{"id":11411,"date":"2016-11-01T11:55:47","date_gmt":"2016-11-01T11:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raratheme.com\/?p=11411"},"modified":"2024-02-26T13:14:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T07:29:00","slug":"free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Add Free SSL Certificate in WordPress With Let\u2019s Encrypt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I think you will probably agree with me when I say Google is a necessary evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Evil because as a website owner, it forces you to do things that cost&nbsp;you time and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, in April 2016, Google announced to give <a href=\"http:\/\/searchengineland.com\/googles-mobile-friendly-algorithm-boost-rolled-249357\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"rank-math-link\">ranking boost<\/a> to the mobile friendly websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if your website wasn\u2019t mobile-friendly, you needed to make it mobile-friendly. Otherwise, your website ranking would drop and you would lose traffic from Google Search Engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, making websites mobile-friendly was necessary for better user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recently, Google made another big announcement &#8211; Google Chrome will start <a href=\"https:\/\/security.googleblog.com\/2016\/09\/moving-towards-more-secure-web.html\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"rank-math-link\">warning users about non-HTTPS sites<\/a> from 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It means if your website doesn\u2019t use HTTPS, it will be flagged as \u201cnot secure\u201d from the start of 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially, this will only be applied to the websites that transmit&nbsp;password or credit card details over HTTP. But, Google Chrome will eventually mark all HTTP sites as non-secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In January, the security warning in the address bar of their browser will look like this at first:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Non-secure-warning-by-Google-Chrome.jpg\" alt=\"non-secure-warning-by-google-chrome\" class=\"wp-image-11458\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And then as it rolls out to all the websites, the warning will look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Non-secure-warning-by-Google-Chrome-later-on.jpg\" alt=\"non-secure-warning-by-google-chrome-later-on\" class=\"wp-image-11459\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt\/#What_Does_it_Mean_to_You_as_a_Website_Owner\" >What Does it Mean to You as a Website Owner?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt\/#What_is_Lets_Encrypt\" >What is Let\u2019s Encrypt?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt\/#Step_1_Using_a_Host_That_Offers_Built-in_Lets_Encrypt_Setup\" >Step 1: Using a Host That Offers Built-in Let\u2019s Encrypt Setup<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt\/#Step_2_Enable_Lets_Encrypt_free_SSL_in_SiteGround\" >Step 2: Enable Let\u2019s Encrypt free SSL in SiteGround<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt\/#Step_3_Update_WordPress_Website_URLs\" >Step 3: Update WordPress Website URLs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt\/#Step_4_Fix_Insecure_Content_Issues\" >Step 4: Fix Insecure Content Issues<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt\/#Step_5_Update_Google_Analytics_Settings\" >Step 5: Update Google Analytics Settings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/free-ssl-wordpress-lets-encrypt\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Does_it_Mean_to_You_as_a_Website_Owner\"><\/span>What Does it Mean to You as a Website Owner?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine you go to a website using Google Chrome and then getting a warning that the website is not secure to visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Your-connection-is-not-secure-Google-Chrome.jpg\" alt=\"your-connection-is-not-secure-google-chrome\" class=\"wp-image-11466\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What will you do next \u2013 open the website or close it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are like me, you will probably close the website and never visit it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A security warning is a big turn off for website visitors. If your website is not using HTTPS and Chrome displays warning message, you are most likely to lose more than 50% of your traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because according to StatCounter, <a href=\"https:\/\/gs.statcounter.com\/download\/ww-desktop-browser-apr-2016.png\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"rank-math-link\">around 59% of the users use Google Chrome<\/a>, followed by Firefox (around 15%),&nbsp;Internet Explorer and Edge (around 15%) and Safari and Opera (around 8%)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Browser-usage-comparison-1024x594.png\" alt=\"browser-usage-comparison\" class=\"wp-image-11460\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That means you are not just losing traffic but you are also losing sales and leads from the visitors on your site. The end result \u2013 <strong>loss of lots of potential sales and inquiries because of not&nbsp;adding SSL Certificate on your website.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another reason you should use HTTPS because Google gives ranking boost to websites using HTTPS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is clear \u2013 you need to add SSL Certificate on your website. The important questions is, how can you add SSL Certificate on your website, and for free? Keep reading and I\u2019ll show you how you can take easy steps to add HTTPS on your website using Let\u2019s Encrypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Lets_Encrypt\"><\/span>What is Let\u2019s Encrypt?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/letsencrypt.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"rank-math-link\">Let\u2019s Encrypt<\/a> is a free, automated, and open certificate authority that provides SSL certificate to the&nbsp;general public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Lets-Encrypt-Logo-1024x301.png\" alt=\"lets-encrypt-logo\" class=\"wp-image-11467\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a project by Internet Security Research Group (ISRG), a public service corporation. Let\u2019s Encrypt project is sponsored and supported by several notable companies including Google, Facebook, Mozilla, Automattic (parent company of WordPress), Cisco, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having said that, let\u2019s take a look how to implement SSL Certificate on your website using Let\u2019s Encrypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Using_a_Host_That_Offers_Built-in_Lets_Encrypt_Setup\"><\/span>Step 1: Using a Host That Offers Built-in Let\u2019s Encrypt Setup<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As Let\u2019s Encrypt is becoming popular, some of the hosting services are offering built-in Let\u2019s Encrypt set-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.siteground.com\/wordpress-hosting.htm?afcode=898346aaeeed62f6e0276f6da128ed84\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"rank-math-link\">SiteGround<\/a> is one of the most popular and trusted hosting service that provides a&nbsp;built-in implementation of Let\u2019s Encrypt. We use SiteGround for our Rara Theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this tutorial, I will walk you through each step&nbsp;to add HTTPS on your website using Let\u2019s Encrypt provided by SiteGround.