S

SSL Certificate

Security 4 min read Entry 56 of 78
Definition

An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between a visitor’s browser and your site, making the address secure and switching the padlock on.

In plain English

Without one, everything sent between browser and server travels as readable text, and anyone sharing the same network can read it.

A certificate proves your site is who it claims to be and scrambles the traffic. Browsers now label sites without one as ‘Not secure’, in the address bar, to everyone.

Why it matters

It’s non-negotiable. It affects trust, conversion and ranking, and it’s free. Certificates come with essentially every decent host and renew themselves.

There is no scenario in which a live site shouldn’t have one.

How it works

  1. Issue the certificateOne click in most hosting dashboards.
  2. Force the secure addressSo every insecure request moves to the secure one.
  3. Fix mixed contentA single image or script still loaded insecurely breaks the padlock.
  4. Confirm auto-renewalCertificates expire every 90 days. Automation should handle it silently.

No padlock after installing? It is mixed content

Open the browser console, it names the exact insecure file, every time.

HostingDomain NameBackupCDN