If you’re looking to enable SSL on your web hosting plan with OVH Cloud Hosting, you’ve come to the right place! This guide will walk you through the process step by step, ensuring your website is secure and trustworthy for your visitors. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is crucial for encrypting data between your website and its users, providing a secure connection.

Introduction

Enabling SSL on your web hosting plan with OVH Cloud Hosting is essential for any website. SSL certificates ensure that data transmitted between the user’s browser and your web server is encrypted and secure. This not only protects sensitive information but also boosts your website’s credibility and improves SEO rankings. In this guide, we’ll show you how to enable SSL on your OVH Cloud Hosting plan easily and effectively.

What is SSL and Why is it Important?

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is a security protocol that establishes an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This ensures that all data passed between the server and browser remains private and integral. Here’s why SSL is important:

• Security: Protects sensitive information such as login credentials, payment details, and personal data.
• Trust: Builds trust with your visitors by showing that your site is secure.
• SEO Benefits: Search engines like Google rank SSL-enabled websites higher.
• Compliance: Meets industry standards for security, necessary for many e-commerce and data-sensitive websites.

Steps to Enable SSL on Your OVH Cloud Hosting Plan

Follow these steps to enable SSL on your OVH Cloud Hosting plan:

1. Login to Your OVH Cloud Hosting Account

First, you need to log in to your OVH Cloud Hosting account.

• Go to the OVH Cloud Hosting website.
• Click on the “Login” button at the top right corner.
• Enter your login credentials and click “Sign In.”

2. Access the Control Panel

Once logged in, access the control panel where you can manage your hosting settings.

• Navigate to the “Web” section.
• Click on “Hosting” to see a list of your hosting plans.
• Select the hosting plan you want to enable SSL for.

3. Navigate to SSL Management

Now, you need to navigate to the SSL management section.

• In the hosting plan dashboard, look for the “Security” section.
• Click on “SSL Certificates.”

4. Choose an SSL Certificate

You have a couple of options when it comes to choosing an SSL certificate:

• Free SSL: OVH offers a free SSL certificate through Let’s Encrypt. This is suitable for most small to medium-sized websites.
• Paid SSL: For more robust security, you can purchase a commercial SSL certificate. This is recommended for e-commerce sites and larger businesses.

5. Enable Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt)

To enable a free SSL certificate:

• In the SSL Certificates section, click on “Add a certificate.”
• Choose “Let’s Encrypt” from the options.
• Select the domain you want to secure.
• Confirm your choice and click “Install.”

6. Purchase and Install a Paid SSL Certificate

If you opt for a paid SSL certificate:

• In the SSL Certificates section, click on “Add a certificate.”
• Choose the type of SSL certificate you want to purchase (e.g., Domain Validation, Organization Validation, Extended Validation).
• Follow the prompts to complete your purchase.
• Once purchased, you will receive an email with instructions on how to validate and install the certificate.

7. Validate Your SSL Certificate

Whether you choose a free or paid SSL certificate, you’ll need to validate it. For Let’s Encrypt, this is usually done automatically. For paid SSL certificates, follow the instructions sent to your email to complete the validation process.

8. Configure HTTPS on Your Website

After your SSL certificate is installed and validated, you need to configure your website to use HTTPS:

• Update your website’s settings to use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
• Edit your .htaccess file to force HTTPS redirection. Add the following lines of code to your .htaccess file:plaintextCopy codeRewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
• Save the changes.

9. Test Your SSL Installation

To ensure everything is working correctly:

• Open your web browser and type your website URL with https:// (e.g., https://yourwebsite.com).
• Check for a padlock icon in the browser’s address bar, indicating that the connection is secure.
• Use online tools like SSL Labs’ SSL Test to check the validity and configuration of your SSL certificate.

10. Update Internal Links and Resources

After enabling SSL, make sure all internal links and resources (images, scripts, stylesheets) use HTTPS. This prevents mixed content issues where parts of your website are still served over an insecure HTTP connection.

• Use a search and replace tool to update all URLs in your database.
• Manually check your website for any remaining HTTP links and update them to HTTPS.

Troubleshooting Common SSL Issues

Sometimes, you might encounter issues while enabling SSL. Here are some common problems and how to fix them:

Mixed Content Warnings

Mixed content warnings occur when parts of your website are still served over HTTP while the main site uses HTTPS.

• Use the browser’s developer tools to identify the insecure resources.
• Update all URLs to use HTTPS.

SSL Certificate Not Trusted

If your SSL certificate is not trusted by browsers, it could be due to:

• Incorrect installation: Ensure the certificate is correctly installed and all necessary intermediate certificates are included.
• Certificate expired: Check the expiration date of your SSL certificate and renew it if necessary.

Redirect Loops

Redirect loops can occur if your website is repeatedly redirecting between HTTP and HTTPS.

• Check your .htaccess file for incorrect redirect rules.
• Ensure that only one set of redirect rules is applied.

Conclusion

Enabling SSL on your web hosting plan with OVH Cloud Hosting is a crucial step in securing your website and building trust with your visitors. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily enable SSL and configure your website to use HTTPS. This not only protects your users’ data but also boosts your website’s credibility and SEO performance. If you encounter any issues, OVH’s support team is available to assist you.