Welcome to Part 2 of your WordPress website journey! In [Part 1](/tutorials/wordpress/launch-wordpress-website-in-aws/), we launched a WordPress site on AWS. Now, we’ll explore how to enhance your site’s speed and security with a Content Delivery Network (CDN). A CDN improves performance by distributing your site’s content across global servers, ensuring faster load times for visitors regardless of location. Let’s dive into optimizing your WordPress site for a smoother, more secure user experience!

## Request your certificate

First, let’s make your site secure. An SSL/TLS certificate protects your website by encrypting information between your site and visitors. It also shows a “padlock” in the browser to let users know your site is safe. Let’s get that certificate set up!

1. Pop into the AWS Management Console and search for **Certificate Manager** in the Services menu.

2. Click on <span class="text-orange">**Request**</span> — think of it as applying for your domain's VIP pass.

<p><img src="/static/images/common/certificate/request-certificate.jpg" alt="Request Certificate" style="width: 80%;"></p>

3. Select **Request a public certificate** and hit <span class="text-orange">**Next**</span>.

<p><img src="/static/images/common/certificate/request-certificate-type.jpg" alt="Certificate Type" style="width: 80%;"></p>

4. Drop in your domain name (e.g., `example.com`). 

5. Click on **Add another name for this certificate** and add your domain with `*.` in front like (e.g., `*.example.com`).

<p><img src="/static/images/common/certificate/domain-names.jpg" alt="Domain names" style="width: 80%;"></p>

5. Hit <span class="text-orange">**Next**</span>.

6. Click **Create records in Route 53** to validate your domain.

<p><img src="/static/images/common/certificate/create-record-domain.jpg" alt="Create records in Route 53 action bar" style="width: 80%;"></p>

7. You will see your domain(s) here. Just hit the <span class="text-orange">**Create record(s)**</span> button.

<p><img src="/static/images/common/certificate/create-dns.jpg" alt="Create DNS in Route 53 action bar" style="width: 80%;"></p>

8. AWS is in the process of generating your certificate. This may take about 10 minutes.

## Add a CDN

Time to give your site some turbo-charged speed with a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

### Step 1: Create stack

Click the button below and let CloudFormation work its magic.

<a href="https://us-east-1.console.aws.amazon.com/cloudformation/home?region=us-east-1#/stacks/create?stackName=wordpress-cdn&templateURL=https://wordpress-release.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/cloudformation/cloudfront-wordpress.yaml" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="btn-orange-lg mb-2">LAUNCH CDN<span><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="20" height="20" fill="#fff"><path d="M3.75 2h3.5a.75.75 0 0 1 0 1.5h-3.5a.25.25 0 0 0-.25.25v8.5c0 .138.112.25.25.25h8.5a.25.25 0 0 0 .25-.25v-3.5a.75.75 0 0 1 1.5 0v3.5A1.75 1.75 0 0 1 12.25 14h-8.5A1.75 1.75 0 0 1 2 12.25v-8.5C2 2.784 2.784 2 3.75 2Zm6.854-1h4.146a.25.25 0 0 1 .25.25v4.146a.25.25 0 0 1-.427.177L13.03 4.03 9.28 7.78a.751.751 0 0 1-1.042-.018.751.751 0 0 1-.018-1.042l3.75-3.75-1.543-1.543A.25.25 0 0 1 10.604 1Z"></path></svg></span></a>

!!!
**Heads Up:** If you’re not in `us-east-1`, adjust the region in the AWS console menu to match where you are.
!!!

<p><img src="/static/images/tutorials/wordpress/wordpress-create-stack-cdn.jpg" alt="WordPress Pro CDN Create Stack" style="width: 90%;"></p>

### Step 2: Name your stack & add details

Pick a name that works for you—whether it’s fun, simple, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it’s between 1–128 characters, begins with a letter, and doesn’t include any special characters.

<p><img src="/static/images/tutorials/wordpress/wordpress-cdn-stack-name.jpg" alt="WordPress Pro CDN Create Stack" style="width: 50%;"></p>

### Step 3: Customize your settings

Add details like your domain name, certificate ARN, and CMS DNS. The wizard will guide you here.

<p><img src="/static/images/tutorials/wordpress/wordpress-cdn-stack-parametes.jpg" alt="WordPress Pro CDN Parameters" style="width: 50%;"></p>

Name   | Description
---    | ---
CloudFront Certificate ARN | The AWS Certification Manager certificate ARN for the CloudFront distribution certificate. To find the certificate navigate to **Certificate Manager,** click on the respective domain name and copy the **ARN.**
Website Domain Name | The domain name of the Wordpress website (e.g. example.com).
CMS DNS Name | The Wordpress DNS or IP used to login. To find the DNS navigate to CloudFormation, locate your WordPress instance,  click on the Outputs tab, and copy the **AdminUrl.**

### Step 4: Configure stack options

Optional but useful for organizing resources.

<p><img src="/static/images/quickstart/stack-advanced.jpg" alt="WordPress Pro advanced options" style="width: 50%;"></p>

### Step 5: Review and create

Double-check everything and hit <span class="text-orange">**Submit**</span>.

## Update Record

1. Go to **Route 53** by searching for it in the Services menu.

2. Under **Hosted Zones**, select the domain you created earlier.

3. Select your domain and click on <span class="text-orange">**Edit Record**</span>.

4. Update the **Record Type** to **A - Routes traffic to an IPv4 address and some AWS resources**

5. Enable **Alias**.

6. Under **Route traffic to** select **Alias to CloudFront distribution**.

7. Select the corresponding CloudFront distribution.

8. Click <span class="text-orange">**Save**</span> and allow about 60 seconds for the changes to take effect.

!!!
**Pro Tip:** Confirm the correct CloudFront distribution by matching its domain name in the CloudFront dashboard.
!!!

!!! warning Note:
If your domain starts with www (e.g., `www.example.com`) and you want the root domain (`example.com`) to redirect to your website with www, or vice versa, create a new record. Leave the record name empty, and follow the same procedure as before: set the record type to A, choose alias, and select your CloudFront distribution.
!!!

## Access your CMS

Now it's time to log into your WordPress dashboard and start building your website! Here's how:

1. Open your browser and paste the WebsiteURL to see your WordPress front-end website live.

2. For full control simply add `/wp-admin` to your URL and log in using the credentials listed in the Outputs tab.

<hr>

**Congratulations, you did it!** Your website is now fully optimized — blazing fast, secure, and equipped with all the tools to stand out in the digital world. With your sleek SSL certificate and lightning-fast CDN, you have built a solid foundation to impress and engage your visitors. Now it's time to start customizing, creating, and bringing your vision to life. Get ready to take on the internet!