Why did my SSL certificate expire?
Every SSL certificate is issued for a fixed time and stops working on its end date. It expired because it was not renewed in time, usually because automatic renewal failed or was never set up. Renew it with your web host, then check that renewal runs by itself.
Last read from the sources at the foot of this page.
What does an expired certificate mean for a business?
Browsers warn visitors that the site is not secure. A visitor has to click past a full-page warning to reach it.
Certificates are short by design. Let's Encrypt, which issues many of them, says how long its certificates last.
Our default certificates are valid for 90 days.
We currently issue certificates valid for 90 days, which will be cut in half to 45 days by 2028.
What should you do?
- Renew the certificate in your web host's control panel, or reissue it from the company that sold it.
- Turn on automatic renewal if your host offers it.
- If renewal is automatic and still failed, check that your domain still points at the host.Renewal checks the domain before it issues a new certificate.
- Put the end date in a calendar as a backstop.
Where is the change made?
Your web host, in the part of the control panel that manages SSL or HTTPS. The DNS settings matter only if the domain no longer points at the host.
What else do people ask about this?
How do I check when my certificate expires?
Click the padlock or the site settings icon beside the address in your browser and open the certificate details. The end date is listed as valid to or expires.
Will my site be down while it is expired?
The site still loads. Browsers show a full-page warning first. A visitor has to click past it.
Where does this come from?
- Let's Encrypt, FAQletsencrypt.orgRead 16 October 2026
- Let's Encrypt, Decreasing Certificate Lifetimes to 45 Daysletsencrypt.orgRead 16 October 2026
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