How to Assign an SSL Certificate on a Windows Server using Plesk August 1, 2024

Data between your server and visitors is encrypted when you use SSL to secure your website. This tutorial covers how to set up automated HTTP to HTTPS redirection and install a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on your Windows server-hosted domain.

Ensure SSL/TLS Support is Enabled

1. Navigate to Websites & Domains and click on your domain.
2. Click on Hosting Settings.
3. Under the “Security” section, ensure the SSL/TLS support checkbox is selected.
4. Click Apply or OK.
   

Install the Let’s Encrypt Certificate

1. Navigate to Websites & Domains, then select your domain.
2. Click on SSL/TLS Certificates (or Let’s Encrypt directly if available).
3. If prompted, click Install a free basic certificate or Get it free from Let’s Encrypt.
4. Enter a valid email address for important notifications.
5. Select the desired options, such as “Include the ‘www’ subdomain for the domain and each selected alias” and “Secure webmail on this domain,” if needed.
6. Click Install or Get it free.
   

Configure the Domain to Use the Certificate

1. Once installed, go back to Websites & Domains and select your domain.
2. Click on Hosting Settings.
3. In the “Security” section, select the newly installed Let’s Encrypt certificate from the Certificate dropdown menu.
4. Optionally, enable Permanent SEO-safe 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS to ensure all traffic uses the secure connection.
5. Click Apply or OK.

Verify Your SSL Setup

• Click the padlock in the browser’s address bar to open the security menu.
  
• Check “Connection is secure” and confirm the certificate is valid.
  
• Open Certificate details and verify the domain name, issuer, and validity dates.
  

Additional Tips: Only when the domain is hosted on the same server, that is, when the domain’s A record points to the server IP where Plesk is installed, can Plesk issue a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate.

This way, assigning an SSL certificate in Plesk on a Windows Server is a straightforward process that confirms your website is secure and trusted by visitors.

learn how to identify your account’s server name. Please refer to our detailed guide: How to Identify your Account’s Server Name