For a simplified version of this tutorial, see Getting Started - HTTPS.
This article covers how to quickly deploy a Let's Encrypt certificate on a web host. If you need a more detailed setup, follow the Webhosting - Manual HTTPS Setup tutorial. To deploy a certificate on WebSite 1.0, follow the WebSite 1.0 - Activating HTTPS tutorial.
Activating HTTPS on Webhosting alone is usually not enough. In this case, please also set up HTTPS on the site according to the Webhosting - Setting up HTTPS on the site instructions.
In this article you will learn:
- What is HTTPS and what is it for
- How to quickly enable HTTPS with a Let's Encrypt certificate
- How to set up HTTPS on a website
- Common problems
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is HTTPS and what is it for
HTTPS (HTTP over SSL) is the new Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Internet protocol standard that, unlike its predecessor, encrypts communications. Clients can therefore send sensitive data securely over this protocol.
Let's Encrypt SSL certificate is issued by a non-profit certificate authority Let's Encrypt ⧉. This certificate is completely free and its management is largely automated on our Webhosting.
The SSL certificate is usually stored on the web hosting servers. HTTPS cannot be set up on the domain itself. DNSSEC technology is used to secure domains (DNS).
Quickly enable HTTPS with a Let's Encrypt certificate
It can take up to 90 minutes to get HTTPS fully up and running with a Let's Encrypt certificate.
If you don't have HTTPS enabled on your web host yet, you can enable the Let's Encrypt version using the Quick Settings button:
- Log in to customer administration ⧉.
- In the top menu, select Hosting Services Webhosting.
- Select your web host in the list of services.
- Select HTTPS from the left menu.
- Click the Quick Settings button.
- Wait up to 90 minutes (30 minutes to activate, 60 minutes to write changes) for the certificate to become operational.
Quick setup:
- sets up a free additional service to support HTTPS on the SNI domain (if you don't already have it),
- activates HTTPS with Let's Encrypt certificate,
- adds the main webhosting domain (not aliases) with or without the www option to the certificate.
After the certificate is activated in the administration (usually within 30 minutes), the certificate starts working properly within 1 hour.
If the site is still using an insecure HTTP protocol after successfully setting up the certificate, make additional settings on the site itself. Continue with the Web Hosting - Setting up HTTPS on the site.
Manual settings
If you can't do a quick setup, or if you need to add alias domains and subdomains other than www, set up HTTPS manually by following the Webhosting - Manual HTTPS Setup instructions.
Setting up HTTPS on the web
If the site is still using the insecure HTTP protocol after successfully setting up HTTPS in the customer administration, modify its settings according to the Webhosting - Setting up HTTPS on the site instructions.
Common problems
Common problems with HTTPS quick setup include:
- Missing Quick Settings button
- Missing aliases in the certificate
- The www domain cannot be set
- HTTPS settings not working
Missing Quick Settings button
Problem: The HTTPS settings page does not display the quick settings button.
Cause: HTTPS is probably already active on the web host.
Solution: If you need to reset HTTPS quickly, turn it off. Beware, this step will lose all existing HTTPS settings in the administration. The Quick Settings button will appear.
Aliases are missing from the certificate
Problem: Quick setup added only the main domain and its www variant to the certificate, aliases are missing.
Solution: Add aliases manually according to this guide.
The www domain cannot be set
Problem: When quickly setting up or trying to add a domain, the error message "The domain www.domena.tld cannot be used to generate a Let's Encrypt certificate" is displayed.
Cause: the domain, or more specifically the subdomain www, does not point to Webhosting in DNS.
Solution: Check the DNS records of the domain. All domains and subdomains added to the certificate must have both A and AAAA records (if any) pointing to the Webhosting.
HTTPS does not work
Problem: HTTPS does not work when performing a quick setup.
Cause: even though the name is set to Quick, it can still take up to 90 minutes to activate and sign the certificate. Errors can also occur in the settings.
Solution: After the quick setup, wait 60-90 minutes for the certificate to be signed. If you notice errors in the administration or HTTPS is not working properly even after 90 minutes, set it up manually according to the Webhosting - Manual HTTPS Setup instructions. If the site continues to work over HTTP, force HTTPS according to the Webhosting - Setting up HTTPS on your site instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I deploy a custom SSL certificate on my web host?
Follow the instructions Webhosting - Deploying your own SSL certificate.
How do I set up HTTPS on the domain I am redirecting?
To set up HTTPS, you need a server to store the certificate on. Our redirection server does not allow this - you can only set up HTTPS redirection using the webhost according to this guide.