SSL certificates are essential for providing encryption and security on websites. They enable the padlock icon in the browser, indicating a secure connection between visitors and the server.
Having an SSL certificate is now more important than ever, as Google displays warnings for sites without SSL certificates in the browser.
The Geekpoint SSLs:
At The Geekpoint, all sites and domains hosted with us benefit from free automatic SSL certificates. This applies to both full domains and subdomains. We utilize cPanel AutoSSL, which offers SSL certificates from two providers: LetsEncrypt and Sectigo. These SSL certificates are just as secure as any other SSL certificate available for purchase.
How to set up:
If your domain or subdomain points to our servers via nameservers or A records, the system will automatically request and install an SSL certificate for the domain if it doesn’t already have one. This process is seamless and requires no action from you.
Please note that it may take a couple of hours to add an SSL certificate to a newly pointed domain. However, you can manually request the AutoSSL at any time through cPanel:
- Log into your cPanel control panel.
- Click on “SSL/TLS Status.”
- Select the domains you want to include and click “Run AutoSSL.”
Please ensure that the domain is correctly pointing to our servers for AutoSSL to function properly.

Installing Third-Party SSL Certificates:
If you prefer to install a third-party SSL certificate purchased elsewhere, you have that option. It may be necessary if you require an organization-validated certificate rather than a domain-validated one.
Please be aware that installing your own SSL certificate will disable AutoSSL for your cPanel account. However, if your third-party certificate expires, AutoSSL will automatically replace it.
To install your own SSL certificate:
- Log into cPanel.
- Click on “SSL/TLS.”
- Under the “Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS)” section, select “Manage SSL sites.”
- At the bottom of the page, you can paste your certificate.

Forcing SSL on Your Site:
Once your SSL certificate is installed, you may want to ensure that users access your site through the secure HTTPS protocol. To accomplish this, you can add the following code to your .htaccess file:
RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
This code redirects all requests from HTTP to HTTPS. It’s important to implement this only after your SSL is installed and functioning correctly. If you use a CMS like WordPress, remember to update the Site URL and Homepage settings in your WordPress Dashboard to include “https://” to ensure proper loading of images, stylesheets, and other resources.
Mixed Content:
Sometimes, certain files on your website may contain hardcoded links using HTTP instead of HTTPS, resulting in mixed content warnings. You can test for this using tools like https://www.whynopadlock.com/.
If your site has mixed content, you’ll need to locate the files and change the URLs inside them from HTTP to HTTPS. The method for fixing this varies depending on the CMS you’re using. For example, in WordPress, you can use a “Search and Replace” plugin such as https://bettersearchreplace.com to easily make the necessary changes.