SSL Certificates and HTTPS on Your Website

Yes. Every Ultra Web Hosting account includes free SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt, automatically installed and renewed for all your domains. You don't need to purchase, install, or configure anything. This guide covers how AutoSSL works, how to verify your SSL is active, and what to do if it's not.

01. Free SSL via AutoSSL

AutoSSL is a cPanel feature that automatically requests, installs, and renews Let's Encrypt SSL certificates for every domain on your account. It runs periodically and checks all your domains. New domains typically get a certificate within a few hours of being added to your account.

AutoSSL covers:

• Your primary domain (yourdomain.com)
• The www version (www.yourdomain.com)
• All addon domains
• All subdomains created in cPanel
• Webmail, cPanel, and other service subdomains

02. Check Your SSL Status

1. In cPanel - go to SSL/TLS Status. Green lock icons mean the certificate is active. Yellow or red means pending or failed
2. In your browser - visit your site with https:// and click the padlock icon in the address bar. It shows certificate details including issuer (Let's Encrypt) and expiration date
3. Online checker - use SSL Labs for a detailed report

03. SSL Not Working?

If your domain doesn't have an SSL certificate or shows as insecure:

Run AutoSSL Manually

In cPanel > SSL/TLS Status, click "Run AutoSSL." This triggers an immediate certificate request instead of waiting for the next automatic run.

Common Reasons AutoSSL Fails

• DNS not pointed to your server - AutoSSL needs to verify domain ownership by connecting to your server. If DNS doesn't point to Ultra yet, it can't verify. Wait for DNS propagation
• Domain expired - an expired domain can't be verified
• .htaccess redirects interfering - if .htaccess redirects the AutoSSL validation URL, verification fails. Temporarily rename .htaccess and run AutoSSL again
• Rate limiting - Let's Encrypt has rate limits. If too many certificates were issued recently for the same domain, you may need to wait. This is rare for most users

04. Forcing HTTPS

Once your SSL certificate is active, you should force all traffic to use HTTPS. In cPanel > Domains, find your domain and toggle "Force HTTPS Redirect" to ON.

If your site shows mixed content warnings after enabling HTTPS, see our Mixed Content Guide.

For WordPress sites, also update your Site URL and Home URL in Settings > General to use https://.

Quick Recap

1. SSL is free and automatic - Let's Encrypt via AutoSSL, no action needed
2. Check SSL/TLS Status in cPanel - green lock = active
3. Click "Run AutoSSL" - if your certificate is missing
4. DNS must point to Ultra first - AutoSSL needs to verify domain ownership
5. Force HTTPS - toggle it on in cPanel > Domains

Last updated March 2026 · Browse all SSL articles · See also: Mixed Content Fix