How to Add an SSL Certificate to WordPress

An SSL certificate encrypts data between your site and your visitors, shows a padlock in the browser, and is now required for search engine trust. dotCanada includes a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on all hosting plans, and it can be activated directly from cPanel.

Step 1: Activate SSL in cPanel

1. Log in to your cPanel account at your domain followed by /cpanel.
2. Under the Security section, click SSL/TLS Status.
3. Find your domain in the list and click Run AutoSSL if the certificate has not already been issued. Most dotCanada accounts have AutoSSL enabled automatically.

Step 2: Update WordPress URLs

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > General.
2. Update both WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) from http:// to https://.
3. Click Save Changes. WordPress will log you out — log back in using the https:// URL.

Step 3: Force HTTPS

After updating your URLs, redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS. You can do this by adding redirect rules to your .htaccess file or by using a plugin such as Really Simple SSL, which handles the redirect automatically.

If your SSL certificate is not issuing correctly or your site shows a mixed-content warning, contact our support team and we will sort it out.