What is the cPanel AutoSSL feature?
cPanel AutoSSL is a feature of the cPanel web hosting control panel that automatically generates and installs SSL/TLS certificates for websites hosted on cPanel servers. SSL/TLS certificates are used to encrypt data transmitted between a website and its visitors and are an important component of website security.
With cPanel AutoSSL, website owners no longer need to manually request, purchase, and install SSL/TLS certificates for their domains. Instead, cPanel will automatically request and install free SSL/TLS certificates from trusted third-party Certificate Authorities (CAs) such as Let’s Encrypt.
cPanel AutoSSL ensures that websites hosted on cPanel servers are always secured with up-to-date SSL/TLS certificates and that website visitors can safely transmit sensitive data. AutoSSL also provides a convenient and hassle-free way for website owners to manage their website security, without requiring technical expertise or additional cost.
Wrong nameservers cPanel AutoSSL error
When you sign up for a hosting company that offers a free SSL certificate, it typically means that the SSL certificate is pre-installed on their server. As a result, in order for your website to load securely with HTTPS, it needs to be hosted on its server and use its nameservers.
This is because the SSL certificate is tied to the server’s IP address and domain name, which allows the web browser to verify the identity of the server and establish a secure connection. To illustrate, imagine a scenario where you have a website hosted on a different server and you try to use the SSL certificate provided by your hosting company. In this case, the SSL certificate won’t work because it’s not associated with the server where your website is hosted, and you’ll need to purchase and install a new SSL certificate for your domain on your current server.
To use the free SSL certificate offered by your hosting company, you need to follow a few steps. Firstly, you’ll need to request the nameservers from your hosting company. These nameservers are essentially the addresses that tell the internet where to find your website. Once you have the nameservers, you’ll need to log in to your domain registrar account. Your domain registrar is the company where you purchased your domain names, such as Virtono or 5cloudhost.
In your domain registrar account, you’ll need to look for the option to update your nameservers. This may be called “Manage DNS” or something similar. When you find the option to update your nameservers, you’ll need to enter the new nameservers provided by your hosting company. This will essentially redirect traffic for your domain to your hosting company’s servers, where the SSL certificate is installed.
After you’ve updated your nameservers, you’ll need to run the AutoSSL process again. This process will detect the new SSL certificate and install it on your website, allowing you to use HTTPS and secure your website’s traffic.
Self-signed certificate
In summary, a self-signed certificate is a type of digital certificate that is signed by the same entity that issued it, and not by a trusted third-party CA. While self-signed certificates are useful for internal testing or non-public purposes, they should not be used for public-facing websites or applications as they may not be trusted by web browsers and can lead to security warnings and vulnerabilities.
If your website is currently using a self-signed SSL certificate, it means that the certificate was issued and signed by your server, rather than by a trusted third-party Certificate Authority (CA). This may cause web browsers to display security warnings to your website visitors, as they may not recognize the self-signed certificate as trustworthy.
To resolve this issue, you will need to uninstall the existing self-signed SSL certificate from your server. This can typically be done through the cPanel interface of your hosting account. Once the self-signed certificate has been removed, you can then run the AutoSSL process again from the SSL/TLS Status section of cPanel.
The AutoSSL process will automatically generate a new SSL certificate for your website and install it on your server. This certificate will be signed by a trusted third-party CA, ensuring that it is recognized and trusted by web browsers. It’s important to note that the AutoSSL process may take some time to complete and that you may need to wait a few hours or days for the new certificate to be fully issued and propagated.
How to uninstall an SSL certificate
If you need to uninstall an SSL certificate for a specific domain, you can do so through the SSL/TLS Status section of your cPanel interface. First, navigate to the SSL/TLS Status section and locate the domain name for which you want to uninstall the certificate. Then, click on the “View Certificate” button next to the domain name.
This will open a new page that displays information about the SSL certificate for that domain. To uninstall the certificate, you will need to click on the “Uninstall” button. This will remove the SSL certificate from your server and revoke its status as a trusted certificate.
After you have uninstalled the SSL certificate, you will need to run the AutoSSL process again to generate a new SSL certificate for your domain. This process will automatically request and install a new SSL certificate for your domain, ensuring that your website is secure and recognized as trustworthy by web browsers.
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