While Hostinger provides automatic Lifetime SSL for all websites hosted on web, cloud and Agency hosting plans, you may choose to install a custom SSL certificate from an external provider. If your custom SSL installation fails, it is typically due to DNS propagation issues, misconfigured certificate files, or plan limitations.
Before you start
- Custom SSL certificates can only be installed on websites created with PHP/HTML, WordPress, or other file-based CMS.
- The website must be added to your hosting plan (e.g. if your website is hosted on a different provider, the custom SSL should be installed on your hosting provider’s platforms).
- For Hostinger Website Builder and Hostinger Horizons websites, Lifetime SSL certificates are managed automatically in the background and activate only after you Publish your website.
- Installing custom SSL is not available for Hostinger Website Builder and Hostinger Horizons websites.
Step 1 – Point the domain to Hostinger
For a custom SSL to be successfully verified and installed, your domain must be correctly pointed to Hostinger and fully propagated.
- Ensure your domain is pointing to Hostinger via nameservers or an A record.
- Check your DNS zone for conflicting A or AAAA records that might point to a different server.
- Wait up to 24 hours for any DNS changes to propagate globally before retrying the installation.
Step 2 – Verify certificate and private key matching
A custom SSL installation will fail if there is a mismatch between the certificate files. This often happens if the private key was replaced or lost after the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) was generated.
- Verify that the Certificate (CRT), Private Key (KEY), and Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE) match each other.
- Check that the certificate has not been revoked by the issuer and is not expired.
- If you need to generate a new CSR, you can use the CSR Generator tool.
Step 3 – Check hosting plan compatibility
Ensure that your Hostinger hosting plan supports the specific type of custom SSL you are trying to install.
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Web and cloud hosting: While these plans support standard custom SSLs, they primarily utilize the automatic Lifetime SSL feature.
- Agency hosting: refer to the dedicated guide on custom SSL for Agency hosting.
By verifying your DNS settings and ensuring your certificate keys match, you can successfully secure your website with a custom SSL. Once installed, your domain will display the secure padlock icon in web browsers, protecting your visitor data.