If you need to secure your website with an SSL certificate through Hostinger’s control panel, the process takes about five to ten minutes and is suitable for beginners. This guide walks you through exactly where to go in hPanel, what settings to toggle, and how to confirm the certificate works. You will learn how to enable the free Let’s Encrypt SSL, how to upload a custom certificate if you prefer one from a commercial provider, and what to do if something goes wrong.
No technical background required.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Time required | 5–10 minutes (plus up to 5 minutes for SSL propagation) |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| What you need | An active Hostinger hosting plan (any tier), a domain added to your account, DNS records pointing to Hostinger’s nameservers |
| What you will achieve | A valid SSL certificate installed on your domain, HTTPS active on your site |
Before you start
Make sure these items are in place before you begin. Skipping one can cause the SSL installation to fail or the certificate to show as invalid.
- Your domain must be added to Hostinger as a “hosted domain” inside your hosting plan. If you just registered the domain but haven’t attached it to a hosting plan, the SSL option won’t appear in hPanel.
- DNS nameservers need to point to Hostinger. If you use third‑party nameservers, the Let’s Encrypt validation process may not complete. You can check this under hPanel → Domains → your domain → Nameservers.
- Your website should be reachable at the domain name. If the site is brand‑new or still under construction, it still needs to load (even just a default page) so Let’s Encrypt can verify ownership.
- Any existing custom SSL certificate (if you already have one installed) should be backed up. Enabling a new certificate will override the old one.
How to add an SSL certificate with Hostinger hPanel
The steps below cover both the free Let’s Encrypt SSL and the custom SSL option. Hostinger’s hPanel layout is consistent across all shared hosting, WordPress hosting, and cloud hosting plans. If you see a different UI, check Hostinger’s help center for the exact location of these settings.
Step 1: Log in to hPanel
Go to hostinger.com and sign in with your account email and password. The dashboard that loads is hPanel. You’ll see a left sidebar with various sections.
Step 2: Open the SSL section
Find “SSL” in the left sidebar. It may be grouped under “Security.” Click it. A page titled “SSL Certificates” opens.
Step 3: Select the domain you want to secure
A dropdown list shows all domains attached to your hosting plan. Pick the domain you want to protect with SSL. If you have multiple domains, you can repeat the process later for each one.
Step 4: Enable the free Let’s Encrypt SSL
Look for the toggle or button labeled “Enable” or “Install” next to “Let’s Encrypt SSL.” Click it. hPanel will start a background process that requests a certificate from Let’s Encrypt and installs it on your domain.
Wait time: Up to five minutes. During this time, Let’s Encrypt validates your domain by checking that it resolves to Hostinger’s server. If the validation passes, the certificate is issued and installed automatically.
Step 5: Check the SSL status
After a few minutes, refresh the SSL page. The status should change from “Pending” or “Not installed” to “Active” or “Installed.” You’ll also see the certificate’s expiry date next to it.
Step 6: Force HTTPS (optional but recommended)
Still inside the SSL section, you may see an option called “Force HTTPS redirect” or “HTTPS redirect.” Enable it. This ensures any visitor who types http://yoursite.com gets redirected to https://yoursite.com automatically.
Step 7: Test the certificate
Open a new browser tab and type https:// then your domain (e.g., https://example.com). The padlock icon should appear in the address bar. If you see a “Not secure” warning, wait another two minutes and reload the page.
Step 8: Install a custom SSL certificate (if you bought one elsewhere)
If you prefer a paid certificate from a third party like Comodo or DigiCert, use the “Custom Certificate” section on the same SSL page.
- Click “Advanced” or “Custom certificate” tab.
- Paste your certificate files (the certificate body and the private key) into the provided text boxes.
- Optionally paste the CA bundle / intermediate certificate if your provider gave one.
- Click “Install.” The custom certificate will override the free one.
Important: Do not reuse a certificate that is already installed on a different server or domain at the same time. Many providers limit a certificate to one server instance. If your certificate was already active elsewhere, you must revoke that installation first or buy a new certificate.
Step 9: Enable auto‑renewal for Let’s Encrypt
By default, Hostinger auto‑renews the free SSL certificate every 90 days. You can verify this under the SSL section. A toggle labeled “Auto Renew” should be on.
Leave it on. If you turn it off, you risk your certificate expiring and visitors seeing a security warning.
