What happens if my ssl certificate expires

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: What happens if my ssl certificate expires. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate encrypts the data transmitted between your website and your visitors' web browsers. When a certificate expires, that encryption can no longer be verified, causing web browsers to display security warnings that may prevent customers from accessing your site.

How SSL Certificates Work

An SSL certificate is a digital file installed on your web server that binds a cryptographic key to your organisation's details. When a visitor connects to your site using https://, the certificate enables an encrypted connection. This protects sensitive information such as login credentials, payment details, and enquiry form submissions from being intercepted.

Certificates are issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) and are valid for a set period, commonly 90 days or one year depending on the provider. Once that period ends, the certificate is considered expired.

What Happens When a Certificate Expires

When your SSL certificate reaches its expiry date, visitors to your website will typically encounter one of the following:

• A full-page warning stating that the connection is not private
• A red address bar or a "Not secure" label in the browser
• Blocked access to the site, requiring the user to manually bypass the warning

These warnings can erode customer trust, disrupt online transactions, and harm your organisation's reputation. Search engines may also lower your site's visibility in search results if HTTPS encryption is not maintained.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Identify where your SSL certificate is managed — this may be your domain registrar, hosting control panel, or a third-party certificate provider.
2. Log in to the management interface where the certificate was originally issued or installed.
3. Locate the SSL or security section and check the expiry date of your active certificate.
4. Renew the certificate before it expires, or reissue it immediately if it has already lapsed.
5. Install the renewed certificate on your web server and restart the web service if required.
6. Verify that your site loads correctly using https:// and that no security warnings appear.

Detailed Instructions

Checking Certificate Expiry in a Browser

1. Open your website in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Safari.
2. Click the padlock icon in the address bar to view the connection security.
3. Select the option to view the certificate or connection details.
4. Check the "Valid to" or expiry date listed in the certificate information.

Renewing an SSL Certificate

1. Log in to your hosting control panel or domain registrar account.
2. Navigate to the SSL/TLS, Security, or Certificates section.
3. Select your domain and choose the option to renew or reissue the certificate.
4. Complete any validation steps required by the Certificate Authority, such as email confirmation or DNS verification.
5. Download the renewed certificate files if they are not installed automatically.

Installing the Certificate on Your Server

1. Upload the certificate and private key files to your server via your hosting control panel or SFTP.
2. Assign the certificate to the correct domain or website in your server configuration.
3. Restart the web server service if required to apply the changes.
4. Clear your browser cache or test in an incognito window to confirm the warning is gone.

Troubleshooting

Mixed Content Errors

After renewing your certificate, you may see mixed content warnings if some page elements still load over http:// instead of https://. Update internal links, image sources, and scripts to use https://, or configure a server-side redirect to force all traffic to HTTPS.

Certificate Not Recognised

If browsers still show a warning after installation, ensure the full certificate chain — including any intermediate certificates — is installed on your server. An incomplete chain can prevent browsers from verifying the certificate's authenticity.

Unexpected Expiry

Common causes of unexpected expiry include:

• Auto-renewal being disabled at the registrar or Certificate Authority
• Payment failure for the certificate renewal invoice
• Domain validation emails going to an unmonitored mailbox
• Manual installation failing after renewal was completed

Set a calendar reminder 30 days before your certificate is due to expire so you have time to renew without service interruption.

Remember — If you host with us, you don't need to do this yourself — just Open a Ticket and our Brisbane team will get it sorted.

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