• Click on the lock to see certificate details
• Verify the certificate is from Let's Encrypt
• Check expiration date
• Use online tools like SSL Labs for a complete analysis

Common problems

Error: "Certificate installation failed"

• Verify the domain is pointing correctly to the server
• Verify DNS records are configured
• Verify the domain is configured in cPanel
• Wait a few minutes and try again
• Verify there's no existing SSL certificate causing conflict

Site shows "Not Secure" or warning

• Verify certificate is installed correctly
• Verify you're accessing with https:// and not http://
• Clear browser cache
• Verify there's no mixed content (HTTP and HTTPS mixed)
• Verify certificate hasn't expired

Mixed content error

• Occurs when your HTTPS site loads resources (images, scripts) from HTTP
• Change all resource URLs to HTTPS
• Or use relative URLs instead of absolute
• In WordPress, update URLs in Settings > General

Certificate expired

• Renew the certificate from cPanel
• Verify automatic renewal is configured
• If automatic renewal fails, contact your hosting provider

Advanced configuration

Install wildcard certificate

To cover all subdomains with a single certificate:

1. In "Let's Encrypt Certificates", look for wildcard certificate option
2. If available, select "Wildcard"
3. Configure DNS validation (may require adding a TXT record)
4. Install the certificate

Note: Let's Encrypt wildcard certificates require DNS validation, which can be more complex than standard HTTP validation.

Compare with commercial certificates

Let's Encrypt:

• ✅ Free
• ✅ Automatic renewal
• ✅ Easy to install
• ✅ Valid for 90 days
• ❌ No warranty included
• ❌ No premium support

Commercial certificates:

• ✅ Include warranty
• ✅ Premium support
• ✅ Valid for longer (1-2 years)
• ✅ Some include extended validation (EV)
• ❌ Have cost
• ❌ Require manual renewal

Tips

• Use Let's Encrypt: It's perfect for most websites
• Configure automatic renewal: Make sure certificates renew automatically
• Force HTTPS: Configure HTTP to HTTPS redirect
• Verify regularly: Check your certificates status periodically
• Monitor expiration: Set up alerts for when certificates are close to expiring
• Use wildcard certificates if you have many subdomains: Simplifies management

Need help?

If you're having trouble installing or renewing Let's Encrypt certificates in cPanel, open a ticket from the billing.baires.host panel or contact us for support.

You can also reach us through our social media:

• Instagram: @baires_host
• Discord (active support): https://discord.gg/dzjauatAFN
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/baires.host