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please note that if you are using another hosting service, check whether or not your hosting company provides built-in Let\u2019s Encrypt. The process of adding HTTPS should be more or less similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Enable_Lets_Encrypt_free_SSL_in_SiteGround\"><\/span>Step 2: Enable Let\u2019s Encrypt free SSL in SiteGround<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Log into your cPanel Dashboard in Siteground and scroll down to Security section. You will see Let\u2019s Encrypt icon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, you can search for \u201cLet\u2019s Encrypt\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Lets-Encrypt-in-Siteground.jpg\" alt=\"lets-encrypt-in-siteground\" class=\"wp-image-11468\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Click on the Let\u2019s Encrypt icon. This will take you to the Let\u2019s Encrypt installation page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, you will need to provide your email address&nbsp;and select the website where you want to add HTTPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Click on the <strong>Install<\/strong> button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Lets-Encrypt-Installation-page-in-Siteground-1.jpg\" alt=\"lets-encrypt-installation-page-in-siteground\" class=\"wp-image-11470\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s encrypt will run for a few seconds (sometimes a few minutes) and issue a unique SSL certificate for your website. After the installation is finished, you will see a success message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Lets-Encrypt-SSL-Siteground-Installation-Successful-Message.jpg\" alt=\"lets-encrypt-ssl-siteground-installation-successful-message\" class=\"wp-image-11471\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s all. You have successfully installed Let\u2019s Encrypt Free SSL to your WordPress website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, your website is not yet ready to use HTTPS. You will need to update your website URL and fix insecure content issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Update_WordPress_Website_URLs\"><\/span>Step 3: Update WordPress Website URLs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to change your website URL from HTTP to HTTPS to use SSL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A website with HTTP looks like&nbsp;http:\/\/www.example.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A website with HTTPS looks like&nbsp;https:\/\/www.example.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having said that, lets go ahead and change your website URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Go to <strong>Admin Dashboard <\/strong>of your WordPress websiteand click on<strong> Settings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, you need to update WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to use HTTPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Change-WordPress-Address-and-Site-Address-in-WordPress-.jpg\" alt=\"change-wordpress-address-and-site-address-in-wordpress\" class=\"wp-image-11472\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Save the changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Fix_Insecure_Content_Issues\"><\/span>Step 4: Fix Insecure Content Issues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After saving changes in the above Step 3, you will be logged out of your website. Enter your username and password to login again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Insecure content issues can be easily fixed using <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/really-simple-ssl\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"rank-math-link\">Really Simple SSL WordPress plugin<\/a>. You need to install and activate this plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Really-Simple-SSL-Plugin.jpg\" alt=\"really-simple-ssl-plugin\" class=\"wp-image-11473\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, please refer to our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.rarathemes.com\/docs\/elegant-pink-pro\/#Plugins_Installation\">how to install and activate a plugin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plugin will automatically fix insecure content issues. It will also automatically detect your SSL certificate and add it to your website. In most cases, you don\u2019t have to do anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_5_Update_Google_Analytics_Settings\"><\/span>Step 5: Update Google Analytics Settings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This step has nothing to do with adding HTTPS to your website. If you have followed Step 1 to Step 4, you have successfully added HTTPS to your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Congratulation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are using <a href=\"https:\/\/analytics.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"rank-math-link\">Google Analytics<\/a> for your website, I would highly recommend to follow Step 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After adding HTTPS to your website, your website URL has changed from HTTP to HTTPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, you need to update Google Analytics settings and add your website new URL with HTTPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Google-Analytics-Setting-Website-URL.jpg\" alt=\"google-analytics-setting-website-url\" class=\"wp-image-11474\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log into your Google Analytics Dashboard<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on \u201cAdmin\u201d at the top Menu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on property settings under your website<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You will see default URL option. Click on HTTP and select HTTPS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Save the changes<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you haven&#8217;t created a Google Analytics account yet. You may look into this guide: <a href=\"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/add-google-analytics-wordpress\/\">How to Add Google Analytics to WordPress<\/a>? We have explained the step-by-step process to create a Google Analytics account and add it to your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope this article has helped you to add free SSL on your website using Let\u2019s Encrypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you like this article, please subscribe to our newsletter for WordPress related tutorials and theme releases. You can also find us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rarathemesHQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I think you will probably agree with me when I say Google is a necessary evil. Evil because as a website owner, it forces you to do things that cost you time and money.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in April 2016, Google announced to give ranking boost to the mobile friendly websites.<\/p>\n<p>So if your website wasn\u2019t mobile-friendly, you needed to make it mobile-friendly. Otherwise, your website ranking would drop and you would lose traffic from Google Search Engine.<\/p>\n<p>But, making websites mobile-friendly was necessary for better user experience.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, Google made another big announcement &#8211; Google Chrome will start warning users about non-HTTPS sites from 2017.<\/p>\n<p>It means if your website doesn\u2019t use HTTPS, it will be flagged as \u201cnot secure\u201d from the start of 2017.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_be_single_description":"","_be_image_uploader":0,"_be_meta_button_label":"","_be_meta_button_url":"","_be_meta_button_newtab":false,"_be_meta_rel_attribute":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beginners","category-tutorials","latest_post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rarathemes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}