SSL for Newbies

• Overview
• What's SSL?
• SSL Types
• SSL Checklist
• Purchase SSL
• Force HTTPS

This series of articles is designed to give you an overview of SSL/Secure Certificates from a customer's perspective rather than a technical perspective.

• If you are completely new to SSL, we suggest you start with Part 1, which explains what an SSL is.
• If you want to know the different types of SSL we offer, go to Part 2.
• If you have never purchased an SSL certificate before, Part 3 provides valuable information that will help you avoid common pitfalls.
• If you already know what you need, feel free to skip to Part 4 to purchase your certificate.
• If you already purchased an SSL, you will need to manually force or activate HTTPS on your site; see Part 5.

Part 1: What is SSL/Secure Certificate?

If you're new to using SSL, you can never go wrong with learning the basics, such as what SSL is and why you may need a secure certificate. This article covers the following topics:

• What is it?
• Why do you need it?
• How does SSL work?

Part 2: What type of SSL/Secure Certificate do I need?

In these articles, we will discuss the different types of SSL certificates available for purchase and why you may wish to choose one over another. Your choices include:

• Free Let's Encrypt SSL (Yup! We offer Free SSL!)
• Domain-Validated SSL Certificates
• Multi-Domain SSL Certificates
• Wildcard SSL Certificates
• Extended-Validation SSL Certificates

Part 3: Important things you should know before installing an SSL Certificate

The third article of this series covers important things you should know about SSL. Its goal is to help you avoid common pitfalls and to provide a better understanding of the different types of SSL and how the SSL process works. Before ordering an SSL, we recommend reading the article:

• What you need to know before purchasing SSL

Part 4: How do I purchase an SSL Certificate?

Our fourth step is about purchasing your SSL certificate. The steps are slightly different based on the type of SSL Certificate you wish to install. Please visit the following articles for instructions on how to purchase SSL.

• How do I purchase an SSL and what type is it?
• Install an SSL Certificate purchased elsewhere

Part 5: How do I use my SSL Certificate?

As the last step, your site needs to redirect to "https" once SSL is installed. For WordPress, you can set the site to redirect to HTTPS in the General Settings section. For other content management systems (CMS) or site builders, you may need to manually force or enable HTTPS. To guide you with the steps, please visit the following articles.

• How do I use my SSL Certificate?
• How to get and enable your Free SSL Certificate
• Using third-party SSL Certificate
• WordPress HTTPS (SSL) Plugin

SSL for Newbies Series

• Overview: SSL for Newbies
• Part 1: What is SSL/Secure Certificate?
• Part 2: What type of SSL/Secure Certificate do I need?
• Part 3: Important Things You Should Know Before Installing an SSL Certificate
• Part 4: How do I get an SSL Certificate?
• Part 5: How Do I Use My SSL Certificate?