Free SSL Certificate Plugin for WordPress

Auto-Install Free SSL

Complete Automation!

Let’s Encrypt™ SSL
Get WordPress website's free SSL renewed and installed in your sleep!
Single Site, 5-Sites, and Unlimited Sites License are available (annually and lifetime)

What our users say

Features of Premium Version

  1. Automatic Domain Ownership Verification
  2. Automatic Generation of Free SSL
  3. Automatic Installation of SSL Certificate
  4. Automatic SSL renewal
  5. Automatic Cron Job
  6. One-click activation of Force HTTPS
  7. One-click revert to HTTP (if required)
  8. One-to-one Premium Support
  9. We'll set up everything for non-cPanel websites if purchased without a discount.
  10. The plugin will send automatic email notifications after the auto-renewal of the SSL certificate.
  11. One installation works on all websites of a cPanel *
  12. Automatic Free WildCard SSL (covers all its sub-domains) *
  13. Automatically sets the DNS TXT record to verify domain ownership for generating WildCard SSL (supported DNS service providers are cPanel, Godaddy, Namecheap, and Cloudflare). *
  14. Multisite Support *
  15. Option to revoke the SSL cert and change the Let's Encrypt™ account key if needed. *


* Unlimited Sites license required.

Minimum System Requirements

  1. Linux or Windows hosting (windows is now supported)
  2. WordPress 4.1
  3. PHP 5.6
  4. OpenSSL extension
  5. Curl extension
  6. PHP directive allow_url_fopen = On
  7. cPanel: If your cPanel has the SSL installation feature enabled, the plugin installs SSL certificates automatically. Otherwise, we’ll set up automation with a Bash script (if you have VPS root access) or Cloudflare CDN if purchased without a discount.
  8. Your website must be linked to an internet-accessible domain name like example.com.
  9. Your web server should be able to serve static files, which is the default functionality of any web server.

 

This plugin needs access to cPanel API to auto-install the free SSL certificates. It saves the cPanel password/API secret in your WordPress database with open SSL encryption.

But suppose your web hosting control panel is anything other than cPanel. We’ll set up automation with a Bash script or Cloudflare CDN in that case if purchased without a discount.

Are you not sure whether you have cPanel? Here’s how to check.

FREE vs PREMIUM

WordPress plugin 'Auto-Install Free SSL'

FREE PRO
Single Site
PRO
Five Sites
PRO
Unlimited Sites
Domain Verification
Manual
Automatic
Automatic
Automatic
Generate SSL
Manual
Automatic
Automatic
Automatic
SSL Installation
Manual
Automatic

100% automated for websites with cPanel. Our team will implement the one-time setup for non-cPanel websites.
SSL Renewal [?]
Manual [?]
Automatic
Automatic
Automatic
Cron Job
No
Automatic [?]
Time Required to Set Up
20+ Min (per 60 days)
1 Min (once)
1 Min (once)
1 Min (once) [?]
Wildcard SSL
No
No
No
Yes [?]
Multisite Support
No
No
No
Yes
SSL Expiration Chance
High [?]
No
No
No
One installation works on all sites of a cPanel
No
No
No
Yes
Support
Forum
E-mail / Chat
One-time setup help if website has no cPanel
No
1 website
5 websites
10 websites
Price
Yearly
$0.0
$26.99
$58.99
$178.99
Lifetime
$0.0
$44.99
$118.99
$258.99

Documentation

for Premium Version

Video tutorial

Single Domain mode (default)
Multi-Domain mode for unlimited site license

Contact Us

For assistance, please feel free to drop us a message.

