Instructions for setting up the secure site connection
In this guide, we will show you how to ensure that your website is protected with a secure SSL connection. This not only guarantees the security of the information exchanged between the server and your visitors, but also improves the trust and credibility of your site. Configuring a secure connection is a simple but essential process that consists of several important steps. Introduction to SSL certificates: their function and usefulness
We will start by checking whether you already have an SSL certificate installed and then guide you on how to force a secure connection across your site.
It is crucial to verify whether you already have an SSL certificate installed on your hosting. This can be easily done from your control panel by following these steps:
Go to the "Security" section and click on SSL Certificates:
When accessing this section, the SSL certificate status for that hosting will be displayed. If you have any subdomains/multidomains created on the hosting, they will appear in this list:
IMPORTANT: If your hosting does not appear with the certificate marked as "Active", this process is managed internally by us. Customers cannot directly request the installation of the certificate. Our system is configured to automatically install SSL once it detects that the domain points to our cdmon IP and that there is a hosting associated with that IP and domain. If you notice that the domain correctly points to our IP but the SSL has not been installed, the automation may not have run correctly. In this case, please contact us so we can resolve the issue.
Once you have confirmed that the SSL certificate is active on the hosting, the next step is to ensure that your site always uses a secure connection. This can be achieved by modifying your website’s .htaccess file. Information and uses of the .htaccess file
This file is used to customize the configuration of directives and parameters defined in the hosting’s main configuration file. In other words, it allows website administrators to modify and control the web server configuration at the directory level. This is especially useful, as the server needs to read this file every time a request is made to the website.
To create a .htaccess file, you need to access the hosting via FTP. FTP is a service that allows you to access the files stored on the hosting, enabling you to download files, upload new ones, edit them, or, if necessary, delete them. How to connect via FTP using webFTP. If you already have a .htaccess file in your hosting, you can use it to apply this configuration.
Once you access your webFTP, you must go into your /web folder and create a "New file" called .htaccess. If you prefer, you can use the "Upload file" option, which allows you to use a file from your device. You can create a .htaccess file locally and upload it directly:
The content to add inside the .htaccess file is the following:
RewriteEngine onRewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on [NC]RewriteRule ^.*$ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [R,L]This code is universal and should work for any type of website.
Once the code is added, save the changes and make sure that the .htaccess file is created inside the /web folder as indicated above.
With this change, you are forcing a secure connection for the entire hosting, thus ensuring that all communications between your visitors’ browser and your website are carried out through an SSL-encrypted connection. This measure not only improves your site’s security, but also contributes positively to your website’s ranking in search engines, as Google and other search engines prioritize sites that use HTTPS over those that do not.
Once the change has been implemented, it is important to verify that the redirection works correctly. You can do this by accessing your website using HTTP and checking whether it automatically redirects to HTTPS.
CMS-Specific Configurations
It is important to mention that many websites use content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress, PrestaShop, Joomla, or Moodle. Each of these may have its own default configuration to enable HTTPS redirection.
WordPress is the most popular CMS of all. If you have WordPress installed on your website, we recommend visiting our guide How to install and use Really Simple SSL for WordPress to force a secure connection using a plugin.
For detailed instructions on how to configure SSL in these CMSs, as well as how to perform the redirection via .htaccess, we invite you to consult our guide "How to configure your SSL". This guide includes screenshots and specific steps for each CMS.
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