Enable SSL in Visual Studio Development Server

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Enabling SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) in the Visual Studio Development Server allows you to test your web applications with secure HTTPS connections during development. This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to set up and use SSL in the Visual Studio Development Server.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  1. Visual Studio installed on your computer.
  2. A web project (such as ASP.NET or ASP.NET Core) in Visual Studio.

Step 1: Open Project Properties

  1. Open your web project in Visual Studio.
  2. Right-click on your project in the Solution Explorer, and select “Properties.”

Step 2: Enable SSL

  1. In the project properties, go to the “Debug” tab.
  2. Check the “Enable SSL” option.

Step 3: Set SSL URL

  1. Visual Studio will automatically assign an SSL URL to your project. You can see it in the “SSL URL” field. Typically, it will be something like https://localhost:44300.
  2. You can customize the SSL port or use a specific SSL certificate if needed.

Step 3: Set SSL URL

  1. Visual Studio will automatically assign an SSL URL to your project. You can see it in the “SSL URL” field. Typically, it will be something like https://localhost:44300.
  2. You can customize the SSL port or use a specific SSL certificate if needed.

Step 6: Trust SSL Certificate (Optional)

Depending on your browser and operating system, you might see a warning about an untrusted SSL certificate since it’s a self-signed certificate generated for development purposes. You can proceed by trusting the certificate.

Step 7: Test and Develop

You can now test and develop your web application over a secure SSL connection. This is especially useful when your application requires HTTPS for features like secure authentication or accessing browser APIs that require secure origins.

Conclusion

Enabling SSL in the Visual Studio Development Server is a straightforward process that allows you to develop and test web applications over secure HTTPS connections during development. This helps ensure that your application functions correctly in a secure environment and prepares you for deployment to production servers with SSL certificates.