How to Install a Free Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate on cPanel and Plesk

SSL is no longer an optional extra for modern websites. Browsers label non-HTTPS sites as “Not Secure”, search engines give preference to encrypted pages, and users are far less likely to trust a site without the padlock icon. The good news is that you don’t need to pay for a basic SSL certificate anymore. With Let’s Encrypt, you can secure your domain for free in just a few minutes, even if you’re not a full‑time system administrator. In this guide, I’ll walk you step by step through installing a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on both cPanel and Plesk. We’ll cover prerequisites, exact clicks and settings, how to force HTTPS, and how to handle common errors. I’ll also share some practical notes from real hosting and data center environments, including how providers like DCHost typically automate renewals so you don’t wake up to expired certificates.

What Is Let’s Encrypt and Why Use It?

Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority (CA) that issues domain validated (DV) SSL/TLS certificates. In practice, that means it proves you control a domain and then gives you a certificate you can use to enable HTTPS.

For most websites, especially blogs, corporate sites, landing pages, and small e‑commerce projects, a DV certificate is more than enough. If you’re not sure about the differences between DV, OV and EV, you can read a detailed breakdown in what an SSL certificate is and how to choose between DV, OV and EV.

Key reasons I recommend Let’s Encrypt in day‑to‑day hosting and devops work:

It’s free: No recurring SSL cost, which is ideal if you manage many domains.
Automated: On platforms like cPanel and Plesk, issuing and renewing is usually a matter of a few clicks or fully automatic.
Secure and trusted: Modern browsers trust Let’s Encrypt like any other major CA.
SEO and performance friendly: HTTPS is a ranking signal and enables modern protocols like HTTP/2 and HTTP/3.

If you’re comparing free options to commercial certificates, I recommend also checking Let’s Encrypt vs paid SSL certificates and which you really need for different use cases.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before Installing Let’s Encrypt

Before you click anything in cPanel or Plesk, make sure a few fundamentals are in place. Most of the “Let’s Encrypt doesn’t work” tickets I’ve seen over the years come down to one of these points:

1. A Working Domain Name Pointing to Your Server

Your domain must already resolve to the server where cPanel or Plesk is hosted. Let’s Encrypt validates ownership using HTTP (or sometimes DNS). If DNS is wrong or still propagating, the validation will fail.

Ensure you have a valid A (or AAAA for IPv6) record pointing to your server’s IP.
Check both example.com and www.example.com if you plan to secure both.

If you’re not comfortable with DNS, have a look at this guide on managing A, CNAME, MX, TXT and other DNS records. Correct DNS is the foundation of a smooth SSL setup.

2. Hosting with cPanel or Plesk and Let’s Encrypt Support

This article focuses on control panel setups, not manual command‑line installation. You need:

A hosting account or server with cPanel or Plesk access.
Let’s Encrypt or AutoSSL enabled by your provider or server admin.

Modern hosting providers, including platforms like DCHost, typically enable Let’s Encrypt by default on shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers because it reduces support overhead and improves security for everyone.

3. Basic Hosting Access Details

cPanel or Plesk URL (often found in your hosting welcome email).
Username and password (or SSO from your client area).

With these prerequisites ready, we can go straight into the installation steps.

Step-by-Step: Install a Free Let’s Encrypt SSL on cPanel

The exact menu names can vary slightly depending on your hosting provider’s theme or cPanel version, but the workflow is the same. Below I’ll cover the two most common approaches: via AutoSSL and via a dedicated Let’s Encrypt plugin.

1. Log in to cPanel

Open your cPanel URL (something like https://yourdomain.com:2083 or a /cpanel shortcut) and log in with your credentials. If you’re using a provider like DCHost, you can usually access cPanel directly from the customer panel with a single click.

2. Check That Your Domain Is Added and Resolving

In cPanel, go to Domains → Domains (or “Addon Domains” / “Subdomains” depending on your version). Confirm that the domain you want to secure:

Is listed and assigned to the correct document root.
Loads your site over HTTP (http://) when you open it in a browser.

If the site doesn’t load over HTTP, Let’s Encrypt validation will also fail over HTTPS, so fix that first.

