Before you order an SSL certificate, check whether you need to buy one at all. Domain India does not sell SSL certificates: almost every Domain India hosting plan includes free SSL instead, and on most accounts the certificate is issued and renewed for you without any order, CSR or payment. This guide shows how to confirm your site is already covered, how to switch on the free certificate where it is not automatic, and how to install a paid certificate you buy from a certificate authority if you genuinely need one.
You usually don't need to order anything. On cPanel hosting, AutoSSL issues a free Let's Encrypt certificate automatically; on DirectAdmin and Windows (Plesk) hosting you install the free Let's Encrypt certificate from the panel in a few clicks. The only requirement is that your domain points at your Domain India hosting. Domain India doesn't sell paid certificates; if a customer, bank or tender asks for an organisation-validated or other paid certificate, buy it from a certificate authority and install it on your Domain India hosting.
1. Free SSL is already part of your hosting
Almost every Domain India hosting plan lists free SSL. How it reaches your site depends on the control panel:
| Hosting | Free certificate | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| cPanel | Let's Encrypt, issued by AutoSSL | Nothing. AutoSSL issues and renews it once the domain points at us |
| DirectAdmin | Let's Encrypt | Issued automatically once the domain points at your hosting |
| Windows (Plesk) | Let's Encrypt | Install it once from SSL/TLS Certificates in Plesk |
| Webuzo | Free SSL is listed | Ask support to confirm the option on your account |
A free Let's Encrypt certificate encrypts traffic exactly as well as a paid one, and every current browser trusts it.
2. Check whether your site is already secure
- Open
https://yourdomain.comandhttps://www.yourdomain.comin a private browser window. - Click the padlock and view the certificate. Check that it covers the name in the address bar and has not expired.
- On cPanel, open Security › SSL/TLS Certificates and choose the Status tab. It lists every domain and subdomain on the account and shows which are covered and when each certificate expires.
If everything shows a valid certificate, you are done. If the browser says "not secure", continue with section 3.
3. Switch on the free certificate
- Point the domain at your hosting.Let's Encrypt only issues a certificate after it reaches your site. Use the hosting nameservers, or A records for the domain and
wwwthat point at your server IP. See how to change your nameservers. - Wait for DNS to update.After a nameserver change, allow time for the change to spread before you expect a certificate.
- Request the certificate.On cPanel, wait for AutoSSL's next automatic check, then look at the Status tab of SSL/TLS Certificates; if it is urgent, support can run AutoSSL for you. On DirectAdmin it is issued automatically; Account Manager › SSL/TLS Certificates shows its status. On Windows hosting, follow installing SSL in Plesk.
- Force HTTPS.Redirect
http://tohttps://so every visitor gets the secure version. See how to redirect non-www to www and HTTPS.
Menu names on DirectAdmin and Webuzo vary by version. If you can't find the SSL option, open a ticket and we will point you to it.
4. When the free certificate is not issued
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No certificate after a day | The domain or www does not point at your hosting | Correct the nameservers or A records, then wait for the next AutoSSL run |
| Main domain works, www does not | No DNS record for www | Add a www record pointing at your hosting |
| Certificate fails on every attempt | A CAA record that does not allow Let's Encrypt | Add letsencrypt.org to your CAA records, or remove the CAA records |
| Check blocked | A proxy such as Cloudflare, or a rule that redirects or blocks the verification request | Pause the proxy while the certificate is issued, and let requests to /.well-known/ through |
| Padlock missing on some pages | Images or scripts loaded over http:// | Change those links to https:// |
For more, see AutoSSL in cPanel.
5. When you really need a paid certificate
Paid certificates add verified organisation details or a warranty. Buy one when a customer, bank, payment partner or tender specifically asks for it, not for the padlock alone.
We don't sell DV, OV, EV or wildcard certificates. Your hosting includes free SSL, and if you need a paid certificate you buy it from any certificate authority and install it on your Domain India hosting yourself, as shown in section 6.
6. Installing a certificate you bought elsewhere
- Generate a CSR in your control panel.The panel creates the private key and keeps it on the server. Follow how to generate a CSR.
- Order from the certificate authority.Paste the CSR into their order form and complete their validation by email, DNS record or a file on your site. Organisation-validated certificates also check your company documents.
- Install it.In cPanel, open the Installation tab of SSL/TLS Certificates and install the certificate for your domain; cPanel matches it to the stored private key. Add the CA bundle (intermediate certificates). On Windows hosting, upload it in Plesk as described in installing SSL in Plesk.
- Check it.Open the site over
https://, view the certificate and confirm every hostname you need is covered.
The CSR is safe to share. The private key is not. Neither a certificate authority nor Domain India support needs it. If it has been emailed or pasted into a chat, generate a new CSR and key and have the certificate reissued.
7. SSL on Domain India hosting
Free SSL is included with almost every hosting plan, so the price of the plan is the price of a secure site, and there is no certificate to order from us. On cPanel hosting, AutoSSL does the work for you.
Compare all plans on cPanel hosting, DirectAdmin hosting and Windows hosting.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to buy an SSL certificate for my Domain India hosting?
Usually not. Almost every Domain India hosting plan includes free SSL. On cPanel it is a Let's Encrypt certificate issued and renewed automatically by AutoSSL; on DirectAdmin and Windows (Plesk) hosting you install it once from the control panel.
Is a free Let's Encrypt certificate as secure as a paid one?
Yes. The encryption is the same and every current browser trusts it. Paid certificates add verified organisation details or a warranty, which some banks, payment partners and tenders require.
Why has my site not received its free certificate?
The usual reason is that the domain or its www version does not point at your Domain India hosting yet. Other causes are a CAA record that does not allow Let's Encrypt, or a proxy such as Cloudflare blocking the check.
Does Domain India sell paid SSL certificates?
No. Domain India does not sell SSL certificates of any type. Almost every hosting plan includes free SSL; if you need a paid certificate, buy it from any certificate authority and install it on your Domain India hosting yourself.
Do I need a CSR for the free SSL?
No. A CSR is needed only when you buy a certificate from a certificate authority. The free Let's Encrypt certificates are requested by the control panel for you.
Will a certificate I bought elsewhere renew automatically?
No. A certificate from another provider must be renewed with that provider, and the new certificate installed on your hosting before the old one expires.
Ready to secure your site? Check it in your control panel from My Hosting, read how to generate a CSR if you are buying a certificate, or open a ticket if the free certificate won't issue.
Tell us the domain and what your browser or control panel shows, and our support team will check DNS and the certificate for you.
Open a support ticket