Want to secure your WordPress website with HTTPS without paying for an SSL certificate? You can generate and install a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on your WordPress website using the WP Encryption plugin.
In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to set up free SSL for WordPress, verify your domain, generate a Let’s Encrypt certificate, install it on your web server, and enable HTTPS across your website.
WP Encryption is designed to simplify the SSL process by handling the Let’s Encrypt certificate generation and domain verification from inside the WordPress dashboard. The plugin is available through the official WordPress Plugin Directory.
What Is a Free SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between your website and your visitors’ browsers. Once SSL is installed, your website can be accessed using https:// instead of http://.
Let’s Encrypt provides free Domain Validation (DV) SSL certificates. WP Encryption makes the process easier by providing a WordPress-based interface for requesting and generating the certificate.
After SSL is correctly installed, visitors should see the secure HTTPS connection and browser security indicator when visiting your website.
Why Use Let’s Encrypt SSL for WordPress?
Let’s Encrypt is a popular choice for websites that need a free SSL certificate. You don’t need to purchase a traditional SSL certificate simply to enable HTTPS on a standard WordPress website.
- Free SSL certificate: No certificate purchase is required.
- HTTPS encryption: Encrypts traffic between your website and visitors.
- Domain validation: The certificate verifies control of the domain.
- Works with WordPress: You can generate the certificate from the WordPress dashboard using WP Encryption.
- Easy certificate generation: WP Encryption guides you through domain verification and certificate generation.
What You Need Before Installing Free SSL
Before generating your certificate, make sure:
- You have administrator access to your WordPress dashboard.
- Your domain is already pointing to your web server.
- Your WordPress website is accessible over the internet.
- You have access to your web hosting control panel.
- You can install an SSL certificate on your hosting account.
If your domain is not correctly pointing to the server, Let’s Encrypt may not be able to verify domain ownership.
How to Add Free SSL Certificate to WordPress
Step 1: Install WP Encryption
First, install the WP Encryption plugin on your WordPress website.
- Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
- Go to Plugins → Add New.
- Search for WP Encryption.
- Click Install Now.
- Click Activate.
WordPress supports installing plugins directly from the Plugin Directory through Plugins → Add New.
After activation, you should see the WP Encryption option in your WordPress admin menu.
Step 2: Open the SSL Installation Page
From your WordPress dashboard, open:
WP Encryption → SSL Install
The plugin provides a step-by-step SSL generation process. You will be asked to provide the information required to generate your free Let’s Encrypt certificate.
Step 3: Start the Free SSL Certificate Generation
Start the SSL generation process and enter the email address requested by the plugin.
Make sure you use an email address that you can access. The email address is associated with the Let’s Encrypt certificate registration process and important certificate-related communications.
Before continuing, review and accept the applicable Let’s Encrypt terms and the WP Encryption terms presented in the SSL generation interface.
Step 4: Verify Your Domain
Let’s Encrypt requires proof that you control the domain before issuing an SSL certificate.
WP Encryption guides you through the domain verification process. Depending on your website configuration, you may be presented with verification instructions that require you to place verification information on your website or configure DNS.
Follow the verification instructions displayed by WP Encryption and complete the required verification.
Important: Make sure your domain resolves correctly to the server where the WordPress website is hosted. If the domain points somewhere else, domain validation can fail.
Step 5: Generate Your Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate
Once domain ownership has been successfully verified, continue with the SSL generation process.
WP Encryption communicates with the certificate authority and generates your SSL certificate. The plugin is specifically designed to simplify this process so that you don’t have to manually create a CSR and perform the traditional certificate-request workflow.
When successful, WP Encryption will display a certificate generation success message and provide the generated SSL certificate information.
Step 6: Download Your SSL Certificate and Private Key
In the free version of WP Encryption, the generated certificate can be downloaded and manually installed on your web server.
Download the certificate and private key files provided by WP Encryption and keep them secure.
Step 7: Install the SSL Certificate on Your Hosting Server
Generating an SSL certificate and installing it are two separate steps.
The certificate needs to be installed on the web server that handles HTTPS traffic for your domain. The exact procedure depends on your hosting provider and server control panel.
If your hosting provider uses cPanel, look for the SSL/TLS management section and use the option for installing or managing SSL certificates for your domain.
If you’re not sure how to install the certificate, contact your hosting provider and provide the generated certificate files. Your host can install the certificate on the appropriate virtual host or domain.
Step 8: Check Your Website Over HTTPS
After your hosting provider has installed the certificate, open your website using:
https://example.com
Replace example.com with your actual domain.
Your browser should now establish a secure HTTPS connection with the website.
You can also use WP Encryption’s SSL health and security features to check the status of your SSL configuration.
Step 9: Force WordPress to Use HTTPS
Installing the certificate does not necessarily mean that every HTTP request will automatically redirect to HTTPS. You should configure your website to use HTTPS consistently.
WP Encryption includes a Force HTTPS feature that can redirect visitors from HTTP to HTTPS after a valid SSL certificate has been installed.
Open the relevant HTTPS/Force HTTPS section in WP Encryption and enable the appropriate HTTPS redirect method.
WP Encryption recommends the htaccess method for server-level redirection in typical configurations and recommends the WordPress method when using services such as Cloudflare or other reverse proxies.
How to Fix WordPress Mixed Content After Installing SSL
One of the most common problems after switching to HTTPS is mixed content.
Mixed content occurs when your main website loads over HTTPS but some resources, such as images, JavaScript, CSS files, fonts, or external resources, are still requested using HTTP.
For example:
https://example.com
http://example.com/wp-content/uploads/image.jpgThe second URL is still using HTTP and can cause browser security warnings or prevent the secure padlock from appearing correctly.
