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If you’ve never installed an SSL certificate, the process can be confusing. Some web hosting companies offer free SSL certificates that are already installed. If you purchased managed WordPress hosting from GoDaddy your SSL certificate will be installed automatically. If you selected another hosting plan, you will have to install your SSL certificate. You may be wondering if it is possible to install an SSL certificate for free with GoDaddy.
In general, you can install an SSL certificate from GoDaddy for free. If you have managed WordPress hosting, it comes with a free SSL certificate. You can also install a free SSL certificate with most of their Cpanel hosting plans.
With most of GoDaddy’s hosting plans, you do not automatically get an SSL certificate. You have to purchase one and install it. If you arrived here searching for information on how to install a GoDaddy SSL certificate, I am going to explain how to install an SSL certificate on a GoDaddy hosted website for free. And, also provide you with instructions on how to install a paid SSL certificate
How to install an SSL Certificate with Cpanel for free
Step 1 Log into Cpanel.
Go to your products page. Under web hosting, you will see Cpanel Hosting. Click on manage. Then Cpanel admin.
Step 2.Find SSL/TLS
Under the Security section, click on the link for SSL/TLS
Step 3. Click on Manage SSL sites
You will see 4 options. The fourth option is Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS). Directly underneath, there is a link to manage SSL sites. Click on that link to install your SSL certificate.
Step 4 Click on Browse Certificates
If you click on browse SSL certificates, you can see your SSL certificate. Once you click browse certificates, a window will pop up showing you an SSL certificate list. Select your SSL certificate, and then use certificate.
Step 5 Install certificate
When you click on use certificate, a code will generate into the boxes below. At the bottom of the page, you will see a button that says install certificate. Click on that button to install your SSL certificate.
How to install an SSL certificate for free on WordPress
Step 1 Install Really Simple SSL plugin
It’s easy to install an SSL certificate using the plugin Really Simple SSL. Go to your WordPress dashboard. Then Plugins and add new. Search for Really Simple SSL and install it. Then activate it.
Step 2 Go to Really Simple SSL’s settings
You should see Almost ready to migrate to SSL. Select Install SSL certificate and follow the prompts. You should see a screen that tells you that you’ve met all the requirements and are ready to Encrypt.
Step 3 Generate SSL certificate
Continue following the prompts. Agree to the terms of service. Select your hosting provider (GoDaddy) from the drop-down. The Cpanel you are on should be automatically selected. Now you’re ready to generate your SSL certificate.
Click next. This will take you to a page with copy and paste codes you use to install your SSL certificate through the Cpanel.
Step 5 Install SSL certificate with Cpanel
Now you are ready to install your certificate. Follow the instructions above to install an SSL certificate with Cpanel. But, when you get to step 5, you will need to use the codes provided by the Really Simple SSL certificate.
Copy and paste the Certificate (CRT) code into the box that says Certificate (CRT). Copy and paste the Private Key (Key) code into the box that says Private Key (Key). Copy and paste the Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE) into the box that says Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE)
Then click install certificate.
Step 6 Activate SSL certificate on WordPress
Once your SSL certificate is installed on the Cpanel. You can activate the SSL certificate with Really Simple SSL. Go back to the Really Simple SSL settings page. You should now see an option to activate your SSL certificate. Activate your SSL certificate.
Purchasing and Installing a GoDaddy SSL certificate
You may prefer to purchase an SSL certificate from GoDaddy, or you might have already purchased one not knowing that there was an option to install it for free. There are some advantages to having a paid SSL. If you have an eCommerce website that takes payments, you might want to invest in a paid SSL certificate. If you need a wildcard SSL certificate or want added liability protection, a paid SSL might be the best. option for you.
If you purchased an SSL certificate, follow the instructions below to install your GoDaddy SSL certificate.
Step 1 Purchase your SSL certificate.
You have several options with GoDaddy. You can purchase a single SSL certificate or a multisite SSL certificate. There are a few things you should know before you make your decision. Purchasing the wrong type of SSL for your needs can cause you issues down the road.
Types of GoDaddy SSL certificates
GoDaddy offers three types of SSL certificates, a single site SSL certificate, a multisite SSL certificate, and a wildcard SSL certificate. If you only have one website, a single SSL certificate is what you need. If you own more than one website hosted on GoDaddy, it might make more sense to purchase a multisite SSL certificate
GoDaddy’s Single Site SSL certificate
If you have one website and do not plan to add additional websites to your hosting plan, a single-site SSL is all you really need. It is an affordable option and easy to install. However, if you are planning to add more domains to your hosting plan or planning to add subdomains, it might be better to purchase a multi-site or wildcard SSL certificate.
GoDaddy’s Multi-Site SSL certificate
A multi-site certificate is a more affordable option if you plan to install an SSL certificate on multiple websites. Before you purchase a multi-site SSL, you should understand the advantages and disadvantages of this type of SSL certificate. GoDaddy allows you to five websites with a multi-site SSL certificate. The price for a single-site SSL is $94.99, and a multi-site SSL is $249.99. As you can see, purchasing a multi-site SSL can save you a significant amount of money.
However, there are some drawbacks. When you purchase a multi SSL certificate, it can only be applied to websites that are hosted on the same server. If you decide to move one of your websites to another server or hosting plan, you can’t transfer the SSL certificate.
GoDaddy’s Wildcard SSL certificate
A single site SSL certificate only protects the main domain name. If you plan to have subdomains the SSL certificate will not apply to the subdomains. In that situation, you would need to purchase a wildcard SSL certificate. This will protect your domain name and an unlimited amount of subdomains.
