Fix SSL Certificate Issues Between IONOS and WordPress

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Securing your website with an SSL certificate is no longer just a best practice—it’s a must, particularly for search engine rankings and user trust. If you’re using IONOS for hosting and WordPress as your CMS, you may occasionally face issues where your SSL certificate isn’t working correctly. This can result in “Not Secure” warnings or even restrict access to your website entirely.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most common SSL certificate issues between IONOS and WordPress, and more importantly, how to fix them, so your site is secure and professional-looking at all times.

Understanding the Importance of SSL

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates encrypt the data transferred between your web server and your visitors’ browsers. This ensures that sensitive information like login credentials, credit card details, and personal data remains confidential. It also builds trust with your users and helps boost your SEO rankings.

When using IONOS as your hosting provider and WordPress as your platform, enabling and configuring SSL should be straightforward—but conflicts can arise due to improper configuration or plugin conflicts.

Common SSL Issues Between IONOS and WordPress

Before we dive into the fixes, let’s identify the most frequent SSL problems:

  • SSL certificate installed but site still showing as “Not Secure”.
  • Mixed content errors: Some resources are still loaded over HTTP instead of HTTPS.
  • Redirection errors: HTTP to HTTPS redirection breaking the website or causing redirect loops.
  • Expired or self-signed certificate: Not trusted by browsers.
  • Incorrect WordPress URL settings: URLs not reflecting HTTPS protocol.

Step-by-Step Solutions

1. Confirm That Your SSL Certificate Is Active on IONOS

First, verify that your SSL certificate is actually installed and active.

  1. Log in to your IONOS Control Panel.
  2. Navigate to Websites & Shops, then click on the domain in question.
  3. Under the SSL Certificate section, check if a certificate is assigned to your domain.

If it’s not active, simply click on “Add SSL certificate” and assign it to your domain.

2. Update WordPress URLs to HTTPS

If WordPress is still referencing old HTTP links, you’ll need to update your Site URL and Home URL:

  1. Log into your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
  2. Go to Settings > General.
  3. Update both the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) from http:// to https://.

Be careful: An incorrect change here can lock you out of your site. If that happens, you’ll need to revert changes via wp-config.php or your database.

3. Install SSL Plugins to Force HTTPS

There are many plugins that help ensure all traffic is forced to HTTPS, which is especially useful if you’re unfamiliar with .htaccess or server rule configurations.

Recommended plugin:

  • Really Simple SSL – This plugin automatically configures your website to use SSL and handles most of the setup.

After installing and activating it:

  1. Go to the WordPress Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Settings > SSL.
  3. Click on “Go ahead, activate SSL!”

4. Fix Mixed Content Warnings

Having SSL installed and enabled doesn’t always mean all your content is secure. Mixed content errors occur when some resources (like images, JavaScript, or stylesheets) are still being loaded over HTTP.

To identify mixed content:

  • Use browser tools: Right-click on your webpage, click Inspect, and go to the Console tab to find insecure resource errors.
  • Alternatively, use online tools like Why No Padlock?

To fix these, you can:

  • Manually update links in your content and database from HTTP to HTTPS.
  • Use a plugin like Better Search Replace to replace all HTTP URLs with their HTTPS counterpart in your database.

5. Edit .htaccess for Permanent Redirects

If SSL is installed but manually visiting HTTP still works, you need to force redirection.

Edit your .htaccess file (found in your WordPress root directory) and add the following code:


<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

This code ensures all traffic is forwarded to the HTTPS version of your site.

6. Clear Cache and CDN

Sometimes, changes won’t reflect immediately due to caching by your WordPress caching plugins or Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) like Cloudflare.

Steps to follow:

  • Clear your WordPress cache (via plugins like WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache).
  • Flush the browser cache.
  • If using a CDN, purge the cache from the CDN dashboard.

7. Check for Plugin or Theme Conflicts

In rare cases, specific plugins or themes might interfere with the SSL setup. You can identify these by deactivating your plugins one by one, checking to see if the SSL issue resolves itself.

If possible, switch temporarily to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Four to test whether the issue is theme-specific.

Best Practices to Avoid Future SSL Issues

Prevention is better than cure. Here are some best practices for maintaining a healthy SSL setup:

  • Enable Auto-Renewal: Make sure your SSL certificate on IONOS is set to auto-renew.
  • Regular URL Checks: After making major changes or content updates, inspect URLs to ensure they’re HTTPS-enabled.
  • Update Plugins and Themes: Keep your site components up to date to avoid compatibility issues.
  • Use Security Plugins: Tools like Wordfence or Sucuri can monitor and alert you if SSL is misconfigured.

Troubleshooting SSL with IONOS Support

If you’ve tried all the steps and still can’t get SSL to work correctly, don’t hesitate to reach out to IONOS support. They offer 24/7 assistance and can help with certificate installation, DNS settings, and more.

When contacting them, make sure to provide:

  • Your domain name
  • Screenshot of the error (like browser warnings)
  • Proof you’ve modified WordPress and plugin settings

Conclusion

Fixing SSL certificate issues between IONOS and WordPress might seem intimidating at first, but it’s quite manageable with a methodical approach. From verifying installation on IONOS to properly configuring WordPress and its plugins, each step plays a vital role in ensuring your website is fully secured under HTTPS.

Whether you’re launching a brand new blog or managing a high-traffic eCommerce site, maintaining a secure connection is essential for users, search engines, and your peace of mind.

Take the time to apply these steps, and you’ll enjoy better performance, higher trust scores, and fewer headaches in the future. A secure site is a successful site!