Did you know that Google categorises all websites that do not use SSL as “Not Secure”? This means that if you do not have an SSL certificate installed on your website, you will lose the trust of your customers.
Get a BlueHost Free SSL Certificate for Your Website
Because an SSL certificate helps to protect your website’s data, it is actually a requirement for businesses that accept payments on the internet.
In most cases, paid SSL certificates are prohibitively expensive. If you are just getting started with a blog or building a DIY business website, you probably want to keep costs as low as possible. Bluehost provides free SSL certificates for use.
What is SSL?
SSL is an abbreviation for Secure Sockets Layer. It is an internet protocol that is used to secure data transfer between a user’s browser and the website that they are currently visiting on the internet.
Is it Necessary to Have an SSL Certificate for My WordPress Site?
Securing your website with SSL / HTTPS is highly recommended for all websites on the internet. However, it is a legal requirement for any website that collects user information such as login details, payment information, credit card numbers, and other types of information from users.
What is the proper way to properly activate an SSL certificate on Bluehost.com?
Bluehost now offers free SSL certificates for all of the assigned and parked domain names that you have registered in your account. Generally, the SSL will assign and install itself to your new and existing domains; however, some customers may need to manually enable the certificate in order for it to work properly.
Direct Link: Get Free Bluehost SSL Certificate
To enable the free SSL certificate:
- Log in to the Bluehost control panel to begin.
- Select the Addons option from the drop-down menu.
- Navigate to the SSL Certificates section and click on the more information link.
- To get started, go to the WordPress Free SSL section and click the get started button.
- To begin the installation process, click the Install button.
- Once you’ve enabled SSL, it may take several hours for the certificate to be installed and activated.
Installation of a 3rd-party certificate over SSL
Please keep in mind that in order to add an SSL Certificate to your account, you will first need to obtain a dedicated IP address. From the Addons section of your Control Panel, you can configure a dedicated IP address for your hosting service to use exclusively for your website.
Make a copy of your private key.
The following are the steps to take in order to generate a self-signed certificate:
The following are the steps to generate a key:
- To access the TLS/SSL Manager from within your cPanel, click on the icon.
- Select “Generate, view, upload, or delete your private keys” from the drop-down menu.
- Select Key Size 2048 or 1024 from the Generate a New Key section of the wizard.
- To begin, click on the Generate button.
- Your private key will be displayed on the screen after you log in. To return to the SSL Manager, select “Return to SSL Manager.”
- Returning to the SSL Manager page, select “Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests” from the drop-down menu.
- Fill out the form with the domain name and any other information that is required.
- To generate the code, click on the Generate button.
- The Generated Private Key will be displayed if you have entered valid information. Otherwise, nothing will be displayed. (If it appears to be blank, go back
- and fill in the missing information.) The pass phrase is a challenge password that is used by Apache (on our server) to decrypt your SSL private key when it is first loaded.
- Create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) document.
The following are the steps to generate a CSR:
Steps to Generate a CSR:
- In the SSL Manager page, click “Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests.”
- Enter the domain and the required information into the form.
- Press Generate button.
- If you have entered valid information, you will be shown your CSR. (if it looks blank, click back and correct any information)
- Provide the CSR to the SSL vendor of your choice. They will exchange it for a CRT file.
- With the new CRT, return to SSL Manager and click the “Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates”.
- Paste in the provided CRT file or Browse your computer for the .crt file. Repeat for CA Bundle file, if received as well.
- Press Upload button
- Contact us via Phone or Live Chat to request your KEY and CRT be installed on the server.
Contact us by phone or live chat to have your KEY and CRT installed on the server.
While installing your certificate on the server, both your KEY and your CRT will be required to be entered (and a CA Bundle if provided by SSL vendor). It is recommended that you keep a backup copy of each of these because they may be used with any host for this specific domain name.