How to Install SSL Certificate on DirectAdmin: Free Let's Encrypt and Paid SSL

Why Install SSL on DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin is the hosting control panel used by AsiaGB. It offers a clean interface and supports both methods of SSL installation: free Let's Encrypt, which can be enabled in just a few clicks, and paid SSL from trusted authorities like RapidSSL, GeoTrust, and DigiCert.

Having SSL is not just about security — it directly affects your website's credibility. Visitors who see the padlock icon and "https://" in the address bar are far more willing to submit forms, make payments, and interact with your site. Google also uses HTTPS as a ranking signal in search results. This guide walks you through both methods step by step.

Method A: Install Free Let's Encrypt SSL on DirectAdmin

Let's Encrypt is a free SSL Certificate issued by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG), a non-profit organization. It is a DV SSL trusted by all modern browsers and renews automatically every 60 days (certificate lifetime is 90 days). All AsiaGB Hosting plans include Let's Encrypt support through DirectAdmin.

Steps to Enable Let's Encrypt in DirectAdmin

1. Log in to your DirectAdmin panel at the URL provided by AsiaGB (e.g., server.asiagb.com:2222)
2. From the main dashboard, find Advanced Features or SSL Certificates
3. Click SSL Certificates
4. Select the domain you want to secure from the dropdown at the top
5. Choose the Free & automatic certificate from Let's Encrypt tab or option
6. Ensure both the domain and www.domain are selected
7. Click Save
8. Wait 1–2 minutes for the system to automatically request and install the certificate

Once complete, open your website in a browser with https://. The padlock icon should appear immediately. DirectAdmin will automatically renew the certificate before it expires — no action needed.

Let's Encrypt Auto-Renewal Explained

The biggest advantage of Let's Encrypt on DirectAdmin is that you never have to renew manually. The system schedules a cron job that checks and renews the certificate automatically, roughly 30 days before expiry (when the certificate has 30 of its 90 days remaining). As long as your domain still points to the same server, HTTPS will never silently lapse in the middle of a billing cycle.

To confirm when a certificate expires, click the padlock icon in your browser and look at the "Valid Until" date, or run an online SSL expiry checker for peace of mind. For AsiaGB customers, even if you change hosting plans or move a domain, the existing certificate will keep renewing as long as the DNS records remain correct and point to your server.

Method B: Install Paid SSL on DirectAdmin

Paid SSL is ideal when you need OV SSL (organization identity verification), EV SSL (highest trust level), or Wildcard SSL (covering all subdomains) — types that Let's Encrypt does not offer. The process has four main steps: generate a CSR, submit to the CA, receive the certificate files, and install in DirectAdmin.

Step 1: Generate a CSR in DirectAdmin

A CSR (Certificate Signing Request) is a data file used to identify your website and domain to the Certificate Authority (CA). It must be generated in DirectAdmin first.

1. Go to DirectAdmin → click SSL Certificates
2. Select your domain
3. Click the Generate a Certificate Request tab
4. Fill in all required fields: Common Name (e.g., www.yourdomain.com), Organization Name, City, State/Province, Country (TH)
5. Choose Key Size: 2048 or 4096 bit
6. Click Save — you will receive a CSR text block beginning with -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----

Step 2: Submit CSR to CA and Receive Certificate

1. Paste the CSR into the order form when purchasing SSL from AsiaGB at billing.in.th
2. Complete Domain Control Validation (DCV) — typically via email confirmation or adding a DNS TXT record
3. Once verified, the CA will email you the certificate files: your Certificate (.crt) and the CA Bundle / Intermediate Certificate

Step 3: Install the Certificate in DirectAdmin

1. Return to DirectAdmin → SSL Certificates → select your domain
2. Click the Paste a pre-generated certificate and key tab
3. Paste your Private Key (generated during CSR creation) in the Key field
4. Paste your Certificate (.crt) in the Certificate field
5. Paste the CA Bundle in the Certificate Authority Bundle field
6. Click Save

Force HTTPS Redirect with .htaccess

After installing SSL, users who type http:// can still access your site unencrypted. Add the following code to the .htaccess file in your website root to redirect all HTTP requests to HTTPS:

For WordPress, you can update the WordPress Address and Site Address in Settings → General to https://, then use a plugin like Really Simple SSL to handle Force HTTPS automatically. For plain PHP or HTML sites, the .htaccess code above is enough on its own — you do not need to edit each individual page.

For sites that need extra security, you can add an HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) header to force browsers to always connect over HTTPS, even if a user types http://. Add the line Header always set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains" to your .htaccess. Only enable HSTS once you are confident SSL works correctly on every page, because the policy is cached in the browser for a long time and is hard to reverse.

Common Problems After Installing SSL and How to Fix Them

After installing SSL on DirectAdmin, users tend to run into the same three issues. Here are the causes and practical fixes for each:

For Mixed Content, the fastest approach is to open Developer Tools (press F12) and go to the Console tab — the browser will tell you exactly which resources still load over http:// so you can fix them one by one. For chain issues, SSL Labs will explicitly warn "Chain issues: Incomplete" if the Intermediate Certificate is missing.

Testing Your SSL After Installation

• Open your browser — check for the padlock icon in the address bar
• Click the padlock — view certificate details to confirm the domain matches
• SSL Labs Test — visit ssllabs.com/ssltest for a full security grade and analysis
• Why No Padlock — check for mixed content (HTTP resources on an HTTPS page)
• Test redirect — type http://yourdomain.com and confirm it redirects to https://

Summary: Should You Use Let's Encrypt or Paid SSL?

For most websites, blogs, and small business sites, the free Let's Encrypt included with all AsiaGB Hosting plans is sufficient — no extra cost, and it renews automatically. If your website accepts online payments, needs to display organization identity in the certificate, or has multiple subdomains, consider a paid SSL starting from 1,000 THB/year from RapidSSL, GeoTrust, or DigiCert.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is installing SSL on DirectAdmin really free?

Yes. Let's Encrypt is a free SSL certificate included with every AsiaGB Hosting plan, available through the SSL Certificates menu in DirectAdmin. You can enable it in just a few clicks and it renews automatically at no extra cost. Only if you need OV/EV or Wildcard certificates should you consider paid SSL, which starts from 1,000 THB/year.

Does Let's Encrypt renew itself or do I renew it manually?

DirectAdmin renews Let's Encrypt automatically about 30 days before expiry via a system cron job. You don't need to do anything extra — as long as the domain still points to the same server and DNS is correct, the certificate renews itself every cycle.

Why does my site still show "Not Secure" even after installing SSL?

This is usually caused by Mixed Content — images, CSS, or JavaScript files still being requested over http:// on an HTTPS page. Open Developer Tools (F12) and check the Console tab to see which resource is the culprit, then update the link to https:// or use a plugin to handle it.

How is paid SSL on DirectAdmin different from Let's Encrypt?

Paid SSL requires you to generate a CSR in DirectAdmin first, submit it to the CA for validation, then paste the certificate and CA Bundle files into the "Paste a pre-generated certificate and key" menu. Let's Encrypt, by contrast, is enabled with a single click. Paid SSL is therefore best suited to sites that need OV/EV or Wildcard certificates, which Let's Encrypt does not offer.