SSL Certificates
Secure your website with SSL. Learn how to install, configure, and troubleshoot SSL certificates.
13 articles in this category
Free SSL Setup (Let's Encrypt)
Get a free SSL certificate using Let's Encrypt auto-installation.
Installing Custom SSL
Install your own SSL certificate from providers like DigiCert or Comodo.
SSL Renewal Guide
How SSL renewal works and what to do if it fails.
Fixing SSL Errors
Troubleshoot common SSL errors and certificate issues.
DV, OV and EV certificates
Three validation levels. Browsers stopped showing the difference years ago, which changes the answer to which one you need.
HSTS, and the mistake that locks you out
One header tells browsers never to use http for your domain again. Set it too confidently and a broken certificate takes the site down for months.
An incomplete certificate chain
It works in your browser and fails on a phone, in curl, and in every API client. One file is being served instead of another.
Free certificates and paid ones
The encryption is identical. What you pay for is a different check on who you are, and for most sites that check changes nothing.
Mixed content after switching to HTTPS
The certificate is fine. One resource on the page is loaded over http, and the browser will not call a page secure while that is true.
A certificate that stopped renewing
Renewal is automatic until something quietly blocks the check. The three things that block it, and how to see which.
Testing a certificate properly
A padlock in your browser is the weakest test there is. Six commands check the chain, the names, the dates and the protocols.
What a certificate actually proves
The padlock does not mean the site is safe or the company is real. It means two narrow things, and knowing which two saves a lot of confusion.
Wildcard or multi-name certificates
One certificate for every subdomain, or one listing the names you use. The choice is about how many keys you want on how many servers.