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Security + SSL Help

How to install or fix a free SSL certificate in cPanel.

Hostmate normally installs and renews free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates automatically. If a domain was only recently added, or its DNS was not yet pointing to Hostmate when AutoSSL checked it, you may need to wait for DNS and then issue the certificate again from cPanel.

Free Let’s Encrypt SSL AutoSSL cPanel DNS first Automatic renewal
1

Start Here

Give AutoSSL a chance to install it automatically.

When you add a domain to cPanel, Hostmate's AutoSSL system normally issues a free Let’s Encrypt certificate automatically. In many cases there is nothing else you need to do.

If the domain was added before its DNS was pointing to Hostmate, the first certificate check may fail. Once the DNS is correct, the next AutoSSL check can issue the certificate.

New domain or recent DNS change?

Wait until the domain is resolving to the Hostmate server before trying to force the SSL installation. Certificate validation depends on the domain being reachable at the correct hosting account.

2

Check the Domain

Make sure the domain points to Hostmate.

Before troubleshooting the certificate itself, confirm that the website domain is using the correct Hostmate DNS or that its A records point to the Hostmate server.

  • Main domain — should resolve to the Hostmate hosting server.
  • www version — should also resolve correctly if you want it included in the certificate.
  • Recently changed DNS — allow time for the new records to propagate.
  • External DNS provider — make sure the records there point to the Hostmate hosting service.
3

cPanel

Open SSL/TLS Certificates.

Log in to cPanel and open Security → SSL/TLS Certificates. This is the main cPanel area for checking SSL certificate status and managing certificates.

Depending on the cPanel layout, you may also see a separate SSL/TLS Status option. Both interfaces show the certificate status for domains on the account.

Active The domain already has a valid certificate installed.
Unsecured / AutoSSL problem Check the domain's DNS and AutoSSL status before trying again.
4

Let’s Encrypt

Use the SSL wizard to issue the free certificate.

Inside SSL/TLS Certificates, open the Wizard and choose the Let’s Encrypt option for the domain you want to secure.

Select the domain names that should be covered, then continue through the wizard to issue and install the certificate.

If you see SSL/TLS Status instead

Make sure the domain is included in AutoSSL rather than excluded. If cPanel shows a Run AutoSSL action in that interface, you can use it after the DNS is resolving correctly.

5

Confirm

Check that the certificate is active.

Return to the SSL certificate status screen and confirm that the domain is now shown as protected by an active certificate.

Then open the website using https://. The browser should load the site over HTTPS without an invalid-certificate warning.

The certificate is installed, but the site still uses HTTP?

An SSL certificate enables HTTPS, but the website may still need to redirect visitors from HTTP to HTTPS. In cPanel you can review the domain under Domains and enable Force HTTPS Redirect where appropriate.

6

Common Problems

If Let’s Encrypt still will not install.

  • DNS still points elsewhere — the domain must resolve to the correct Hostmate hosting account before validation can succeed.
  • DNS has only just changed — allow propagation time, then try again.
  • Domain excluded from AutoSSL — include it again in the SSL/TLS Status interface.
  • www does not resolve — correct its DNS if you want the www hostname included.
  • CAA records — restrictive CAA records can prevent Let’s Encrypt from issuing a certificate unless Let’s Encrypt is permitted.

If you are unsure which DNS record is wrong, Hostmate support can check the domain and certificate status for you.

7

After Installation

Renewal is automatic.

Once the Let’s Encrypt certificate is installed and the domain remains correctly configured, cPanel's AutoSSL system handles renewal automatically. You should not need to manually renew the free certificate each time it approaches expiry.

Install AutoSSL normally issues the certificate automatically after the domain resolves correctly. No separate SSL charge
Renew AutoSSL renews eligible Let’s Encrypt certificates automatically. No yearly manual renewal

Still Not Working?

We can check the SSL and DNS for you.

If the domain is pointing to Hostmate but the certificate still will not issue, open a support ticket and include the affected domain name.

Open a Support Ticket

This guide follows the current cPanel SSL/TLS Certificates and AutoSSL workflow. cPanel SSL/TLS Certificates documentation and cPanel SSL/TLS Status documentation.