Skip to content
OrbixPanel OrbixPanel Tutorials

What is SSL / HTTPS?

That little padlock 🔒 next to a web address means the connection is encrypted. Getting it is free and takes one click — but it helps to know what it actually does.

HTTP sends data readable like a postcard; HTTPS encrypts it like a sealed envelope http:// Not secure Like a postcard — anyone on the way can read it (passwords included). password=hunter2 https:// Secure Like a sealed envelope — scrambled so only the site can read it. x9#2a@7!kQ…z4

In plain words

  • HTTP sends everything as plain text. Anyone between the visitor and your server (on shared Wi-Fi, say) could read passwords, form data, anything. Browsers now label these sites “Not secure.”
  • HTTPS encrypts the connection, so it’s unreadable in transit. That’s the padlock.
  • An SSL certificate is the little file that makes HTTPS work. It both enables the encryption and proves your site is really your site. Let’s Encrypt issues them free, and OrbixPanel renews them automatically.

Get the padlock (one click)

  1. Make sure your domain points at your server first (Domains & DNS) — SSL issuance checks that.
  2. In OrbixPanel, open the website (or app) and click Request SSL (Websites).
  3. Done — the site now loads over https://, and renews itself before it expires.

Why you want it (even for a small site)

  • Browsers warn visitors away from non-HTTPS sites.
  • Google ranks HTTPS sites higher.
  • Logins, contact forms, and payments require it to be safe.
  • It’s free. There’s no reason not to.

If it won’t issue

Almost always it’s DNS: the domain’s A record isn’t pointing at this server yet, so Let’s Encrypt can’t verify you own it. Fix the A record, wait for propagation, and click Request SSL again. More in SSL & Cloudflare.

Next: Databases for beginners →