3. Option A: Use AutoSSL (Most Common on Modern cPanel)

Most cPanel servers now use AutoSSL to automatically issue and renew free certificates, often via Let’s Encrypt.

In cPanel, go to Security → SSL/TLS Status.
Find your domain and subdomains (like www).
Select the ones you want to secure.
Click Run AutoSSL (or a similar button like “Include Domains During AutoSSL”).

cPanel will contact Let’s Encrypt, validate domain control and install the certificate automatically. This usually takes less than a minute per domain.

4. Option B: Use a Dedicated “Let’s Encrypt” Plugin in cPanel

Some hosting companies install a separate “Let’s Encrypt SSL” icon instead of exposing AutoSSL directly. The steps are similar:

In cPanel, locate and click the Let’s Encrypt SSL icon.
Select your domain from the list.
Choose which subdomains to include (www, mail, etc.).
Click Issue or Install.

The plugin will request and install the certificate for the selected domain(s). Behind the scenes, it still uses Let’s Encrypt’s ACME protocol.

5. Force HTTPS for Your Website in cPanel

Having a certificate is only half the job. You should redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS to avoid mixed content and SEO issues.

On newer cPanel versions:

Go to Domains → Domains.
Find your domain and toggle Force HTTPS Redirect to On.

cPanel will handle the redirect configuration in the background. If you’re on an older version, you might instead add a rule to your .htaccess file:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

If you’re migrating an existing site, I strongly suggest following an SEO‑safe approach. You can use this HTTP to HTTPS migration guide and the complementary HTTPS migration checklist to avoid common ranking and redirect pitfalls.

6. Verify the SSL Installation

Open your site at https://yourdomain.com. Check:

The browser shows a padlock and no security warnings.
The certificate issuer is “Let’s Encrypt”.
No mixed content warnings in the browser console.

If everything looks good, your cPanel site is now secured with a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate.

Step-by-Step: Install a Free Let’s Encrypt SSL on Plesk

Plesk has very tight integration with Let’s Encrypt via a built‑in extension, so in practice the process is even more straightforward than many custom setups.

1. Log in to Plesk

Open your Plesk URL (typically https://server-ip:8443 or a hostname provided by your hosting company) and sign in.

2. Select Your Subscription and Domain

From the left menu, click Websites & Domains. Choose the subscription that contains the domain you want to secure.

Under that subscription, locate the relevant domain. You should see several tools related to hosting, DNS, SSL/TLS Certificates and Let’s Encrypt.

3. Open the Let’s Encrypt Extension

Depending on your Plesk version, you will see either:

A Let’s Encrypt button directly next to the domain, or
Go to Hosting & DNS → SSL/TLS Certificates and then click Let’s Encrypt.

4. Configure Certificate Options

In the Let’s Encrypt window, you can usually choose:

Email address for important notifications.
Whether to secure the “www” subdomain along with the main domain.
Whether to secure mail on this domain (useful if you access mail via SSL).

Fill in the email, select the checks you need (I usually secure both www and mail if they point to the same server), and click Get it free or Install.

5. Wait for Validation and Installation

Plesk will automatically:

Create the necessary HTTP validation files.
Request the certificate from Let’s Encrypt.
Install it for the domain and, if chosen, for mail services.

Once complete, you’ll see the certificate listed under SSL/TLS Certificates for that domain.

6. Force HTTPS in Plesk

To redirect all traffic to HTTPS:

Go to Websites & Domains → select your domain.
Click Hosting Settings.
Enable Permanent SEO-safe 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS.
Click OK or Apply.

Plesk will update the virtual host configuration to ensure all visitors land on HTTPS automatically.

7. Test the Site over HTTPS

Open https://yourdomain.com in a browser. Confirm that:

The padlock is present and the issuer is Let’s Encrypt.
No mixed content errors appear (especially important for older sites with hard‑coded HTTP URLs).

If you’re running a CMS like WordPress, you might combine this with your performance tuning, such as enabling HTTP/2 or HTTP/3. For a deeper dive into that area, you can read how HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 work and how to enable them on your hosting server.

Common Let’s Encrypt Errors and How to Fix Them

Even with user‑friendly panels like cPanel and Plesk, a few recurring issues show up in real environments. Here are the ones I see most often and how to address them.

