We constantly strive to improve the WP Engine customer experience. To do that, we listen to valuable feedback from customers like you – whether that’s through Support tickets and chats or conversations at WordCamps. We want to understand what we can do to serve you better.
One thing you’ve frequently asked us for is the ability to add SSL certificates on Personal plans. So starting today, customers with a WP Engine Personal plan can purchase an SSL certificate to secure your website visitors’ personal data.
We do the heavy lifting for you. When you purchase an SSL Certificate through the WP Engine User Portal, it is automatically configured and installed. This ensures everything is set up and working correctly.
We make it simple to add an SSL certificate to your site in just a few steps. Just follow the instructions for Purchasing An SSL From WP Engine.
There are two options for adding SSL security to your website:
- A Standard SSL certificate for one domain is $49 per year
- A Wildcard SSL certificate covers one domain plus all subdomains for $199 per year
- Both options of SSL certificate automatically renew after 12 months using the credit card on file in the User Portal
It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Now for the nitty-gritty:
What is SSL?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It’s a technology that encrypts all of the information sent to and from your site; meaning private data your visitors share on your site stays private.
Why should I consider SSL?
SSL ensures that hackers cannot see or intercept the data your users share on your site. Essentially, it creates a secure tunnel between the browser and the web server. It also verifies that your site really is who it claims to be, and it’s not an imposter. So, if you’re buying a new My Little Pony poster from SuperAwesomePonyPosters.com (not an actual website) an SSL certificate verifies that you’re really sharing your data with SuperAwesomePonyPosters.com, not some bogus site that’s going to steal your info.
Having SSL protection on your site also improves your Google search rankings, as Google penalizes sites lacking an SSL certificate or with a certificate that is improperly set up.
Should I have SSL on my site?
If you have an ecommerce site or any site where you collect sensitive data, like credit card or financial information, usernames and passwords, or addresses and phone numbers, you’ll need an SSL certificate to validate your site’s identity and encrypt all information sent to and from your site.
Can I use a third-party SSL certificate on a Personal plan?
Please note, only SSL certificates purchased through WP Engine, not through a third-party, can be added to a Personal plan.
How do I know if my site is running SSL?
There are two key ways to know whether your site or a site that you’re visiting is secured by SSL: a lock icon appears next to the URL in your browser’s address bar and the prefix https:// appears at the start of a URL.
Taylor McCaslin works as a Product Manager at WP Engine. WordPress has been Taylor’s platform of choice for over 5 years, he even paid his way through college by freelancing as a WordPress developer! When not creating products that captivate and delight, you’ll find Taylor geeking out with the latest tech gadget or experiencing the rich Austin art scene.
Follow Taylor on Twitter @Taylor4484.
Very useful information. But I think as per blogging point of view almost every website is a non-ssl site only. Is there any SERP benefit for SSL? What if someone want to start a blog with SSL certificate?
Hi Deb, thanks for your comment. Google announced late last year that they have started using HTTPS as a ranking signal:
I believe we will start to see many more websites use HTTPS, which is part of the reason we have expanded this capability to all WP Engine plans. We want to enable our customers to be successful, and that means giving our customers the tools they need to improve their search ranking.
Any plans to ad EV SSL support to WP Engine’s SSL (I know I can add third party SSLs but i’d love to be able to add them through WPE’s portal).
Hey Zach, thanks for your question. Unfortunately, we currently do not have plans to offer First Party Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates.
You are correct though, you could purchase one of these from a third party and add it as a third party certificate. I’m happy to say we are currently working on enhancements to our third party certificate tool, which will make it even easier to setup and configure third party certificates on WP Engine.
I will take your request for first party EV certificates back to our engineering team for future feature consideration. We’re always looking for new ways to better serve our customers.
Any plans to ad EV SSL support to WP Engine’s SSL now? do you plan anything on this topic now?
Hi Fran,
We currently do not have plans to support EV SSL certificates, however with the release of our new SSL dashboard, professional plans and higher can add/configure third party SSL certificates through our user portal.
Cheers,
Taylor McCaslin
Technical Product Manager
There is evidently a bundle to know about this.
I believe you made some good points in features also.