Is there any method to associate an SSL certificate with a website that lacks access to hosting but only has access to domain settings? The website is on Bitrix24, situated in the cloud, and gaining access to hosting is not feasible.



According to Bitrix24 help, when you add your domain to the Site, an SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt is automatically issued for a certain period of time (generally ranging from 30 minutes to 3 hours). You are not required to take any action as everything occurs automatically and free of charge for all tariffs. The certificate is also updated automatically.

Nevertheless, this automated process does not occur and there is no technical support provided for free tariffs.

In the situation where access to hosting is not feasible and only domain settings are accessible, there are still options to associate an SSL certificate with the website.

One potential solution could be to use a DNS-based SSL certificate management service. These services work by validating domain ownership and then issuing SSL certificates that can be applied at the DNS level rather than the hosting level. This means that even without access to hosting, the SSL certificate can still be enforced for the website.

Another approach could involve using a reverse proxy service, which allows SSL termination to happen at the proxy level rather than the hosting server. This means that the SSL certificate is applied at the proxy, and the proxy then communicates with the website without the need for the website to handle the SSL itself.

It's also worth exploring if the domain registrar or DNS provider offers any SSL certificate options that can be associated with the domain directly from their settings. Some providers have partnerships with SSL certificate authorities and offer seamless integration of SSL certificates through their domain management interfaces.

In the case of Bitrix24, if the automated SSL certificate issuance and updates are not occurring as expected, it may be worth reaching out to their support team to inquire about the issue and seek a resolution. Even for free tariffs, it's in their interest to ensure that websites using their platform are secured with SSL certificates.
While access to hosting may not be available, there are still alternative methods and services that can be utilized to secure the website with an SSL certificate through domain settings. It's important to explore these options and find the best fit for the specific circumstances of the website.

If you decide to build a website using Bitrix24, whether it's on a Bitrix24 domain or linked to your own domain, both options will come with automatic SSL. This means that your website will always be accessible over https.

Your primary responsibility would be to ensure that the SSL certificate is properly connected to the Bitrix24 Cloud site to guarantee secure and encrypted connections for users. To achieve this, you would begin by generating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from the Bitrix24 Cloud site's administrative panel. This involves providing specific information about the organization and domain for which the SSL certificate is intended. It's crucial to ensure that the details entered during this process are accurate and match the organization's official records.

After generating the CSR, you would then need to purchase an SSL certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) and follow their specific verification process to authenticate the domain and organization. Once the SSL certificate is issued, you would then proceed to install it on the Bitrix24 Cloud site. This may involve uploading the SSL certificate files to the server and configuring the web server settings to enable HTTPS connections.

Furthermore, as a web designer, you would also need to update any internal links within the website to ensure that they point to the secure HTTPS versions of the pages. This includes updating any hardcoded links in the website's code, as well as ensuring that all resources, such as images, scripts, and stylesheets, are loaded securely.
Thorough testing of the SSL certificate implementation is essential to confirm that the Bitrix24 Cloud site is properly secured and that visitors can access the site via HTTPS without encountering any security warnings or errors. It's also important to monitor the SSL certificate's expiration date and renew it before it expires to maintain uninterrupted secure access to the site.

To associate an SSL certificate with your website on Bitrix24 without accessing hosting, you can use a DNS-based SSL certificate like Cloudflare's SSL or SSL for Free.

This method doesn't require hosting access and can be set up through your domain settings. You'll need to configure your DNS records to point to Cloudflare's servers, and then enable SSL encryption. This solution is a good alternative to the automated SSL certificate issuance process provided by Bitrix24.