1. “DNS Problem: NXDOMAIN” or Domain Not Found

This usually means the domain or subdomain doesn’t resolve properly. Fixes:

Verify A/AAAA records for the domain in your DNS zone.
Ensure no typos (e.g., exmaple.com instead of example.com).
Wait for DNS propagation if you just changed records (can take a few hours).

2. HTTP-01 Validation Fails

Let’s Encrypt uses the HTTP-01 challenge by placing a token file under /.well-known/acme-challenge/. If your web server or application blocks access to that path, validation will fail.

Ensure no redirect loops (for example, forced HTTPS before the certificate is installed can cause problems in rare edge cases).
Disable overly aggressive security plugins or web application firewalls during issuance if necessary.
Confirm that the domain points to the same server where cPanel or Plesk is trying to create the challenge file.

3. Mixed Content Warnings after Enabling HTTPS

After installing SSL and forcing HTTPS, some pages may still load images, scripts or CSS over HTTP. Browsers then show a warning or remove the padlock.

Update your site’s configuration (WordPress URL settings, CMS base URL, etc.) to use HTTPS.
Search and replace old http:// links in your database or templates.
Use browser developer tools to identify which resources are still loaded over HTTP.

For live sites, it’s a good idea to combine this cleanup with a structured migration plan like the one described in the HTTP’den HTTPS’ye geçiş rehberi (Turkish), which you can follow conceptually even if your site language is different.

4. Rate Limits or Too Many Requests

If you repeatedly request and fail to install certificates, you can hit Let’s Encrypt’s rate limits. In hosting environments this is rare, but on misconfigured servers it happens.

Fix the root cause (usually DNS or validation path issues) before retrying.
Wait a bit before subsequent attempts if you suspect a rate limit.

Automatic Renewal and Best Practices

Let’s Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days. That short lifetime is by design: it encourages automation and reduces the risk if a key is compromised. On properly configured cPanel and Plesk servers, you shouldn’t have to touch renewals manually, but there are a few best practices you should still follow.

1. Confirm Auto-Renew Is Enabled

On cPanel with AutoSSL, renewals run via a system cron job. As long as your hosting provider hasn’t disabled it and your domain still resolves correctly, certificates will renew automatically about 30 days before expiration.

On Plesk, the Let’s Encrypt extension also handles renewals automatically. You can usually see the last and next renewal dates in the SSL/TLS interface for your domain.

2. Monitor Expiry Dates

Even with automation, I like to keep an eye on certificate expiry, especially on critical projects:

Use uptime monitoring tools with SSL expiry alerts.
Pay attention to emails from Let’s Encrypt warning about upcoming expiry.

3. Combine HTTPS with Other Security Best Practices

SSL is one layer in your security posture, not the whole story. For VPS or dedicated environments, you should complement HTTPS with OS hardening, firewall rules and proper update management. If you’re managing your own server, I recommend reading this practical VPS security guide for beginners alongside your SSL setup.

From a performance and SEO perspective, once HTTPS is in place you can also look at enabling HTTP/2 or HTTP/3, using a CDN where relevant, and placing your servers in an optimal data center region. For example, see how to choose data center location and server region for better SEO and speed for more on that topic.

Conclusion: Secure Your Site Today with Free Let’s Encrypt SSL

Encrypting your website no longer requires a budget line or complex manual configurations. With Let’s Encrypt integrated directly into cPanel and Plesk, you can issue and install a free SSL certificate in just a few minutes: add your domain, verify DNS, click to issue, and then force HTTPS. Once it’s in place, you immediately gain a security boost, a more professional look in modern browsers, and an indirect SEO advantage.

From managing VPS clusters to tuning shared hosting platforms like those at DCHost, I’ve seen firsthand how standardizing on Let’s Encrypt dramatically reduces support tickets and improves overall security hygiene. Your next steps are simple: log in to your panel, follow the steps above for cPanel or Plesk, and then test thoroughly. If you’re migrating an existing site, use the HTTPS migration checklist to avoid SEO issues, and if you’re still wondering when a paid certificate might be worth it, revisit the comparison in Let’s Encrypt vs paid SSL. The most important part is to start: move from HTTP to HTTPS today and make secure connections your new default.