How to Install SSL Certificate on HostGator?

HostGator is a hosting service provider that also caters SSL certificates to clients. Here is how you can make your website hosted by HostGator secure!

If you use the internet on your PC daily, you must have encountered various warnings on your browser. One of them can be Err_SSL_Protocol_Error or Err_SSL_Version_Interference error. These may not be recognizable right now as we don’t pay much attention to them.

We are just worried about why things are not working properly. But, no matter the error, the crux is the issue with the SSL certificate, which makes it necessary to pay attention.

SSL certificates ensure that all the interactions between your browser and the server are secure. To ensure that the website is secure, you can check the HTTPS extension at the beginning of the address along with a padlock sign.

These two are signs of a secure website. Along with knowing about the SSL certificates, it is also important to know how to install SSL on HostGator.

So, let’s dive into this extensive piece and find out about HostGator SSL installation.

What is HostGator?

Well, this is a fair question to ask, what is HostGator?

HostGator is a leading provider of hosting services in the world. It is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and provides shared, reseller, VPS, and dedicated web hosting services. Now, as many of you might have subscribed to hosting services by HostGator, it is crucial to know how to install SSL certificates on Hostgator.

HostGator SSL Install: How to Install SSL on HostGator in a few clicks

Ok, so, finally, we are in the critical section of this article. Let’s see how to install an SSL certificate on HostGator.

Get an SSL certificate: The very initial thing that you need to do is to get an SSL certificate. As described above, you can get any type of SSL certificate based on your requirements. However, we suggest that you only go for an EV SSL certificate, as it is the safest. You can get an SSL certificate from COMODO, Certera, Sectigo, or CheapsSSLWeb. Getting SSL certificates from these legitimate authorities can get you add-on benefits like warranties, site seals, and reliability.

• Generate a CSR: A certificate signing request will be required by HostGator to verify your information. Hence, you need to generate the CSR file that contains all the necessary information about your organization. You will be required to fill in details like domain name, email, address, organization, company, etc. Ensure you enter the same details as you entered while buying the domain for your website.

• Generate the public and private keys: Once the CSR form is sent to HostGator, it will send you the public and private keys via email. You need to ensure that you keep these keys secure, especially the private key. Make sure that you keep the private key in a password-protected file.

• Provide the CSR to the CA: When you have the public and private keys, you have to provide the CRS code to the certificate authority. The certificate authority will then begin the validation process for you.

• Complete the validation process: In the next step to install SSL on HostGator, the CA authority will send you a verification mail. If you don’t have an email with a domain name extension, you can choose to verify via files. In the case of file verification, you are required to upload some files on the server sent by the CA.

• Save the SSL certificate: When the validation process is complete, the certificate authority will send you the SSL certificate in your email. It will also send you some additional files that you will need while installing the certificate on HostGator.

You will receive a crt file which is the one that has the SSL certificate. Other than that, you will get the CA bundle that will have a root certificate and other intermediate certificates. Make sure you save these files after opening them in a text editor like Notepad. These files have codes to execute in the final step to install SSL on HostGator to force HTTPS.

• Request HostGator to install the SSL certificate: Ok, this is the final step. Here you request HostGator to allow you to install the certificate. HostGator does not allow you to install the certificate for free. Moreover, if you have shared web hosting, website builder, WordPress hosting, or a reseller hosting plan, you have to fill out an installation request form to get things done. As said earlier, there are charges for HostGator SSL Installation.

• It is free for a virtual private server or dedicated server users.

• $10 for installing a single-domain SSL certificate.
• $25 for multi-domain or wildcard SSL certificate (up to 5 domains, there will be an extra charge of $5 for each added domain) When filling out the certificate installation request form, keep these things in mind!

Copy all the contents of the crt file that you have saved in the text editor and paste it into the SSL Certificate field. Make sure that you include the “—–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—–” and “—–END CERTIFICATE—–” lines for easy referencing. Copy the contents of the CA bundle and paste it into the SSL CA certificate field. Copy and paste the private key received from HostGator in the RSA Private Key field. After this, you have nothing to do. HostGator will install your SSL certificate.

How Can I Know if a site has an SSL certificate installed? Well, to know if the certificate is installed on the site or not, you need to check two things!

The beginning of the web address will say HTTPS instead of HTTP. S in HTTPS stands for secure. You will see a padlock sign against the web address of your site. These two are the ideal indicators of a safe and secure website and proof of successful SSL certificate installation.

How does an SSL Certificate Work? Before we dive into the process of installing the SSL certificate, let’s have a quick look at the working of an SSL certificate.

The working of an SSL certificate is simple. Here is an overview of it!

The user browser sends a request to the server for an encrypted connection. The server responds back with a copy of an SSL certificate. To this, the browser checks the legitimacy of the certificate by checking its trust store of certificates. The browser uses the key pair provided by the server and binds them to respond back to the server. Once the browser has verified the certificate, the server sends a digitally signed acknowledgment to the browser. This is to begin the SSL encrypted session. Encrypted data communication begins between the server and the browser.

SSL certificates can be of various types, namely

Domain Validated: This certificate requires a minimum level of verification. The Certificate Authority just validates the owner’s identity before supplying the certificate. Once the CA verifies the domain ownership, the certificate is issued to the person.

Organization Validated: This is the second type of certificate with a medium level of security. To provide you with this type of certificate, the CA will carefully analyze your business details, like the actual existence of your organization, location, and domain name. The certificate is best for websites that want to show the credibility of their business online.

Extended Validation: This third type of validation certificate provides the highest level of security, which means it is ideal for businesses that handle sensitive information like legal documents, financial details, login details, etc. The CA takes a deep scan of all your details before issuing the certificate, like business documents, financial documents, address, location, website, database, etc. The certificate has your domain name and the name of your organization.

Conclusion So, this is all about how to Install SSL on HostGator. You need to ensure that you obtain the SSL certificate from a certificate authority or a certified third party. If you are searching for a legitimate seller, look no further than CheapSSLWeb. All the top-end certificates are housed by CheapSSLWeb at affordable prices.