Does Bluehost include SSL?
Yes. Bluehost advertises free SSL with its hosting plans, using Let’s Encrypt for the free option. Before you buy an upgrade, check whether your domain already has a working certificate and whether every page uses HTTPS.
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Affiliate disclosure: MentorsReview may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. This guide uses official documentation and practical configuration checks; it does not claim independent hosting performance tests.
Start by checking the free certificate already available for your website.
Certificate issuance and forcing visitors onto HTTPS are different jobs.
A secure homepage does not prove that forms, images and checkout all work.
What Bluehost means by free SSL
Bluehost’s SSL product page identifies a free option included in hosting plans and lists Let’s Encrypt as its issuing authority. Premium SSL is also offered. Treat the product page as the starting point for your buying decision, then verify the features shown for the exact hosting account and domain you intend to use.
The practical question is whether your actual visitors reach a valid HTTPS version of your website. An account can show an SSL product while a recently moved domain still points to another server. A certificate can be present while an old link opens an HTTP page. A website can load correctly for its owner while an alternate hostname produces a warning for customers.
Make a short list of addresses you use publicly: the main domain, its www version, landing pages on subdomains and any separate application. Check each address individually. Do not assume that adding one certificate automatically protects every name you might create later. Your certificate coverage and hosting configuration need to match those names.
If you are deciding which extras to buy, review our Bluehost add-ons guide. Separate essential setup work from optional subscriptions so that your first hosting invoice reflects what you need, rather than everything a checkout page makes available.
SSL, TLS and HTTPS explained in plain English
People usually say SSL when discussing website certificates, although modern secure web connections use TLS. HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP that browsers use to communicate with a website. The certificate helps the browser validate the server’s identity for a domain as part of establishing that connection.
Think of these as three connected responsibilities: the server presents a valid certificate, the browser establishes an encrypted connection, and your website directs visitors to the correct secure address. A problem in any part can interrupt the experience. Buying a certificate does not fix every issue in the other two parts.
HTTPS protects data while it travels over the connection. It does not prove that a seller is honest, that an article is accurate or that a website contains no malware. A scam website can use HTTPS too. For your own site, continue maintaining software updates, strong account security, sensible permissions and reliable backups.
For visitors, the useful signal is a connection that works without certificate warnings. Browser icons and wording vary, so do not use the presence of one particular padlock design as your only test. Open the browser’s connection information when you need to inspect the certificate and confirm that the address is the one you intended to visit.
Free SSL or paid SSL: what should you choose?
| Your situation | Starting choice | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Personal blog or affiliate content site | The included free option | Main domain, www, renewal and secure images |
| Small business brochure site | Free SSL if it meets your needs | Forms, booking links and any external integrations |
| Store with third-party payment processing | Evaluate your full setup | Checkout, payment callbacks and provider requirements |
| Organization requiring identity validation | A suitable OV or EV product if required | Validation requirements and available certificate types |
| Several domains or subdomains | A coverage plan for every hostname | Which names each certificate actually covers |
Let’s Encrypt issues domain validated certificates and does not sell certificates. Domain validation checks control of the domain; it does not perform the organizational identity checks associated with OV or EV certificates. Those are different validation categories, not a reason to assume every free encrypted connection is weaker than a paid one.
For a typical content website, start with the included certificate and test it. Consider a paid product when you have a specific requirement it satisfies, such as organizational validation, a particular support arrangement or documented coverage needs. Compare the actual product specifications rather than treating the word premium as a complete security explanation.
Read any warranty terms carefully. A certificate warranty is not interchangeable with a backup service, business insurance or a guarantee against a compromised WordPress installation. Also check renewal costs and whether a promoted initial term creates a future paid subscription. Keep a copy of the selected product and billing terms.
Before activation: prepare the domain and a recovery plan
Write down which company manages your domain registration, which service hosts DNS and where the website itself is hosted. These can be three different providers. The place where you bought your domain is not necessarily the place where you edit the DNS records that currently control it.