Step 10: Confirm the installation across your site
Open a couple of different pages on your website (e.g., homepage, contact page, any page with a form). Make sure they all load over HTTPS and show the padlock. Check that images, scripts, and stylesheets are also served over HTTPS to avoid mixed content warnings.
What to do if something goes wrong
Even with straightforward steps, issues can pop up. Here are the most common problems and how to fix them.
Problem: The Let’s Encrypt SSL status stays “Pending” or “Failed”
Fix: First, confirm your domain resolves to Hostinger’s nameservers. You can use a tool like whatsmydns.net or check in hPanel under Domains → your domain → DNS / Nameservers. If you’re using external nameservers, Let’s Encrypt cannot verify the domain.
Either point the domain to Hostinger’s nameservers or add the required CAA record that allows Let’s Encrypt. Next, ensure your site is not behind a firewall or CDN that blocks Let’s Encrypt’s validation request. If everything looks correct, wait up to 24 hours, sometimes DNS propagation delays the validation.
Problem: After installing SSL, the site shows “Mixed Content” warnings
Fix: Mixed content happens when the page loads over HTTPS but some resources (images, scripts, stylesheets) are still loaded over HTTP. Open your browser’s developer tools (F12) and look for “Mixed Content” warnings in the console. Update the URLs of those resources to use https:// or use a relative path (e.g., /images/logo.png instead of http://yoursite.com/images/logo.png).
You can also install a plugin or script that automatically rewrites HTTP URLs to HTTPS, but the permanent fix is updating the source URLs.
Problem: The free SSL certificate is not auto‑renewing
Fix: Go back to the SSL section in hPanel and check that the “Auto Renew” toggle is enabled. If it was turned off, turn it on. If it’s already on but the certificate expired, click “Reinstall” or “Renew” manually.
Hostinger’s system should renew automatically, but occasional server load can delay it. If manual renewal also fails, remove the certificate completely (using the Remove/Delete option) and install it fresh from step 4.
What happens next
Once the SSL certificate is installed and active, your site will serve traffic over HTTPS. Browsers will display the padlock, which builds trust with visitors and helps with SEO (Google treats HTTPS as a ranking signal). The free Let’s Encrypt certificate renews automatically every 90 days, so you don’t need to revisit hPanel unless you change domains or want to upgrade to a paid certificate for extra features like higher validation level (e.g., Organization Validation) or warranty.
If you plan to offer e‑commerce, take payments, or store sensitive user data, a paid certificate might be worth considering. For most personal and small business sites, the free SSL works perfectly.
Now that your site is secured, you might also want to look at your hosting performance. Hostinger’s plans include free SSL, unlimited bandwidth, and one‑click WordPress installation. If you’re still on the fence about which plan fits your needs, the Hostinger Business Web Hosting plan offers dedicated resources and priority support.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for the SSL certificate to become active?
The Let’s Encrypt validation usually finishes in under five minutes. In rare cases, DNS propagation or server load can extend that to an hour. The certificate is installed immediately after validation passes.
Can I install both a free SSL and a custom SSL on the same domain?
No. Only one certificate can be active per domain at a time. If you install a custom SSL, it replaces the free one.
If you later remove the custom certificate, you can re‑enable the free one.
My site shows “Your connection is not private” after installing SSL. What should I do?
This error usually means the certificate is not fully trusted or has expired. Make sure you used the correct certificate files for the custom SSL option. For Let’s Encrypt, ensure the domain is correctly pointed to Hostinger.
Sometimes clearing your browser cache and restarting the browser helps. If the problem persists, reach out to Hostinger’s support team.
Does Hostinger support SSL for subdomains?
Yes. You can install SSL on any subdomain that is added to your hosting plan (like blog.example.com or shop.example.com). The process is the same: select the subdomain from the SSL dropdown and enable the free certificate.
Will enabling SSL affect my website speed?
No, not in a noticeable way. The encryption overhead is very small, and modern servers handle it quickly. Many speed improvements from HTTPS (like HTTP/2) actually make pages load faster.
Get started with Hostinger
If you don’t already have a Hostinger account, now is a good time to grab a hosting plan with the free SSL included. You can save 85% on your first plan and get a free domain for the first year. The coupon code works on all shared hosting, WordPress hosting, and cloud hosting plans.
Check our Hostinger coupon page for the current deal. Once you sign up, follow this guide to enable SSL in about five minutes, you’ll have a secure website before lunch.
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