WP Encryption includes tools for identifying insecure and mixed-content resources and also provides HTTPS enforcement functionality.
Fix WordPress URLs
Make sure your WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) use HTTPS.
Go to:
Settings → General
Check that your website URLs begin with:
https://Do not change these URLs before the SSL certificate is actually working, because doing so prematurely can make your WordPress dashboard inaccessible.
How to Check Whether Your Free SSL Is Working
After installing your Let’s Encrypt certificate, perform these checks:
- Open your website using
https://. - Check that your browser does not display a certificate warning.
- Open several pages of your website.
- Test your WordPress login page.
- Check images, CSS and JavaScript files.
- Verify that HTTP requests redirect to HTTPS if Force HTTPS is enabled.
- Run an SSL health/security check.
WP Encryption provides SSL health and security-related checks from within WordPress.
Does Let’s Encrypt SSL Cost Anything?
No. Let’s Encrypt provides free Domain Validation SSL certificates.
Using WP Encryption, you can generate the certificate from your WordPress dashboard without purchasing a traditional SSL certificate.
How Long Does a Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate Last?
Let’s Encrypt certificates have a limited validity period and need to be renewed regularly. Therefore, SSL renewal is an important part of maintaining HTTPS on your WordPress website.
WP Encryption provides an SSL renewal workflow. Its documentation states that the renewal option becomes available during the final 30 days before certificate expiration, allowing you to repeat the certificate-generation process.
The WP Encryption Pro version provides automatic certificate renewal functionality, while the free workflow requires manual involvement.
Can I Use Free SSL for a Business WordPress Website?
Yes. A Let’s Encrypt Domain Validation certificate can provide HTTPS encryption for business websites, blogs, WooCommerce sites, portfolios, and many other types of websites.
Keep in mind that a DV SSL certificate validates control of the domain. It does not serve as a comprehensive verification of the identity or legitimacy of the business operating the website.
Free SSL WordPress: Common Problems and Solutions
Domain verification fails
Check that your domain’s DNS records point to the correct server and that the website is publicly accessible. Also check whether a CDN, proxy, firewall, or security rule is interfering with the validation request.
SSL is installed but the website still shows HTTP
Installing the certificate does not automatically guarantee that every HTTP URL will redirect to HTTPS. Enable the appropriate Force HTTPS option after confirming that the certificate works correctly.
The padlock is missing
This can be caused by mixed content. Check whether images, scripts, stylesheets, fonts, or other resources are still being loaded over HTTP.
My website stopped working after enabling HTTPS
If HTTPS enforcement was enabled before the certificate was correctly installed, temporarily disable the HTTPS enforcement mechanism and verify the certificate installation first.
www and non-www are behaving differently
If you want your SSL certificate to cover both www.example.com and example.com, make sure both versions are accessible and correctly configured for domain verification. WP Encryption provides an option for generating SSL for both www and non-www when the domain configuration permits it.
Free SSL vs Paid SSL for WordPress
For most standard WordPress websites, the primary goal of SSL is to establish an encrypted HTTPS connection. A free Let’s Encrypt certificate can accomplish this without the cost of purchasing a traditional SSL certificate.
| Feature | Let’s Encrypt Free SSL | Paid SSL |
|---|---|---|
| HTTPS encryption | Yes | Yes |
| Domain validation | Yes | Yes |
| Certificate cost | Free | Paid |
| WordPress compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Manual renewal/management | May be required depending on setup | Depends on provider |
Why Use WP Encryption to Generate Free SSL?
Generating an SSL certificate manually can be intimidating if you’re not familiar with certificate requests, domain validation, private keys and server configuration.
WP Encryption brings the certificate-generation workflow into the WordPress dashboard and provides additional HTTPS and SSL security tools.
In addition to SSL generation, WP Encryption includes features for HTTPS redirection, SSL health checks, security headers and mixed-content detection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get free SSL for WordPress?
You can use a free Let’s Encrypt Domain Validation certificate. Install WP Encryption, open its SSL installation workflow, complete domain verification, generate the certificate and install it on your hosting server.
Is Let’s Encrypt SSL really free?
Yes. Let’s Encrypt provides free SSL/TLS certificates. You do not need to purchase a certificate simply to enable HTTPS on your WordPress website.
Can WP Encryption generate a Let’s Encrypt certificate?
Yes. WP Encryption is specifically designed to generate free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates from within WordPress.
Does WP Encryption automatically install the free SSL?
The free version requires manual SSL certificate installation on the hosting server. WP Encryption can generate the certificate and provide the certificate information for installation.
Can I force HTTP to HTTPS with WP Encryption?
Yes. WP Encryption includes a Force HTTPS feature that can redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS after a valid SSL certificate has been installed.
What if I already have an SSL certificate?
If your website already has a valid SSL certificate, you don’t need to generate another certificate. WP Encryption can also be used for HTTPS redirection, SSL enforcement and related security features.
Conclusion
Setting up free SSL for WordPress doesn’t have to be complicated. With Let’s Encrypt and the WP Encryption plugin, you can generate a free SSL certificate, verify your domain and secure your WordPress website with HTTPS.
The basic process is straightforward:
- Install and activate WP Encryption.
- Open the SSL installation section.
- Start the Let’s Encrypt certificate generation process.
- Complete domain verification.
- Generate your free SSL certificate.
- Download the certificate and private key.
- Install the certificate on your hosting server.
- Test your website using HTTPS.
- Enable Force HTTPS.
- Fix any remaining mixed-content issues.
Once completed, your WordPress website can serve pages securely over HTTPS without paying for a traditional SSL certificate.
Install WP Encryption and generate your free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate directly from your WordPress dashboard.