Record the current DNS settings before changing them. In particular, preserve mail-related records if you are only moving a website. Replacing nameservers without considering email can create an unrelated outage while you are trying to solve HTTPS. If you are unsure what a record does, ask your hosting or DNS provider to identify the required change.
Take a fresh backup and make sure you know how to restore it. Store it somewhere accessible even if WordPress stops loading. Our Bluehost backup guide explains why having a hosting account is not a complete recovery plan. A backup is useful only when you can reach and restore it.
Choose a quiet time for URL changes if your site accepts orders or bookings. Keep access to your hosting dashboard and file manager available. Changing several redirect systems at once makes it difficult to identify what failed, so write down each change and test after each meaningful step.
How to find and activate Bluehost’s free certificate
Bluehost’s newer guide uses Websites → Manage Site → Security to find the SSL card. It labels the free Let’s Encrypt option as Basic. If the certificate is not secure, its documented path opens SSL logs and cPanel, where you can select the domain and run AutoSSL. Excluded domains must be included again before that process can cover them.
Some accounts show different menus. Bluehost’s other AutoSSL documentation uses My Sites and an SSL toggle. Follow the controls visible in your account and the help article matching that interface. A missing button is not proof that you need to buy a premium certificate.
- Select the right website. Confirm the domain before opening its settings, especially when your account hosts more than one site.
- Read the current status. Note whether the certificate is installed, pending or reporting an error.
- Inspect the relevant hostname. Include the www address or subdomain if visitors use it.
- Use the documented activation path. If validation fails, save the log message rather than repeatedly changing unrelated settings.
- Test the secure URL directly. Check that HTTPS works before adding redirect rules.
Do not promise yourself a fixed activation time. Issuance depends on validation and your current configuration. If the status remains unresolved, an exact error message and a timeline of recent changes are more useful to support than simply reporting that SSL is broken.
Enable HTTPS without creating a redirect loop
Installing a certificate and redirecting HTTP visitors are separate steps. Bluehost’s free SSL guide specifically notes that HTTPS enforcement may need manual configuration. First confirm that the destination HTTPS address opens correctly; then use the redirect method appropriate to your hosting, application and any proxy in front of it.
For WordPress, inspect Settings → General. WordPress Address identifies where the core application resides, while Site Address identifies the public site location. They are commonly similar but can differ in a deliberate directory setup. Preserve the existing hostname and path structure when updating the scheme; do not casually remove a directory or switch between www and non-www.
If those settings are locked or controlled through configuration, ask the administrator who manages them. Do not fight an enforced setting by installing several plugins that each try to override it. Keep a record of the previous values so that a mistake can be corrected through an appropriate recovery path.
Choose one clear place to manage the redirect policy. Your host, application, security plugin and CDN can all influence routing. Overlapping instructions can send a browser back and forth until it gives up. If a reverse proxy is involved, use its documented HTTPS configuration rather than pasting a generic server rule.
After the change, test an HTTP homepage, an HTTP article and a URL with a query string. Each should reach the intended HTTPS destination without losing the path or required parameters. Clear relevant caches after correcting settings, then repeat the test in a private browsing window.
Why a website can still show an SSL warning
Bluehost’s troubleshooting guide identifies several common categories: DNS configuration, missing HTTPS redirection, mixed content, certificate expiry and hostname mismatch. Diagnose the category before changing anything. A paid certificate will not automatically correct an image URL or a redirect loop.
| What you observe | First useful check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP works but HTTPS warns | Certificate validity and hostname | Confirm installation for the exact address |
| HTTPS works but HTTP stays insecure | Redirect configuration | Set and test a consistent secure destination |
| Only www or a subdomain fails | Certificate domain coverage | Correct the coverage and related DNS |
| Images or page features disappear | Asset URLs and browser diagnostics | Replace insecure embedded resources |
| Too many redirects | Host, application and proxy rules | Resolve conflicting routing instructions |
| Error after a website move | Current DNS destination | Validate the certificate on the new host |
Separate a browser certificate warning from a broken application page. If the secure connection succeeds but WordPress displays a server error, the certificate may be working while another part of the website fails. Capture the exact message and the address where it appears; that distinction helps avoid unnecessary certificate replacement.
