How to Install a Free SSL Certificate on Apache
A complete step-by-step guide to configuring HTTPS on your Apache web server
This guide walks you through installing a free SSL/TLS certificate from freesslcert.net on an Apache (httpd) web server.
Prerequisites
- A server running Apache 2.4+
- SSH (root or sudo) access
- A domain name pointing to your server
- SSL certificate files from freesslcert.net
Step 1: Generate Your SSL Certificate
Visit freesslcert.net to generate a free certificate for your domain.
Step 2: Enable mod_ssl
Install and enable the Apache SSL module with: sudo a2enmod ssl
Step 3: Upload Certificate Files
Transfer certificate.crt, private.key, and ca_bundle.crt to your server.
Step 4: Configure Apache VirtualHost
Create or update your VirtualHost configuration with SSLEngine on, SSLCertificateFile, SSLCertificateKeyFile, and SSLCertificateChainFile directives.
Step 5: Set Up HTTP to HTTPS Redirect
Add a redirect rule to automatically send HTTP visitors to HTTPS.
Step 6: Test and Restart Apache
Test configuration with apachectl configtest, then restart with systemctl restart apache2.