Determining if Your Website Utilizes cPanel

The premium edition of this plugin relies on cPanel’s API for the automated installation of your generated free SSL certificate. To verify if your website’s control panel is cPanel, you can take the following steps:
  1. Browser Check: Append ‘/cpanel‘ or ‘:2083‘ to your website’s URL. For instance, if your domain is ‘yourdomain.com‘, type either ‘http://yourdomain.com/cpanel‘ or ‘https://yourdomain.com:2083‘ into your web browser’s address bar and press ‘Enter’.
    • Successful Redirect: If you land on the cPanel login page, as illustrated in the screenshots below, your website runs on cPanel.
    • 404 Error: If a ‘404 Not Found’ message appears, this implies that your website is not running on cPanel. In such scenarios, the premium version will automate all other tasks except the SSL certificate’s automatic installation. You can install the generated SSL certificate manually.
  2. Contact Hosting Provider: If you still need clarification, contact your hosting provider for confirmation. They can definitively tell you whether your website operates on cPanel.
Redirecting to the cPanel login page
Redirecting to the cPanel login page
Default cPanel login page appearance. Note that some hosting providers may modify this look.
Default cPanel login page appearance. Note that some hosting providers may modify this look.

Download and install the plugin

Downloading the Plugin

  1. After purchasing the premium version of ‘Auto-Install Free SSL’, you will receive an email containing your download link and license key.
  2. If you opted for an upgrade through the free plugin interface, the download link will also be available on the main page of the free plugin.
  3. If you encounter download issues, click here to contact us.

Installation Steps

  1. Login: Access the admin dashboard of your WordPress website.
  2. Deactivate Free Version: If you’ve previously installed the free version, navigate to ‘Plugins > Installed Plugins’ and deactivate ‘Auto-Install Free SSL’.
  3. Add New Plugin: From the admin menu, go to ‘Plugins > Add New’.
  4. Upload: Click the ‘Upload Plugin’ button, select the downloaded premium plugin archive, then click ‘Install Now’.
  5. Activate: Click the ‘Activate Plugin’ button after installation.
  6. License Activation: Enter your license key in the subsequent window and click ‘Activate License’.

Configuration

Single Domain Mode (Default Setting)

With cPanel Hosting

  1. After activating the license, you’ll either be auto-redirected to the ‘cPanel Settings’ page or find it in the plugin’s main page or left-hand menu bar.
  2. Enter your cPanel username and either an API Token or Password. (See our video tutorial on that page for creating API tokens).
  3. Click ‘Generate & Install SSL with a Single Click’. The plugin will automatically manage domain verification and SSL installation for you.

Without cPanel Hosting

  1. Post-license activation, you’ll be directed to a page where you can agree to the Let’s Encrypt™ Subscriber Agreement.
  2. The plugin will handle domain verification and SSL certificate issuance automatically.
  3. To install the SSL certificate, navigate to ‘Auto-Install Free SSL’ in the left-hand menu, download the SSL files, and manually install them via your hosting control panel. Bash script setup is also available for automatic SSL installation (if you have VPS root access); contact us for one-time setup assistance.

 

Note: Auto-renewal of SSL certificates occurs 30 days before expiry; manual SSL installation is required if you don’t have cPanel or VPS root access.

The plugin will send automatic email notifications after the auto-renewal.

Multi-domain Mode (for Unlimited Site License, Optional)

If you need SSL certificates for all websites hosted on the same cPanel from a single plugin installation, please activate Multi-domain Mode.

  1. Navigate to ‘Single/Multi-Domain’ from the left-hand menu.
  2. Select your preferred option and click ‘Save Changes’. Now, you get more options on the plugin’s main page and menu bar.
  3. Complete the ‘Basic Settings’ and ‘cPanel Settings’.
  4. Either wait for the cron job to execute or click ‘Issue and install Free SSL certificate’.
More options on the plugin’s main page for multi-domain mode

Wildcard SSL

  1. Activation: Go to ‘Basic Settings’ and toggle ‘Use wildcard SSL for sub-domains?’ to ‘Yes’.
  2. DNS Configuration: Additional DNS TXT records are necessary. This may require manual settings if your DNS provider isn’t among the supported list (cPanel, Godaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare).

 

If you need to know what a DNS TXT record is, please don’t activate Wildcard SSL.

Note: The wildcard SSL certificate will be generated only if you have at least one subdomain. Automated issuance is available only through cron jobs; the manual button will be disabled.

If you activate wildcard SSL, you get the following option on the plugin’s main page:

If you click this button, you get the following window:
If you click the ‘Add New DNS Service Provider’ button, you get the following page:

We hope this guide aids in your plugin setup. For any further queries, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Verifying SSL Installation with Google Chrome

You can perform a straightforward verification using Google Chrome to ensure your SSL certificate is correctly installed.
  1. Access Your Site: Open Google Chrome and navigate to your website, ensuring to start the URL with the “https://”.
  2. Check for Padlock Icon: Look to the left of the URL in the address bar for a padlock symbol, which signifies a secure connection.