Find and repair mixed content
An HTTPS page can still reference resources using HTTP. Check embedded images, stylesheets, scripts, fonts and iframe content. Old theme settings or page-builder fields may contain these URLs even when the visible editor looks correct. Inspect the actual affected page and the browser’s diagnostics to identify which resource fails.
Verify that a resource has a working HTTPS version before updating its address. For files you own, use the secure URL served by your media library or asset host. For external resources, check the provider’s supported embed instructions. Replacing a link without testing it can turn a security issue into a missing file.
On a large WordPress site, use a tool that understands the data format being edited and preview its changes where possible. Keep a backup before broad replacements. Afterward, check templates, reusable blocks and high-value landing pages, not just the article that first showed a problem.
Check renewal and expiration
Bluehost describes AutoSSL as managing automatic renewal. That automation still needs a functioning configuration. Inspect the live certificate rather than assuming that an account setting guarantees success indefinitely. Recheck after DNS changes, a migration or a change to the system handling validation.
Set a recurring operational check appropriate to your site. A store or lead-generation business benefits from monitoring that alerts someone who can act. Make sure the notification goes to an actively checked address, and document who is responsible when the owner is unavailable.
SSL checks after migration or adding a CDN
A migration introduces two versions of your website for a period: the old host and the new one. Test certificate availability on the new destination as part of the move. Do not cancel the old hosting until the public domain reliably reaches the intended site and important user actions work.
A CDN or reverse proxy can create two connection segments: visitor to proxy and proxy to origin. Ask the provider which mode secures both segments and validates the origin correctly. Seeing HTTPS at the browser does not, by itself, describe every connection behind the scenes.
If you are using a staging hostname, check that it has appropriate coverage too. Avoid publishing staging addresses in navigation, images or canonical tags. Review the Bluehost migration guide for a wider move checklist, including backups and final verification.
A practical launch checklist for beginners
- Open the homepage and a few deep pages using HTTPS.
- Test the www and non-www versions people might type.
- Check that HTTP links reach the correct secure page.
- Confirm that images, fonts and interactive features load.
- Submit a test contact form and verify delivery.
- Test login, booking or checkout flows relevant to your site.
- Review canonical URLs, sitemap entries and shared social links.
- Keep a fresh backup and record who monitors renewal.
Test on a phone as well as a desktop. A desktop browser may hide a problem because it has cached assets or an existing session. A private window and a second network can help you distinguish an old local result from a current visitor experience.
For affiliate websites, also test outbound buttons. The page should present the intended recommendation and the link should reach the correct destination. HTTPS work should not accidentally alter tracking parameters or replace an affiliate URL with a plain vendor link.
Choosing Bluehost? Check the full plan before checkout
Free SSL is one piece of a hosting decision. Compare storage, renewal charges, backup arrangements and the features your website actually needs. Buy a certificate upgrade only when you can name the requirement it solves.
Check the Bluehost 50% offer →
Confirm current offer eligibility and the final billing terms on Bluehost’s checkout page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bluehost include free SSL?
Yes. Its current product page lists free SSL as included in hosting plans. Confirm activation and coverage for the domain in your specific account.
Do I need premium SSL for a blog?
Often the free option meets the connection requirements of a standard blog. Consider a paid product for a defined validation, coverage or support requirement rather than buying it automatically.
Does free SSL automatically redirect every page?
Do not assume so. Test HTTP and HTTPS versions and configure the appropriate redirect after the secure destination works.
Can SSL stop WordPress hacking?
SSL protects the connection. It does not replace updates, access controls, backups or maintenance of your website and account.
What should I send Bluehost support?
Send the affected domain, exact error, certificate status, recent DNS or migration changes and whether the issue affects HTTP, HTTPS or only a particular hostname. Do not send passwords or private keys in an ordinary support message.
