SSL certificate update: Easy & Secure 2025

Why SSL Certificate Update Matters for Your Business

An SSL certificate update is the process of renewing or replacing the digital security credential that enables HTTPS encryption on your website. This isn’t just a routine technical task; it’s a critical function for maintaining trust, security, and visibility for your online business. If your certificate expires, the consequences are immediate and severe. Visitors will be greeted by alarming “Not Secure” or “Your connection is not private” warnings that erode trust and drive away traffic in an instant. From a user’s perspective, this warning is a digital stop sign, suggesting the site is fraudulent or has been hacked. Most will not proceed, leading to a direct loss of potential customers and revenue.

Beyond the initial user-facing crisis, an expired certificate has significant downstream effects. Google and other search engines use HTTPS as a key ranking signal. An insecure site directly contradicts the principles of Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trust (E-E-A-T) that Google prioritizes. As a result, your site’s search rankings can plummet, making it harder for new customers to find you and undoing months or years of SEO work.

Quick answer: How to update your SSL certificate:

Check expiration date – Click the padlock icon in your browser’s address bar to view certificate details or use an online checker.
Choose renewal method – Use an automated service (like Let’s Encrypt or managed hosting) or a manual process with a paid Certificate Authority.
Generate new CSR – Create a new Certificate Signing Request with your current information. Never reuse an old one.
Submit to Certificate Authority – Let your CA validate your domain and issue the new certificate.
Install on your server – Upload the new certificate files and update your web server configuration.
Verify installation – Test your site thoroughly to ensure the new certificate is working correctly and there are no errors.

Why this matters: SSL certificates have limited validity periods, typically from 90 days to a maximum of 397 days (about 13 months). This is by design to improve security across the web. When a certificate expires, browsers display prominent warnings that tell visitors your site is unsafe. This kills trust and can cause a significant drop in traffic and sales. More importantly, an expired certificate means data is no longer encrypted, putting sensitive information like login credentials, personal data, and credit card details at risk. This not only exposes your customers but also causes you to fail critical compliance standards like PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).

I’m Kevin Gallagher, and over my fifteen years running web design companies and founding wpONcall, I’ve managed SSL certificate updates for hundreds of WordPress sites. I’ve seen firsthand how a forgotten renewal can cost a business thousands in lost revenue overnight, damage its reputation, and create a frantic scramble to fix the issue. I’m here to provide a comprehensive guide to help you avoid that fate and manage your SSL certificates like a pro.

Understanding SSL Certificates and Why Updates Are Critical

An SSL certificate acts as your website’s digital passport. It serves two primary functions: authenticating your site’s identity to visitors and enabling encryption for all data transferred between the user’s browser and your server. When a user visits your site, their browser and your server perform an “SSL/TLS handshake” to establish a secure, encrypted connection. This process scrambles data like passwords, contact information, and credit card numbers, making it unreadable to any third parties, such as hackers attempting to intercept the data.

Certificates are issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA), a third-party organization that verifies your ownership of the domain. This digital signature from a trusted CA is what allows a browser to confirm that it’s connected to your legitimate site and not a malicious impostor.

Types of SSL Certificates

Not all SSL certificates are the same. They differ based on the level of validation performed by the CA:

Domain Validated (DV) Certificates: This is the most basic and common type. The CA only verifies that the applicant has control over the domain name, usually via an automated email or DNS record check. DV certificates provide encryption but offer minimal identity assurance. They are ideal for blogs, personal websites, and small businesses that don’t handle sensitive transactions. Let’s Encrypt certificates are a popular example of DV certificates.
Organization Validated (OV) Certificates: This type requires a more thorough vetting process. The CA verifies not only domain ownership but also the legal existence and physical address of the organization. The organization’s name is listed in the certificate details, providing a higher level of trust for visitors. OV certificates are recommended for businesses and e-commerce sites that collect user data.
Extended Validation (EV) Certificates: EV certificates offer the highest level of trust and require the most stringent validation process. The CA conducts a rigorous background check on the organization according to strict industry standards. In the past, EV certificates would activate a green address bar with the company’s name in most browsers, though this visual indicator has become less prominent. They are best suited for large e-commerce sites, financial institutions, and enterprises that need to maximize user trust.

Why Updates Are Critical

SSL certificates have expiration dates. These validity periods, set by the CA/Browser Forum (an industry body of CAs and browser vendors), range from 90 days to a maximum of about 13 months. When a certificate expires, browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari display a stark “Not Secure” warning, effectively blocking most visitors from proceeding. This is more than just a bad look; it means the encryption is broken, and any data exchanged is vulnerable to data interception.

Google also uses HTTPS as a ranking signal, as we covered in our article about Google’s announcement that site security affects ranking. An expired certificate can harm your search engine visibility, making it harder for customers to find you.

