Showit provides free SSL (HTTPS) Certificates for all hosting plans!
Free Showit SSL (HTTPS) Certificates
New users can get set up with an SSL by following these steps for users without a blog or these steps for users with a blog. If there is an issue with and your SSL will not set, or your SSL has stopped functioning, message our support team to request a SSL be applied.
Note: If you have requested a blog setup, you will not be able to set any DNS records or have an SSL set for your site until you have been contacted by the blog team with confirmation that your blog has been successfully set up.
Free SSL Requirements & Details:
Blog users must be using a Showit theme for the free SSL to be applied (third-party themes are not supported)
Embed codes must be using https links or else they will be blocked by the browsers for security reasons. (see below)
Will Everything on My Website Still Work With HTTPS?
Most functionality should work correctly out of the gate when a Showit site is on HTTPS, but here are some things to double check:
LightWidget: If you use the free version of LightWidget to display your Instagram feed, a security warning will be displayed for your visitors. Because of this, we now recommend switching to Showit's built in Social Grid Widget.
iFrame URLs: When your website uses HTTPS, web browsers will warn visitors if non-HTTPS content is requested. If you are have added the Embed Code Widget to any of your pages, the iFrame URL must use https:// rather than http://, otherwise a security warning will be displayed for your visitors.
About SSL
If you are reading this, you may have read something or been told by someone that you need your website to be hosted securely to improve SEO. Hopefully this article can help you understand SSL and how it relates to Showit. According to Google, “Starting October 2017, Chrome (version 62) will show a ‘NOT SECURE’ warning when users enter text in a form on an HTTP page, and for all HTTP pages in Incognito mode.”
In simpler terms, if you have a contact form or subscription form on your website and your website is not using HTTPS, Chrome users will see a message that says your website is “NOT SECURE”.
What is SSL and HTTPS?
SSL and HTTPS are terms that refer to information that is encrypted before transmitting website data to and from your web server rather than being sent as plain text. This has been particularly important in the past for online stores when sensitive information (like a credit card number) is sent through a website. You’ll know a website’s connection is secure when you see https:// at the beginning of a web address rather than just http://. An SSL Certificate acts as a third party to verify the identity of the website owner for website visitors.
Until recently, most of the websites on the internet have functioned without HTTPS, and we’ve all been okay with it, kind of like how people didn’t always lock their doors decades ago. But now (thanks to evil villains and lesser bad guys) tighter security is being encouraged and rewarded by technology developers like Google.
If your website is not currently using HTTPS, don’t worry, the ‘NOT SECURE’ message is scarier than what is actually going on. Your website content is still secure on our Showit web servers, and all contact forms created in Showit are, in fact, transmitted using HTTPS even though it’s not indicated in the web address bar of Chrome.
That said, we understand the importance of HTTPS and we’re encouraging Showiteers to transition to improve your SEO and give your website visitors peace of mind.
About Showit's Free SSL Certificates
All subscription levels include free SSL. We offer HTTPS through a free Let's Encrypt SSL Certificate for domains, so you do not have to purchase an SSL Certificate from a third party provider.