What is an SSL certificate and why does it matter?

An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between a visitor's browser and your site, so passwords, card numbers and any other data typed on your pages can't be read by anyone intercepting the connection.

Why it matters

1 Privacy — without SSL, anything submitted through a form travels in plain text and can be read by anyone on the same network.
2 Trust — browsers show a padlock next to secure sites, and mark unencrypted sites as "Not secure" in the address bar.
3 Search visibility — Google treats HTTPS as a ranking signal, so an unencrypted site is at a small disadvantage.

On this hosting, it's already handled

Every domain here gets a free SSL certificate automatically through AutoSSL (Let's Encrypt) — there's nothing to buy or configure, and it renews itself before it expires. You'll only need to think about SSL if you specifically want a paid certificate (extended validation, a specific brand, or a wildcard covering all sub-domains) — see why some certificates last less than 365 days.

How to check. In cPanel, open SSL/TLS Status to see the certificate currently active on each of your domains and when it renews.

Not sure if your domain has SSL active? We can check for you.

Open a support ticket

SEE ALSO

Surprised by the short validity? Why does my SSL certificate show fewer than 365 days?.

If you need a paid certificate: How to activate and install a paid SSL certificate.

SSL CERTIFICATES

The padlock your customers look for.

A paid certificate adds warranty and company validation — useful for online shops and any site taking payments or customer data.

See SSL certificates

Hosting already includes free SSL for everyday use

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