SSL/TLS certificate
A digital certificate that lets your website use HTTPS, encrypting the connection between your site and its visitors and proving the site is really yours.
An SSL/TLS certificate lets your website load over HTTPS, the padlock version of a web address. It does two things: it encrypts information traveling between a visitor’s browser and your site, and it confirms the site belongs to the domain shown in the address bar.
SSL is the older name. Modern sites use TLS, its successor, but most people still say “SSL certificate”.
Why it matters to a small business
Without a valid certificate, browsers like Chrome and Safari show a “Not secure” warning, and some will show a full-page warning that scares visitors away. Forms, logins and payments all need HTTPS. Google also uses HTTPS as part of its page experience signals.
Certificates expire. Many hosts now renew free certificates automatically, but renewals can fail, for example after a DNS change. An expired certificate can make your site look broken overnight.
Example
A nonprofit moves its domain to a new host but forgets to issue a certificate there. Visitors see “Your connection is not private”. The host issues a certificate for the domain and the “www” version, and the warning disappears.
Learn more
- Why does my website say “Not secure”?
- How to move your website to a new host
- Check your certificate’s expiry with the free domain and SSL checker.
- E-3 managed hosting includes SSL.
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