How to Set Up and Use a Shared SSL - Windows

Using the SSL of another domain pointed to a Windows server as a shared SSL is possible. This will allow you to provide a secure connection to your site, though it will need to be done through the secure domain rather than your own.

This video will walk you through enabling the shared SSL on a HostGator Windows Shared plan and using it to visit your directory without generating a browser warning for the SSL.

Note: The examples in the video above use older Plesk versions. The steps will be the same for other versions of Plesk; however, the button locations may differ.

Enable Shared SSL

Follow the steps below to enable shared SSL using the SSL certificate of the Master SSL Domain:

1. Log in to Plesk.
2. Click the Websites & Domains shortcut in the navigation pane.
3. Select the appropriate domain name from the list.
4. Click on the SSL
5. Select the Enable shared SSL checkbox.
6. Specify the virtual directory name in the corresponding input field. The virtual directory with the supplied name will be created on the Master SSL Domain. This directory will be used for accessing your site through SSL.
   Note: You cannot use your domain name (e.g., myexampledomain.com) to access your site via SSL if you are using shared SSL.
   • For example, suppose you have a domain named mydomain.com: Master SSL Domain is defined as master_ssl_domain.com, and the virtual directory name you supplied is my_virtual_dir. In this case, to access your site through SSL, you need to use the following address:

   https://master_ssl_domain.com/my_virtual_dir

   • On HostGator Windows Shared Servers, you may use your secure servername in place of the master_ssl_domain (you can determine your secure servername by replacing "pss" with "secure"). Example:

   https://secure(server_number).win.hostgator.com/my_virtual_dir

7. Select the directory where protected content is located on your domain. The documents within the specified directory will be accessible only through SSL.
   • You can only choose either httpdocs or httpsdocs as a target directory.
8. To make your domain accessible via SSL only, select the Require SSL checkbox.
9. Click OK.
10. In the Hosting Settings of the selected domain, ensure that the SSL option is unchecked for proper rendering:

    

Disable the Shared SSL

To stop using the shared SSL certificate of the Master SSL Domain:

1. Log in to Plesk.
2. Click the Websites & Domains shortcut in the navigation pane.
3. Select the appropriate domain name from the list.
4. Click Shared SSL in the Hosting group.
5. Clear the Enable shared SSL checkbox.
6. Click OK.

Need the Path to Your Shared SSL?

For information on determining the path to your shared SSL, please read the following article:

• What is the Path to Shared SSL? - Windows