Hostinger WordPress SSL Setup: Free HTTPS in Under 5 Minutes

Hostinger provides free Let's Encrypt SSL certificates on all hosting plans. SSL is usually installed automatically when you add a domain or install WordPress. If it's not active:

1. Log in to hPanel → SSL
2. Find your domain in the list
3. Click Install SSL next to your domain
4. Wait 5-10 minutes for the certificate to install and propagate
5. Verify by visiting your site with https:// in the URL

The certificate is valid for 90 days and renews automatically — Hostinger handles renewal silently with no action required from you.

Installing SSL doesn't automatically redirect HTTP to HTTPS. Force the redirect in two places:

Step 1: Update WordPress URLs
WordPress admin → Settings → General → change both WordPress Address and Site Address from http:// to https:// → Save Changes.

Step 2: Add .htaccess redirect
In hPanel File Manager, open .htaccess (enable hidden files) and add before the WordPress rules:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

This 301 redirect is permanent and SEO-safe. Google transfers all existing page authority from HTTP to HTTPS URLs.

After enabling HTTPS, your browser may show a 'Not Secure' warning due to mixed content — HTTP resources (images, scripts, stylesheets) loaded on an HTTPS page. Fix options:

Option 1: WordPress HTTPS plugin
Install Really Simple SSL (5M+ installs) — it automatically rewrites HTTP URLs to HTTPS sitewide with one click. Handles most mixed content automatically.

Option 2: WP-CLI search-replace
wp search-replace 'http://yourdomain.com' 'https://yourdomain.com' --all-tables
Replaces HTTP URLs in your database directly. Most thorough approach.

Option 3: Browser Developer Tools
Open DevTools → Console → look for 'Mixed Content' warnings to identify specific URLs causing issues. Fix them manually in your theme or content editor.

For addon domains or subdomains on Hostinger, install SSL individually for each domain:

1. hPanel → Domains → Add an addon domain or subdomain
2. Once DNS is pointed to Hostinger, go to hPanel → SSL
3. Click Install SSL next to the additional domain
4. Allow 5-15 minutes for installation

WordPress Multisite with multiple custom domains requires installing SSL for each mapped domain separately. The main multisite domain's SSL doesn't cover mapped client domains automatically.