Setting Up SSL Through WPEngine

September 20, 2016

Jon Fuller

WordPress

Looking to add SSL to your WordPress website on WPEngine?

Follow these instructions below to get you through the process:

Step 1: Add the Free SSL to the Install

Login to my.wpengine.com.
Navigate to install that the SSL is needed for.
Select “SSL” from the left-hand sidebar.
Select “Add Certificates” button.
Choose the “Get Let’s Encrypt” option (this is the free SSL).
Select both domains (www and non-www) and agree to the terms.
Once submitted, return back to the SSL portion of the install and wait for the confirmation emails.

Step 2: Set up the SSL on the Website

Once the SSL is processed go, navigate back to the “SSL” section of the install.
Click on the SSL for the primary domain (check if site is using www or non-www) and select “secure all URLs”. The entire site should be under SSL.
Navigate to the backend of the website and go to the “HTML Post-Processing” section in the back end of the website. This can be found at WP Engine > General Settings.
Enter this code (swapping out where it says “sitename”): #http://sitename.com# => https://sitename.com
1. Adjust accordingly if the primary domain uses www, .net, .org, etc.
Click Save.

Step 3: Check that Site has Green Padlock

Open up the front end of the website and confirm that there is a green padlock. If the padlock is GRAY, it is NOT fully secure!
Troubleshoot the errors by opening up the “Inspect” tool and select “Console.” This will show a list of all the non-https urls that are being referenced. Go through the site/pages until all of the URL’s have been manually adjusted.
1. If you do NOT see the greenlock symbol, there is probably a direct reference in the custom CSS to http (or on a page).
2. TIPS: Many times the footer image or any background images set up via the custom CSS cause problems. Make sure all image src links in custom CSS have https:// before them. Additionally, custom fonts also tend to cause issues. Make sure all paths to style sheet and fonts have https:// before them.
Check site in incognito window to confirm green padlock.
Once site has green padlock, the SSL setup is 100% complete. And your site is safe!

Jon Fuller https://freshysites.com/team/#Jon-Fuller

Jon is from the Binghamton, NY area and graduated from the School of Art and Design at Alfred University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Concentrated studies were in Graphic Design and Video. Jon has an appreciation of all aspects of art and design, and has an extensive background in both print media and web — with a thorough understanding of video and photography. Jon comes to FreshySites with 9 years of graphic design and web experience. He continues to make a habit of researching new tools and technologies to broaden his knowledge in the web development industry. He’s a tech junkie who has a passion for implementing new techniques and improving his surroundings. Outside of work, Jon also enjoys going on new adventures with his wife, exercising, and sipping on quality craft beer.