Install SSL on Plesk

Add your free SSL certificate to a Plesk domain through the SSL/TLS Certificates panel - 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 Plesk

    Log in to Plesk and navigate to Websites & Domains.

  2. Open SSL/TLS Certificates

    Click on the domain you want to secure, then click SSL/TLS Certificates.

  3. Add a new certificate

    Click the + button or Add SSL/TLS Certificate. Enter a certificate name for your reference.

  4. Paste certificate files

    Paste the contents of certificate.crt into the Certificate field, private.key into the Private key field, and ca_bundle.crt into the CA certificate field.

  5. Upload the certificate

    Click Upload Certificate.

  6. Assign to domain

    Back on the domain settings page, click Hosting Settings, set the SSL/TLS certificate to the one you just uploaded, and check Enable SSL/TLS support.

  7. Save settings

    Click OK or Save to apply. Your domain will now be served over HTTPS.

Common Issues

Certificate option not available
The SSL/TLS Certificates option may be absent if the hosting plan for the domain does not include SSL support. Contact your Plesk hosting provider to confirm that SSL is enabled for your subscription.
Mixed content after install
After enabling HTTPS, HTTP resources may still load causing a "Not Secure" indicator. In Hosting Settings, enable the Permanent SEO-safe 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS option to automatically redirect all HTTP traffic.
Old certificate still shown
Plesk may cache the previous certificate for a short time. Clear Plesk's internal cache and wait a few minutes for propagation, then hard-refresh your browser or test in a private window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Plesk has a built-in Let's Encrypt extension that handles automatic issuance and renewal. For certificates generated manually on SSLs For Free, you will need to reinstall every 90 days when the certificate expires.

Follow the same steps above. Paste the wildcard certificate.crt (issued for *.yourdomain.com) into the Certificate field. Plesk handles wildcard certificates the same way as single-domain certificates.

Yes. Plesk supports SNI (Server Name Indication), so each domain on the same server can have its own separate SSL certificate without needing a dedicated IP address.

Certificate Installed? Set Up Expiry Monitoring.

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