Securing your website with an encryption certificate is important for protecting sensitive information and building trust with your visitors. Plesk panel is a popular web hosting control panel that makes it easy to manage your website and its settings. In this blog post, we will discuss how to add an SSL certificate to your Plesk panel.
Step 1: Purchase an SSL Certificate
The first step in adding an SSL certificate to your Plesk panel is to purchase one. You can purchase an SSL certificate from a trusted provider like Let’s Encrypt, Comodo, or DigiCert. Choose the certificate that best suits your website’s needs, such as single domain, wildcard, or multi-domain.
Step 2: Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
Before you can install the certificate, you need to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). Here’s how to do it in Plesk panel:
- Log in to your Plesk panel.
- Click on “Websites & Domains” on the left-hand menu.
- Click on the domain for which you want to install the certificate.
- Click on “SSL/TLS Certificates” under “Security.”
- Click on “Add SSL/TLS Certificate.”
- Fill in the required information, including the domain name and organization details.
- Click on “Request.”
- Plesk panel will generate the CSR.
Step 3: Purchase and Install the SSL Certificate
Once you have generated the CSR, you can purchase the certificate and install it on your website. Here’s how to do it:
- Submit the CSR to your provider to generate the certificate.
- Once you receive the certificate, log in to your Plesk panel.
- Click on “Websites & Domains” on the left-hand menu.
- Click on the domain for which you want to install the certificate.
- Click on “SSL/TLS Certificates” under “Security.”
- Click on the certificate name.
- Click on “Upload Certificate.”
- Paste the certificate and any intermediate certificates into the appropriate boxes.
- Click on “Upload Certificate.”
Step 4: Update Your Website’s Settings
After you have installed the SSL certificate, you need to update your website’s settings to use HTTPS instead of HTTP. Here’s how to do it:
- Log in to your Plesk panel.
- Click on “Websites & Domains” on the left-hand menu.
- Click on the domain for which you want to update the settings.
- Click on “Hosting Settings.”
- Change the “Preferred domain” to use HTTPS.
- Click on “OK.”
Step 5: Verify Your SSL Certificate
Finally, you should verify that your certificate is working correctly. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to your website and check if there is a padlock icon in the address bar.
- Click on the padlock icon and verify that the certificate is valid.
- Check if the website address starts with https:// instead of http://.
In conclusion, adding an SSL certificate to your Plesk panel is a crucial step in securing your website and protecting your visitors’ data. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can add an SSL certificate to your Plesk panel and secure your website.