Note on Mixed Content: If the padlock symbol is missing or displays a warning, it’s likely due to mixed content issues—where secure and non-secure resources are being loaded. In such cases, please go to the ‘Force HTTPS’ menu and activate it. This step will resolve the mixed content issues and display the padlock correctly.

Inspect Certificate: For a deeper dive, click the padlock icon (if visible) and then ‘Connection is secure’ and ‘Certificate is valid’ to see your SSL certificate’s details. Please verify that the issuing authority matches R3 or Let’s Encrypt and that the certificate is within its validity period.

You can do the same verification with any other web browser, too.

If all these criteria are met, your SSL certificate is successfully installed. Please get in touch with us for support if you find any inconsistencies or experience issues.

What to do next?

Activate Force HTTPS : Get the Padlock with Single Click

Once the plugin installs a free SSL certificate for your website, login to your WordPress backend. Go to the dashboard of ‘Auto-Install Free SSL’ and click the ‘Activate Force HTTPS’ button. Doing this is necessary to get the padlock in the address bar of browsers when users access your website. You need to do this for the first time only.

If your cPanel doesn’t have an SSL installation feature turned on, please click ‘Activate Force HTTPS’ button only if you are sure that an SSL certificate has been installed on your WordPress website.

To remove the mixed content warning and see a padlock in the browser’s address bar, you need to click this button only once. This will activate force SSL and all your website resources will load over HTTPS.

Clicking this button will immediately force your website to load over HTTPS and may prompt you to login again.

WARNING: If the SSL certificate has not been installed properly, clicking that button may cause issues accessing the website. So, please access your website over https:// beforehand. If you see your website is loading with a mixed content warning and no padlock, but you see HTTPS in the address bar, that’s okay for now. Please go ahead and click the ‘Activate Force HTTPS’ button.

If you face issues after clicking that button, please Revert to HTTP. Please don’t worry, as soon as you click the button, the plugin will send you an automated email with a link. If you need to revert to HTTP, simply click that link. If you don’t find that email in your inbox, please don’t forget to check your spam folder.

Please find more options for Revert to HTTP below.

Deactivate Force HTTPS and Revert to HTTP

OPTION 1: As soon as you click the ‘Activate Force HTTPS’ button, the plugin will send you an automated email. If you need to revert to HTTP, click the link.

Please remember to check the SPAM folder if you haven’t received the email.

OPTION 2: But if you lost the email, please change the value of 3 options in the database. It’s straightforward. Do the following steps:

  1. Please login to your web hosting control panel or cPanel.
  2. Click on ‘phpMyAdmin’. You can use the search option of cPanel to find it easily. phpMyAdmin will open in a new window.
  3. In the left sidebar, you’ll see the databases. Click on the database on which your WordPress website is being run.
  4. You see the tables of that database. Click ‘wp_options’ table. If you didn’t change the WordPress database table prefix, it’s ‘wp_options’. Otherwise, it will start with the prefix you defined, instead of ‘wp_’.
  5. Find option_name ‘siteurl’ and ‘home’ (saved at the beginning of the table). Make change option_value of these and replace https:// with http://
  6. Click the search option.
  7. Type ‘aifs_force_ssl’ (without quote) in the ‘option_name’ field and click ‘Go’ button.
  8. Now you see the search result. The ‘option_value’ is 1.
  9. Double click on 1. A field will open on it to edit the value. Delete 1 and write 0 (zero).
  10. Hit the Enter key. The ‘option_value’ is now successfully changed to 0.

You are done! You’ll now be able to access your website over HTTP.

Credits

  1. Let’s Encrypt™
  2. I have developed this plugin based on the PHP client/app FreeSSL.tech Auto, which I developed with a massive rewrite of Lescript.
  3. cPanel


Let’s Encrypt™ is a trademark of the Internet Security Research Group. All rights reserved.

Support

Need us for any help? Please write your issue in the comment section below.