How to Enable Free SSL in cPanel (HTTPS)

An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between your website and its visitors, helping protect sensitive information and enabling HTTPS. Most hosting accounts include AutoSSL, allowing you to install a free SSL certificate directly from cPanel.

This guide explains how to enable SSL and troubleshoot common activation issues.

Before You Begin

Before requesting an SSL certificate, ensure that:

• Your domain is connected to your hosting account.
• Your domain is pointing to your VeerHost server.
• DNS changes have fully propagated.
• Your website is active and accessible.

SSL certificates cannot be issued if the domain does not resolve to your hosting server.

Step 1: Verify Your Domain’s DNS

Before enabling SSL, confirm that your domain is pointing to your VeerHost server.

Verify that:

• Your A record points to your VeerHost server IP.
• Your domain has been added to your hosting account.
• There are no conflicting DNS records.

If you’ve recently updated your DNS records, allow time for propagation before continuing.

Step 2: Open SSL/TLS Status

Log in to your cPanel account.

Navigate to:

Security → SSL/TLS Status

Depending on your hosting configuration, this feature may also appear under a slightly different name.

Here you’ll see the SSL status for all domains associated with your hosting account.

Step 3: Run AutoSSL

Within the SSL/TLS Status page:

1. Select the domain or domains you want to secure.
2. Click Run AutoSSL.
3. Wait for the validation process to complete.

AutoSSL will verify your domain ownership and automatically install a free SSL certificate if all requirements are met.

The process typically completes within a few minutes, although it may take longer depending on server activity.

Step 4: Force HTTPS

Once the SSL certificate has been installed successfully, configure your website to use HTTPS.

For WordPress websites, you can:

• Update the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to use https://.
• Enable HTTPS redirection through your hosting control panel, if available.
• Use a trusted WordPress plugin to force HTTPS across your website.

This ensures that all visitors are automatically redirected to the secure version of your site.

Verify the SSL Certificate

After enabling SSL:

• Visit your website using https://.
• Confirm that the browser displays a secure padlock icon.
• Verify that there are no SSL warnings or certificate errors.
• Check that all pages load over HTTPS.

If your browser reports mixed content warnings, some images, scripts, or stylesheets may still be loading over HTTP.

Troubleshooting

If AutoSSL cannot issue a certificate, check the following:

• Your domain is pointing to the correct server IP.
• DNS propagation has completed.
• The domain has been added to your hosting account.
• The domain is publicly accessible.
• There are no conflicting DNS records.
• No firewall or proxy service is preventing domain validation.

If all settings are correct and SSL still fails to issue, contact the VeerHost support team for assistance.

Notes

• AutoSSL certificates renew automatically before they expire.
• SSL certificates can only be issued for domains that resolve to your hosting account.
• HTTPS helps improve website security, visitor trust, and search engine optimization.
• After enabling SSL, update any hardcoded HTTP links to prevent mixed content warnings.