Title: [Plugin: WordPress HTTPS] What is the purpose of the shared SSL option? Last modified: August 19, 2016 --- # [Plugin: WordPress HTTPS] What is the purpose of the shared SSL option? * Resolved Anonymous User 6488573 * (@anonymized-6488573) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/) * Hello, What is the purpose of the shared SSL option? I’m using the extension on a WP Network, meaning that the main domain’s certificate is used and I get warnings when connecting to the mapped domains. Is that option trying to fix this? * Cheers, * Olivier * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-https/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-https/) Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 34 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/page/2/?output_format=md) [3](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/page/3/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/page/2/?output_format=md) * Plugin Author [mvied](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mvied/) * (@mvied) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721433) * Yes! * If your website is [http://www.example.com](http://www.example.com) and your SSL certificate is a shared certificate at [http://ssl-account.com/example.com](http://ssl-account.com/example.com), then you could turn on the Shared SSL option and enter that as your Shared SSL Host and it should solve your issues with warnings. * That’s the idea anyways. If you run into issues, let me know. This part of the plugin is very new and has only been testing one one site (that I know of). If anyone has used the plugin for Shared SSL successfully, I’d like to see it. 🙂 * Thanks for downloading! * Thread Starter Anonymous User 6488573 * (@anonymized-6488573) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721447) * OK. I just tried and it didn’t work for me I tried: sub.domain.com [http://sub.domain.com](http://sub.domain.com) [https://sub.domain.com](https://sub.domain.com) * Could be because I’m using multiple certs per IP, could be something else. * Plugin Author [mvied](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mvied/) * (@mvied) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721449) * Well, you can’t use just any SSL, you have to be sure that it is a Shared SSL that you are allowed to use. I’ve never used one personally, but I hear that’s how it works. 😛 * When writing this addition to the plugin, I actually used a user’s site to test and debug. * Thread Starter Anonymous User 6488573 * (@anonymized-6488573) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721451) * Hmmm… Maybe we don’t have the same definition? To me, a shared cert is the one attached to an IP or a vhost. No matter which domain name you’re using, the web server will always present you that one cert that was assigned to that IP/Vhost. * In this example, the cert will only be valid for [http://www.shared.domain.com](http://www.shared.domain.com) or shared.domain.com SSLEngine on SSLCertificateFile / home/shared.domain.com.cert SSLCertificateKeyFile /home/shared.domain.com.key * ServerName [http://www.shared.domain.com](http://www.shared.domain.com) ServerAlias [http://www.shared.domain.com](http://www.shared.domain.com) shared.domain.com ServerAlias otherdomain.com superdomain.com extradomain.com * Is the plugin trying to load content using shared.domain.com while maintaining links with the proper URL? In my tests, all the links were using otherdomain. com * Plugin Author [mvied](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mvied/) * (@mvied) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721453) * Yes, the plugin uses the Shared SSL Host as a proxy. If your Shared SSL is issued through simply going to [https://www.yoursite.com](https://www.yoursite.com) you don’t need this option. * Basically, where the plugin would normally redirect/replace [http://www.yoursite.com/](http://www.yoursite.com/) with [https://www.yoursite.com/](https://www.yoursite.com/) it would replace it with whatever you type in your Shared SSL Host. * Like I said, I’ve never used them so my terminology and such might be off, but I know this worked for one site, so there must be other sites that need this functionality. * Maybe I should change the wording if it is misleading? * Thread Starter Anonymous User 6488573 * (@anonymized-6488573) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721456) * Oh, maybe I see what you mean. * Let’s say I have [http://domain.com](http://domain.com), but I have a secure form on the site that I want to make accessible via SSL. * If my web host allows me to use a shared cert, then I would type it in the preferences and I would automatically be redirected to [https://shared.webhost.com](https://shared.webhost.com) on that specific secure form page. * If I have my own cert, then I wouldn’t need this, it would automatically be used when going to [https://domain.com](https://domain.com) * Plugin Author [mvied](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mvied/) * (@mvied) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721457) * You got it. I’m actually asking the author of the test site I used if I can post his site as an example so that people can see it in action. * So, say you had something like a checkout page at [http://www.example.com/checkout/](http://www.example.com/checkout/), that you wanted to be secure, and your host provides a Shared SSL. You could simply enable this option, type in the shared ssl host (example: [https://shared.webhost.com/example.com](https://shared.webhost.com/example.com)) and when someone hits [http://www.example.com/checkout/](http://www.example.com/checkout/) they will be redirected to [https://shared.webhost.com/example.com/checkout/](https://shared.webhost.com/example.com/checkout/). * It