You’ve spent months building your WordPress site, perfecting every page, and finally launching it to the world. But then, you notice something alarming—your site is flagged as “Not Secure” by browsers, scaring away potential visitors. You check Google, and there it is—an urgent recommendation to install an SSL certificate. You don’t want to break the bank paying for an SSL certificate, and you need a fast, effective, and free SSL certificate.
That’s where the WP Encryption – One Click Free SSL Certificate plugin comes in. This guide will take you through the step-by-step process to install a free SSL certificate on your WordPress site, ensuring your visitors feel safe and your SEO rankings stay intact.
Why SSL is Essential for Your WordPress Site
Before we jump into the technical details, let’s understand why SSL is crucial:
- Security: Encrypts data between your site and users, preventing cyber threats.
- Trust: The padlock icon next to your domain reassures visitors that your site is safe.
- SEO Boost: Google prioritizes HTTPS-enabled sites in search rankings.
- Prevents Browser Warnings: Without SSL, modern browsers mark your site as insecure, potentially driving away traffic.
Now that you understand why SSL is a must-have, let’s move on to securing your WordPress site for free using the WP Encryption plugin.
Step 1: Install and Activate WP Encryption Plugin
To kick things off, follow these steps to install the WP Encryption plugin:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
- In the search bar, type WP Encryption – One Click Free SSL.
- Click Install Now, then Activate the plugin.
At this point, you have the tool needed to get your free SSL certificate. Here they will ask for newsletter permission. They have two packages here. Free and pro. Select the free plan to set up SSL now. Select it. This page is the first step to generating a free SSL certificate. Type your email address, and select the option to generate SSL for both www and non-www domain. Then accept the mandatory terms and conditions from here. Now, let’s proceed with generating and installing it.
Step 2: Generate an SSL Certificate
- Go to WP Encryption from the WordPress dashboard. This time you need to verify your domain ownership with some challenges. Here they give two ways to verify domain ownership. HTTP challenges and DNS challenges. I preffer to use http method. In this method, you need to go to the cPanel file manager or install a file manager plugin.
- You will be prompted to verify domain ownership. The plugin provides two options:
- DNS Verification (if you prefer managing DNS records)
- File-based Verification (recommended for simplicity)
To make things easier, we’ll use File-based Verification.
Step 3: Perform File-Based Domain Verification
What is File-Based Verification?
File-based verification is a simple way to prove to Let’s Encrypt that you own the domain by uploading specific files to your website’s public directory. Let’s break it down step by step:
- Install a File Manager plugin in WordPress or access your cPanel File Manager.
- Navigate to your website’s public_html directory.
- Create a new folder named .well-known.
- Inside the
.well-knownfolder, create another folder named acme-challenge.
- The WP Encryption – One Click Free SSL plugin will generate two verification files for you to download.
- Upload these files into the acme-challenge folder.
- Return to WP Encryption and click Verify HTTP Challenge.
If everything is set up correctly, Let’s Encrypt will confirm your domain verification.
Step 4: Obtain SSL Certificate Codes
Once verification is successful, WP Encryption will generate three critical SSL files:
- Certificate.crt – The SSL certificate.
- Private.pem – The private key.
- CAbundle.crt – The certificate authority bundle.
These are the files needed to install SSL on your server.
Step 5: Install SSL Certificate via cPanel
With your SSL files ready, the next step is installing them in your hosting provider’s cPanel.
How to Install the SSL Certificate in cPanel
- Log in to your cPanel.
- Locate and click the SSL/TLS section. You can easily achieve that by typing ssl on the search bar in your cpanel
- On the next page, scroll down and lick on Manage SSL Sites.
- Select the domain you want to secure.
- Copy the certificate keys shown in step 4, and paste into their respective fields:
- Certificate (CRT): Paste the
Certificate.crtcontent. - Private Key (KEY): Paste the
Private.pemcontent. - Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE): Paste the
CAbundle.crtcontent.
- Certificate (CRT): Paste the
- Click Install Certificate.
At this point, your SSL certificate is installed, but we’re not done yet. We still need to force HTTPS.
Step 6: Enable HTTPS on Your WordPress Site
- Go back to the WP Encryption settings in WordPress.
- Scroll down and click Enable HTTPS Now.
- The plugin will enforce HTTPS across your website automatically.
Once done, your website should now be securely accessible over HTTPS.
Step 7: Verify SSL Installation
After installation, it’s essential to verify that SSL is working correctly.
How to Check if SSL is Installed Properly
- Look for the Padlock: Open your website in a browser and check if there’s a padlock icon next to your domain.
- Check Browser Warnings: If your site still shows as Not Secure, clear your cache and try again.
- Use SSL Checker Tools: Visit SSL Labs to confirm your SSL installation is correct.
Common Issues & Fixes
While installing SSL is usually smooth, here are some common errors and their solutions:
- SSL Not Propagating: If your certificate isn’t working instantly, wait 30 minutes and try again.
- Mixed Content Errors: If some parts of your site still load over HTTP, use the Really Simple SSL plugin to fix this.
- Incorrect Certificate Installation: Double-check that you copied the correct SSL files into cPanel.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully installed a free SSL certificate on your WordPress site using WP Encryption and Let’s Encrypt.
With HTTPS now enabled, your website is more secure, your visitors feel safer, and Google will favor your site in search rankings. No more “Not Secure” warnings—just a smooth, encrypted experience for your users. However, for the free version, you will have to do and follow these steps every 3 months to keep your site secured.
With cyber threats growing every day, having SSL isn’t optional—it’s a necessity. And thanks to WP Encryption, you don’t have to pay a dime to secure your website.
If this guide helped you, consider sharing it with fellow WordPress users who might also need a free SSL solution! Now, go enjoy your secure and trusted WordPress site.