Guide to Setting Up and Managing SSL Certificates

Setting up an SSL certificate secures your website and encrypts visitors' data. Here’s a step-by-step guide on purchasing, setting up, and troubleshooting your SSL certificate in the client area and cPanel.

Managing SSL Certificates in the Client Portal

To start securing your website with an SSL certificate, access the SSL management section in your client portal:

1. Log into the Client Portal and navigate to the "Website & Security" section.
2. In this section, locate and click on "SSL Certificates" to view your available SSL options.
3. From here, you can select the type of SSL certification that best suits your needs:
   • Standard SSL (DV) for basic encryption.
   • Organization Validation (OV) for enhanced trust and verification of your company.
   • Extended Validation (EV) for maximum validation and a green address bar.
4. Once selected, follow the on-screen prompts to complete the purchase or setup of your SSL certificate.

To check your SSL certificate details later:

1. Go to the "Website & Security" section in your account dashboard.
2. Select "Manage SSL Certificates" from the available options to view the certificate details.
   
   

Setting Up SSL Certificates in cPanel

Step 1: Accessing cPanel from Your Valla Hub Dashboard

Step 2: Setting Up SSL in cPanel

Once you're in cPanel, follow these steps:

1. Locate the SSL/TLS Section

• In the cPanel dashboard, scroll to the Security section.

• Click on SSL/TLS.

2. Install an SSL Certificate

• Select Manage SSL sites under the "Install and Manage SSL For Your Site" section.

• Click on Browse Certificates to pick a certificate from the available options, or paste your certificate details (CRT, private key, and CA bundle) if you are using an external SSL certificate.

• Click Install Certificate.

3. Using AutoSSL

• Valla Hub hosting plan includes AutoSSL, which will automatically issue a free SSL certificate for your domain. To check this, navigate to the SSL/TLS Status section in cPanel.

• If your domain is not secured yet, click Run AutoSSL to start the installation.

Step 3: Verifying SSL Installation

After installation, verify if your SSL certificate is working correctly by:

• Visiting your website with "https://" in the URL to see if the SSL padlock appears in the browser’s address bar.

• You can also use third-party tools like SSL Labs to check for any SSL issues or vulnerabilities.

Troubleshooting Common SSL Issues

Even after following the setup steps, you might face some issues. Here’s how to fix them:


1. Domain Not Secured or No SSL Padlock

• Possible Cause:

  The SSL certificate wasn’t properly installed, or AutoSSL didn’t run.

• Solution:
  Go to the SSL/TLS section and manually run AutoSSL.

  Make sure your certificate is installed for the correct domain, including any subdomains like "www.
  
  

2. Self-Signed Certificate Warning

• Possible Cause:

  Your SSL certificate is self-signed, which browsers do not trust by default.

• Solution:
  Purchase an SSL certificate from a trusted authority or request AutoSSL to generate a valid one if it's included with your hosting.
  
  

3. Mixed Content Warnings

• Possible Cause:

  Your site is loading both secure (HTTPS) and non-secure (HTTP) content.

• Solution:
  Use a tool like Why No Padlock to identify non-secure content.

  Update your site's internal links, images, scripts, and stylesheets to use "https://" instead of "http://".
  
  

4. DNS Propagation Delays

• Possible Cause:

  The DNS settings for your domain haven't fully propagated, leading to issues with SSL installation.

• Solution:
  Wait up to 24-48 hours for DNS changes to fully propagate. During this time, you can use DNS Checker to monitor the progress.
  
  

5. Certificate Expired

• Possible Cause:

  Your SSL certificate has expired.

• Solution:
  Go to the SSL/TLS section in cPanel and renew the certificate manually or check AutoSSL to ensure automatic renewals are enabled.
  
  

6. Certificate Name Mismatch

• Possible Cause:

  The SSL certificate is not installed for the correct domain name.

• Solution:
  Double-check the domain listed in the certificate details. If it’s wrong, reinstall the certificate for the correct domain.
  
  

7. Private Key Missing

• Possible Cause:

  The SSL installation is incomplete without the private key.

• Solution:
  Ensure the private key is uploaded along with the certificate files during the installation process.

By following these steps and troubleshooting tips, you can easily set up and manage your SSL certificate in Valla Hub’s cPanel. If you continue to face issues, feel free to reach out to Valla Hub Support for assistance.