Enabling SSL for Drupal

Securing your Drupal site with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) ensures that all data exchanged between your visitors and your site is encrypted. On ruachost.com, you can enable SSL for Drupal using either a purchased certificate or the free cPanel SSL option.

Why Enable SSL?

• Protects sensitive information such as login credentials and payment details.

• Improves visitor trust with the padlock icon in browsers.

• Boosts SEO rankings (Google favors HTTPS sites).

• Prevents “Not Secure” warnings in modern browsers.

Steps to Enable SSL for Drupal

Step 1: Install an SSL Certificate

• Purchase an SSL certificate from Ruachost or use the free cPanel SSL option.

• Once installed, verify that your domain resolves correctly with https://.

Step 2: Configure .htaccess for HTTPS Redirects

1. Log in to your hosting account via SSH or use the File Manager in cPanel.

2. Open the .htaccess file in your Drupal root directory.

3. Add the following directives:

    

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

   • This forces all traffic to use HTTPS.

   • It also ensures visitors are redirected to the www version of your domain if required.

Step 3: Test Your Configuration

• Visit your site using http://example.com.

• You should be redirected automatically to https://www.example.com.

• Confirm that no browser warnings appear.

Step 4: Use cPanel SSL with Drupal

• Ruachost provides cPanel SSL, a free automated certificate authority recognized by most browsers.

• Certificates are generated automatically for new accounts and can be used immediately.

• This option is ideal for quick and secure deployment.

Important Notes

• Ensure your SSL certificate matches your domain (with or without www).

• If you don’t want to force www, remove the first two lines in the .htaccess example.

• Always back up your .htaccess file before making changes.