How can I install SSL on my Webflow site for free, instead of paying $80 per year for a certificate from GoDaddy? I find the process intimidating and do not understand the initial steps.
Installing SSL on your Webflow site for free is a great way to secure your website and provide a safer browsing experience for your visitors. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
1. Sign up for a free Cloudflare account: Cloudflare offers a free SSL certificate and acts as a proxy between your website and its visitors, providing additional security features.
2. Add your website to Cloudflare: Once you've created your account, click on "Add a Site" and enter your website's address. Cloudflare will scan your DNS records, and you'll need to confirm that it has detected all your website's records correctly.
3. Update your domain's nameservers: Cloudflare will provide you with two nameservers to replace your current DNS nameservers. You'll need to update these settings with your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy). This step might take a little time to propagate across the internet.
4. Configure SSL settings in Cloudflare: Once your nameserver changes have taken effect and your domain is active on Cloudflare, go to the "SSL/TLS" section under the "Crypto" tab in your Cloudflare dashboard. Choose the SSL encryption mode as "Full" to ensure end-to-end encryption between the visitor and Cloudflare.
5. Enable Automatic HTTPS Rewrites: In the same section, enable the "Automatic HTTPS Rewrites" option. This helps to fix mixed content issues and ensures that all your website's resources are loaded securely over HTTPS.
6. Wait for Cloudflare to issue the SSL certificate: Cloudflare will now automatically issue an SSL certificate for your website. This process might take a few minutes, so be patient.
7. Update your Webflow settings: In your Webflow project settings, go to the "Hosting" tab and click on "Enable SSL". Webflow will automatically detect the SSL certificate issued by Cloudflare and activate it for your website.
8. Test your SSL installation: After a few minutes, visit your website using "https://" instead of "http://". You should see a padlock icon in your web browser's address bar, indicating that your SSL certificate is active and your site is secured.
Remember, while this method provides a free SSL certificate, it's important to note that Cloudflare handles the SSL termination, meaning the connection is secure up to their servers. However, the connection between Cloudflare and your Webflow site is not encrypted. But for most websites, this setup provides a sufficient level of security.
By following these steps, you can install SSL on your Webflow site for free and avoid the cost of purchasing an SSL certificate from GoDaddy or any other certificate authority.