Install SSL on cPanel

Install your free SSL certificate through the cPanel SSL/TLS Manager - no command line needed.

Before You Begin

You will need these three files from your SSL certificate download:

certificate.crtYour SSL certificate
private.keyYour private key - keep this secure
ca_bundle.crtCA bundle (intermediate certificates)

Installation Steps

  1. Log in to cPanel

    Log in to cPanel and navigate to the Security section.

  2. Open SSL/TLS Manager

    Click SSL/TLS (or SSL/TLS Manager) in the Security section.

  3. Manage SSL Sites

    Under Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS), click Manage SSL Sites.

  4. Select your domain

    Select your domain from the dropdown menu.

  5. Paste your certificate

    Paste the contents of certificate.crt into the Certificate (CRT) field.

  6. Paste your private key

    Paste the contents of private.key into the Private Key (KEY) field.

  7. Paste the CA bundle

    Paste the contents of ca_bundle.crt into the Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE) field.

  8. Install the certificate

    Click Install Certificate and wait for the success message confirming SSL is now active.

Common Issues

Mixed content warnings after install
Your site loads over HTTPS but some resources (images, scripts) still reference HTTP URLs. Install the Really Simple SSL plugin or manually update hardcoded HTTP URLs in your content and theme files.
AutoSSL conflict
If WHM AutoSSL is enabled for the domain it may overwrite your manually installed certificate. Disable AutoSSL for the domain in WHM before installing your certificate manually.
Certificate not showing
After a successful install the old certificate may still appear in your browser due to caching. Clear your browser cache and test with a private or incognito window to see the newly installed certificate.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. cPanel's SSL/TLS Manager handles everything through the web interface - no command line or SSH access is needed.

Generate a new certificate on SSLs For Free, then repeat the same installation steps above. The new certificate will replace the old one automatically.

Yes. Enter *.yourdomain.com as the domain when generating the certificate on SSLs For Free, then install the resulting files using the same steps above.

Certificate Installed? Set Up Expiry Monitoring.

Get an email reminder 14 days before your certificate expires - free, no account needed.

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