Free SSL for a GoDaddy-Hosted WordPress Site
In 2021 GoDaddy charged around USD 78 a year, rising to 98 on renewal, for a basic SSL certificate on shared hosting, while most other hosts include one. This tutorial shows how a free certificate from SSL For Free was issued and installed through cPanel instead. The method applies to cPanel hosting; other control panels differ.
Step 1: Request the certificate
- Go to sslforfree.com, enter your domain and create a free account.
- Choose the basic free certificate and continue to verification.
- Pick email verification. If you have no mailbox such as admin@yourdomain, create one in cPanel > Email Accounts first.
- Send the verification email, open it in webmail, copy the code into the verification page, then refresh the status.
- Click Install Certificate and download the zip. It contains three files: the certificate, the private key and the CA bundle.
Step 2: Install it in cPanel
- In cPanel open SSL/TLS, then Manage SSL Sites, and select the domain.
- Open each of the three files with Notepad (not by double-clicking), select all, and paste into the matching box: Certificate (CRT), Private Key and Certificate Authority Bundle.
- Click Install Certificate and wait for the success message.
Step 3: Switch WordPress to HTTPS
In the WordPress dashboard install and activate the Really Simple SSL plugin and click Activate SSL. Log in again and the site loads over HTTPS with the padlock. Fix any mixed content warnings afterwards.
Notes
Free certificates from this route are valid for 90 days and need renewing. Also note that this site has since moved away from GoDaddy hosting; the steps remain valid for any cPanel host that charges for SSL.
Links from the video
- Join the members-only content: https://bit.ly/3fEEvD4
- Members-only videos: https://bit.ly/3fJieDV
- SSL For Free: https://www.sslforfree.com/