also fixes images, stylesheets, scripts, etc. in the same fashion. * Plugin Author [mvied](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mvied/) * (@mvied) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721668) * Hey, he finally gave me the OK to use his site as an example. * You can go to [http://www.horizonte.com/en-german-courses/enrolment-for-a-german-course](http://www.horizonte.com/en-german-courses/enrolment-for-a-german-course) and you’ll see it redirect to [https://ssl-account.com/horizonte.com/en-german-courses/enrolment-for-a-german-course](https://ssl-account.com/horizonte.com/en-german-courses/enrolment-for-a-german-course). Redirects also work when going from HTTPS to HTTP. * Thread Starter Anonymous User 6488573 * (@anonymized-6488573) * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721684) * Nice touch for people who can’t afford to get their own IP address or who want to have a secure page while their blog is hosted on a WP Network. 🙂 * [yur1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yur1/) * (@yur1) * [15 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721712) * Hi Mvied, * I’m also trying to use the Shared SSL option as I run a small club website * [http://mkivc.org.uk/phoenix](http://mkivc.org.uk/phoenix) * and we don’t really want to splash out on our own Cert; plus we’d need to upgrade our hosting to a fixed IP. * I would like to secure the login page only, just so that login credentials are not interceptable if a User logins via a dodgy network. Not too worried about the rest of the content. * To this end, I put a link on the site to the login page via our shared SSL host * [https://delta.justhostme.co.uk/~mkivcorg/phoenix/wp-login.php?action=login](https://delta.justhostme.co.uk/~mkivcorg/phoenix/wp-login.php?action=login) * But it appears default Worpress behaviour is to force all links and submits to the main domain * [https://mkivc.org.uk/phoenix](https://mkivc.org.uk/phoenix) , * which of course breaks the SSL authentication. * So I thought your plugin with the Shared SSL option was just what I was looking for. * But this doesn’t seem to be happening i.e the Shared SSL host name is not being automatically prepended to URLS within the page * I’ve also enabled “Disable Automatic HTTPS” * Is this how the plugin is supposed to work and is it possible to do do what I’m trying to do ? * Many thanks, Yuri. * Plugin Author [mvied](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mvied/) * (@mvied) * [15 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721713) * Hey Yur1, * The plugin cannot do this in its current state, but it most certainly can with modifications. * I’ll work this into the next update, which I’m hoping to get out in the next few days. I’ll post in this topic when I push out the new version, and we’ll see if it works for you. * Thanks for downloading! * [yur1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yur1/) * (@yur1) * [15 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721716) * Ok thanks Mvied, I look forward to your mods. * But I’m still wondering how the horizonte site achieved the redirect on that specific page, as that seems to have the correct urls for the Shared SSL host?? * They also have normal non-https pages, so that method would probably work for me too. * Many thanks, Yuri. * Plugin Author [mvied](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mvied/) * (@mvied) * [15 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721717) * Hey Yuri, * Horizonte used the ‘Shared SSL’ option. In your cause, you would enable that option and type ‘[https://delta.justhostme.co.uk/~mkivcorg/phoenix’](https://delta.justhostme.co.uk/~mkivcorg/phoenix’); for your ‘Shared SSL Host’. * However, this will only work for forcing pages and posts to SSL, not necessarily login pages and such. That’s why I need to add some functionality to the plugin. * Thanks, Mike * [yur1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yur1/) * (@yur1) * [15 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721723) * Thanks for your advice Mvied. * As it happens I’m now using the Admin-SSL plugin to do exactly what was required, w.r.t. Shared SSL. * Many thanks, Yuri. * Plugin Author [mvied](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mvied/) * (@mvied) * [15 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/#post-1721724) * Awesome! * I’ll still be adding it the same functionality to mine here shortly. No reason not to since it’s not that big of a modification, and it makes the plugin more useful. Thanks! Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 34 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/page/2/?output_format=md) [3](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/page/3/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘[Plugin: WordPress HTTPS] What is the purpose of the shared SSL option?’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/wordpress-https_bec2c9.svg) * [WordPress HTTPS (SSL)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-https/) * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-https/#faq) * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordpress-https/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordpress-https/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordpress-https/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordpress-https/reviews/) * 34 replies * 5 participants * Last reply from: [Fred Chapman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fwchapman/) * Last activity: [14 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-https-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-shared-ssl-option/page/3/#post-1721876) * Status: resolved