How to install free SSL from sslforfree.com?

What is Free SSL?

Cybersecurity organizations offer SSL certificates to increase website security. This certificate is both safe for the website and the visitors to the web. SSL is an abbreviation from the English phrase Secure Sockets Layer. This is a globally used security certificate standard for browsers.

Let's Encrypt introduced free SSL certificates quite a while ago. It makes it possible for website domain owners to provide a completely free encrypted HTTPS connection to website visitors.

To install a free SSL certificate, follow the steps below:

Step 1 – Register an account at sslforfree.com

Visit website sslforfree.com import Your website URL and press Create Free SSL Certificate:

Then sign up for a new account.

Step 2 – Generate a Free SSL Certificate

Double check your domain name and click next:

Choose 90-Day Certificate (1-year paid option) and choose the Free plan in the last step. When the certificate is successfully generated, you will receive the following message:

Note : The free plan only offers 3 90-day certificates. To avoid having to renew every 3 months for free, you can activate SSL at Hostinger, just pay once and we will help you to auto-renew forever.

Step 3 – Verify Domain Ownership

There are 3 options for how you can verify your domain ownership – we strongly recommend using the HTTP File Upload as this is the fastest method.

For this method, download the required file, then open Hosting → Manage → File Manager of the domain name.

In public_html, create a directory .well-known(don't leave the dot at the beginning) and another directory pki-validationin there:

Upload the file you downloaded earlier with drag and drop or the . button Upload Files:

Your results will look like this:

The most important thing – now click on the link, provided in the instructions:

You should be able to open the file using this address – now click next.

Then open hPanel, Hosting → Manage → DNS Zone Editor and insert sectigo in the search field. The record we need is a CAA record with the values:

If you don't see such a record – create it:

Wait a few minutes and return to the certificate validation page. Click Verify.

Step 4 – Download Free SSL and Install SSL Certificate

Choose the default type and download your certificate archive:

You will see 3 files there:

private.key;

certificate.crt;

ca_bundle.crt.

Let's open the above 3 files with the default Windows file editor application Notepad. To prepare to copy their contents.

Open Hosting → Manage → SSL:

Then press the button Import SSLchoose Domain you need to install SSL certificate and add value to keys:

Instructions for installing an SSL certificate manually are simple as follows:

In the Certificate (CRT)* section, copy the contents of the certificate.crt file into

In the Private Key (Key)* section, copy the content from private.key to

In the Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE) section, copy the contents of the ca_bundle.crt file into

When this SSL certificate Expires after 3 months you will need to repeat the certificate creation and installation every 3 months

Epilogue

The SSL protocol has become an almost mandatory protocol when browsing websites. If you don't have the funds to buy SSL, don't worry. You can install SSL for free and still get the benefits of an SSL certificate. That is, your website will be on HTTPS:// and have a secure padlock on the browser.

If you find this free SSL installation tutorial short, let us know in the comments. And if you have problems installing, let me know too.

Huy Do. is an expert in managing and operating Website services. He has many years of experience in Hosting, Domain, Technical, CMS. His hobbies are technology, reading, traveling and mentoring young people to start a business.