Website Shows a Security Warning or Will Not Open with HTTPS

What the warning may mean

A browser security warning can appear if the certificate is missing, expired, issued for a different domain, or not yet active. A site may also load over HTTPS but show warnings because some page resources still use HTTP.

Check these items

1. Confirm the address: Try the correct domain with https:// and check whether the warning mentions the certificate name, validity period or trust.
2. Check DNS: The domain must point to the server that hosts the website. If DNS was changed recently, allow time for the change to take effect.
3. Check the certificate: In your hosting control panel, look for the SSL/TLS status or certificate-management tool. Availability and labels vary by plan.
4. Allow for activation: A newly issued certificate or DNS change may need time before it works everywhere.
5. Check mixed content: If the certificate is valid but the browser reports insecure content, some images, scripts or stylesheets may still be loaded over HTTP. Update the affected URLs to HTTPS where supported.

Avoid these shortcuts

Do not enter passwords or payment details while the browser shows an unexplained certificate warning. Do not disable browser security checks to make the warning disappear.

Do not install a certificate for the wrong hostname. If your site uses both the root domain and www, make sure the certificate covers the hostnames you actually use.

When to contact support

Contact your hosting provider if the certificate cannot be issued, the SSL tool reports an error, or the domain points to the correct server but HTTPS still fails. Include the exact domain, the time the issue began and the browser error text. Never send account passwords.

Related guides

• What is an SSL/TLS certificate?