Why Are SSL Certificates Important?
SSL Certificates are now a standard requirement for almost all websites, as they encrypt communication between visitors and the server. You should always install one if your website includes online payment options or requests personal information. Most browsers mark sites without SSL as not secure, so it’s always worth implementing an SSL certificate for your site.
Install a Free SSL Certificate
At Rackhost, every WordPress hosting plan includes a free SSL certificate that you can install in just a few clicks. To install it, follow these steps:
Login to your Rackhost account, then click on the Web Hostings option → Click on the blue Settings button next to the selected web hosting → Click on the blue Settings button again on the new page that appears → Select the HTTPS menu item.
Under HTTPS Conditions, ensure each line has a green tick to indicate that the conditions are met. Then, select Yes from the drop-down menu and click Save. The conditions that must be met include:
- The WordPress hosting must be ordered through Rackhost’s system and must be active.
- The domain name for which you want to install the SSL certificate must also be registered in the same Rackhost user account.
- The domain’s DNS zone must be managed in Rackhost’s system.
- Both the www host A record and the domain name A record must point to the WordPress hosting IP address.
Once the configuration is set up, wait for 5 minutes, then check to confirm that the necessary records are configured correctly and that your site now appears with the certificate.
Update the URLs of Your Home Page and Website
- Login to WordPress.
- Click on the Settings menu and then the General menu item.
- On this page, you can update the URLs. Don’t forget to save the changes!
If this is an existing site, you will also need to change the URLs to apply the new secure URL.
There are two ways to ensure your site redirects all requests from HTTP to HTTPS:
- Use a WordPress HTTPS plugin.
- Upde the rules in your site’s .htaccess file.
Once these steps are completed, all traffic to your site will be securely redirected to HTTPS.