Secure an Azure App Service with an App Service Managed Certificate

In the previous tutorial, you mapped a custom domain name to your website by using a CNAME record. In the last tutorial of “Host WordPress on Microsoft Azure” tutorial series, you will protect your custom domain with a free App Service Managed Certificate.

To complete the exercise, you will need:

  • An Azure subscription.
  • A WordPress website running on Azure or another Azure App Service app with a valid custom domain connected to it.
Note that the Azure App Service Managed Certificate can only protect subdomains.

Check the pricing tier of the App Service plan

To protect a custom domain with an SSL certificate, your App Service plan must be in Basic tier or higher.

  1. Sign in to Azure Portal, expand the left navigation panel and select All resources.

  2. Select the App Service that you have created in the part 1.

  3. In the left pane, select Scale Up (App Service Plan) in the Settings section.

  4. If the app is in the F1 or D1 tier, select one of the Basic, Standard, Premium, or Isolated tiers and click Apply. If your app isn’t in the F1 or D1 tier, skip this step.

Create a free certificate

In Azure App Service you can easily protect your domain names with SSL certificates. You can either upload your own certificate, buy a certificate, or use the free App Service Managed Certificate.

App Service Managed Certificate is a fully functional TLS/SSL certificate that is managed by App Service. It does not support wildcard certificates and naked domains and it is not exportable.

  1. In the left pane, select TLS/SSL Settings.

  2. Click on Private Key Certificates (.pfx) and then select Create App Service Managed Certificate to create a new certificate.

    Create App Service Managed Certificate

  3. In the new tab, select your domain name and click Create to create the certificate.

    Create App Service Managed Certificate

  4. Go to the Bindings tab and select Add TLS/SSL Binding.

    Create binding

  5. Select the domain name and the certificate you have just created and click Add Binding.

    Create binding

You can learn more about App Service Managed Certificate on Microsoft Docs.

Next steps

That’s it! You have successfully created a WordPress website running on Microsoft Azure, connected a custom domain to it and protected the app with an SSL certificate. You are now ready to launch your new website!

Foteini Savvidou

Written By

Foteini Savvidou

I am an Electrical and Computer Engineering student at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, interested in AI, IoT, Wireless Communications, and Cloud Technologies, as well as in applications of technology in healthcare and education. I am also Microsoft AI MVP and Gold Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador.

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