It’s important to note that an SSL certificate from GoDaddy will not protect your email accounts. In order to have a secure email, you will need to purchase a secure email plan separately.
Step 2 Verify domain name ownership
Before you can install your SSL, you need to verify that you own the domain name. GoDaddy has a few ways you can do this. Your domain name can be verified through email, an HTML page, or by adding a DNS record.
Email verification
If your primary domain name is hosted with GoDaddy, you can verify domain name ownership through email verification. Before you can receive the email verification, you must have an email address for it to go to. For Cpanel hosting, go to the Cpanel and add one of the following email addresses.
admin@example.com
administrator@example.com
postmaster@example.com
webmaster@example.com
hostmaster@example.com
To add an email address, go to your products page. Under web hosting, you will see Cpanel Hosting. Click on manage. Then Cpanel admin. Scroll down until you see the section for email. Under email accounts, you can create a new email address. Create an email address using one of the above email addresses. Then verify domain name ownership by requesting an email. It may take 5 to 10 minutes to receive the email. All you need to do is click on the link that is sent to you.
Verify through domain name with an HTML page
If your domain name and hosting are purchased separately, you will need to verify your domain name ownership through another method. To do this, you can upload an HTML page. When you purchase your SSL certificate, GoDaddy will provide you with a unique id number and instructions for verifying your domain name.
Create a new HTML document using notepad or an HTML editor of your choice. Copy and paste the unique id number into the HTML file. Save the file with the name godaddy.html.
Using Cpanel or FTP, create a new folder under your root domain. It should be named /.well-known/. Inside of this folder, create another new folder and name it /pki-validation. Then upload the godaddy.html page to the folder /.well-known/pki-validation/. You should be able to view the HTML file by going to http://yourdomainname.com/.well-known/pki-validation/godaddy.html
Verify your domain name by adding a DNS record
This is probably the easiest way to verify your domain name ownership. It sounds complicated, but it’s really easy. You just add a text record to your DNS records. To add a DNS record, log in to your GoDaddy account. Go to My Products and find your domain name. You should see an option to Manage DNS. Click on that, then you will see a list of text records.
At the bottom of the list, there is an option to add records. Click add, and then you can add your text record.
Select TXT from the drop-down menu.
Use @ for host. And copy and paste the code for the text record in the section that says TXT value. Click Save.
Once you have added your text record, your domain name ownership will be verified. It usually only takes 10 to 15 minutes to update, but it may take as long as an hour or two. You can check the status of your SSL certificate by going to SSL certificates in GoDaddy. Then Manage. Then check my update. If it says pending, wait fifteen minutes and check again.
Step 3 Install Your GoDaddy SSL Certificate
There are two ways you can install an SSL certificate from GoDaddy. If you have a WordPress website, you can use a plugin to install your SSL certificate. If you don’t use WordPress, install your SSL certificate through your Cpanel.
How to install a GoDaddy SSL certificate on WordPress
Now that your domain name is verified you can install the SSL certificate. You might expect your SSL certificate to load the padlock in the address bar automatically. If you don’t see the padlock, you can install your SSL on WordPress easily using the Really Simple SSL plugin. Just install the Really Simple SSL plugin and activate it. Then go to your plugins page. Find Really Simple SSL and click on settings. Once there, you can activate your SSL by selecting activate SSL.
How to install a GoDaddy SSL certificate through Cpanel
Step 1 Download your SSL certificate
To download your SSL certificate go to My Products. Then SSL certificates. Then select manage. You will see an option to download the certificate. Select your server type and download the zip file.
Step 2 Go to Cpanel Admin
Once you are inside the Cpanel admin, scroll down until you see security. In the Security section, you will see SSL/TLS. Select that to install your SSL certificate
Step 3 Select Certificates CRT
You will see an option for Certificates CRT. Click on Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates.
Step 3 Upload SSL certificate
Scroll down to find Upload Certificate. You will see an option to choose a file, Choose a certificate file (*.crt). Click on choose a certificate file and upload the SSL certificate you downloaded earlier.
Step 4 Go to Install and Manage SSL for your site
Once your SSL certificate is uploaded, go back to the Security section in your Cpanel. Select SSL/TLS. This time select Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS). Click on Manage SSL sites.
Step 5 Install SSL certificate
You will now see an option to Install an SSL website. Click on Browse certificates. Choose the SSL certificate you want to install. Then choose use certificate. The fields below will be automatically filled in. Once those fields are filled in, click on Install Certificate.
If you have problems installing your SSL certificate
If you follow these instructions, but still don’t see the padlock in the address bar of your browser, you can use a tool at whynopadlock.com to troubleshoot why your SSL certificate isn’t showing up. This will tell you where any errors are occurring. Sometimes it’s because your SSL certificate is expired or misconfigured.
GoDaddy is a good hosting company to work with. This tutorial is detailed and explains how to install an SSL certificate from GoDaddy on WordPress and through Cpanel. But, sometimes even when you follow the best instructions, you need help. That’s what GoDaddy’s tech support is there for.
Don’t be afraid to give them a call if you have problems. In most cases, installing an SSL certificate is easy. But, if you are transferring an SSL from one domain to another, if you need to rekey a certificate, or if you are setting up multiple SSL certificates on one server, it can be confusing. They are there to help. If they can’t walk you through the process, they can provide you with resources to get it installed correctly.