The Risks of an Expired SSL Certificate

Forgetting your SSL certificate update can have immediate and severe consequences for your business:

Loss of Trust and Reputation: A browser security warning is the fastest way to lose a potential customer. Most users will immediately leave a site they perceive as unsafe, and many will not return, associating your brand with poor security.
Decreased Traffic and Revenue: The barrier created by browser warnings causes a direct and often catastrophic drop in traffic. We’ve seen businesses lose over half their visitors overnight due to an expired certificate, leading to a direct loss of sales and leads.
SEO Penalties: Google’s algorithm penalizes insecure sites. An expired certificate can cause your search rankings to plummet, a setback that takes time and effort to recover from even after the issue is fixed. Our guide on how to fix a not secure WordPress website details the recovery process.
Data Breaches and Liability: Without encryption, all data submitted through your site is transmitted in plain text, making it trivial for attackers to steal. This can lead to devastating data breaches, legal liability under regulations like GDPR or CCPA, and significant financial repercussions.
PCI Compliance Failure: For e-commerce sites, a valid SSL certificate is a non-negotiable requirement for PCI DSS compliance. An expired certificate means immediate non-compliance, risking hefty fines and the loss of your ability to process credit card payments.

Why Certificate Validity Periods Keep Getting Shorter

You may remember when SSL certificates were valid for two, three, or even five years. Those days are gone, primarily for security reasons. The CA/Browser Forum has progressively shortened certificate lifespans to enhance web security.

As of September 2020, the maximum validity for public SSL certificates is 398 days (roughly 13 months). This 13-month rule is now the standard for most paid certificates. Shorter lifespans promote better security in several ways:

Security Improvements: Frequent renewals ensure that websites adopt the latest encryption standards and security protocols, patching vulnerabilities as they are discovered.
Key Rotation: Each renewal encourages the creation of a new cryptographic key pair. If a private key is ever compromised, a shorter validity period limits the window of opportunity for an attacker to exploit it.
Identity Re-validation: Regular renewals force the CA to re-verify that you still control the domain, preventing old certificates from being used for domains that have changed ownership or been compromised.

Providers like Let’s Encrypt issue certificates with 90-day validity to encourage automation, making the shorter lifespan a non-issue for properly configured systems. These evolving industry standards, detailed in resources like DigiCert’s explanation of TLS/SSL certificate validity periods, are making the internet safer. The key is to have a reliable system for managing your SSL certificate updates.

How to Check Your SSL Certificate’s Expiration Date

Before you can plan an SSL certificate update, you need to know when your current one expires. Fortunately, checking this is simple and can be done in seconds. This check reveals not only your certificate’s expiration date but also the issuing Certificate Authority (CA), its encryption type, and the hostnames it covers.

Method 1: Checking via Your Web Browser

This is the quickest method for most users. Open your website in any major browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and look for the padlock icon in the address bar next to your domain name.

Click the padlock icon to open a security overview.
In the menu that appears, look for an option like “Connection is secure,” then click “Certificate is valid” (Chrome), or click the right arrow and then “More Information” > “View Certificate” (Firefox), or “Show Certificate” (Safari).
This will open a detailed view of your certificate. In the details, you can find the “Valid From” and “Valid To” (or “Expires On”) dates. The second date is your renewal deadline.

While in the certificate viewer, you can also see other useful information, such as the Subject Alternative Names (SANs). This field lists all the hostnames (e.g., www.yourdomain.com and yourdomain.com) that are secured by this single certificate. It’s important to ensure all required variations of your domain are listed here.

Method 2: Using an Online SSL Checker

For a more comprehensive analysis, you can use a dedicated online tool. These tools not only show you the expiration date but also test your server’s configuration for common issues, such as an incomplete certificate chain, weak cipher suites, or protocol vulnerabilities. A highly respected and authoritative tool is the Qualys SSL Labs SSL Server Test.

Simply enter your domain name into the tool and it will perform a deep scan, providing a grade from A+ to F along with a detailed report. This is an excellent way to verify your installation after a renewal and ensure your server is configured for optimal security.

Method 3: Using the Command Line for an SSL Certificate Update Check

For a more technical approach, you can use the OpenSSL command-line tool, which is pre-installed on most Linux and macOS systems and available for Windows. This method is useful for checking remote servers, scripting automated checks, or troubleshooting.

Open your terminal and run the following command, replacing yourdomain.com with your website’s domain:

openssl s_client -connect yourdomain.com:443 -servername yourdomain.com | openssl x509 -noout -dates -issuer -subject

This command connects to your server on the standard HTTPS port (443), retrieves the SSL certificate, and pipes it to another OpenSSL command to parse and display its key details. The output will include:

issuer: The Certificate Authority (CA) that issued the certificate.
subject: The details of the entity the certificate was issued to, including the Common Name (your domain).
notBefore: The date the certificate became valid.
notAfter: The expiration date. This is the date you need to note for your SSL certificate update schedule.

This command is a powerful and fast tool for developers and system administrators managing multiple websites.

The Complete Guide to Your SSL Certificate Update

For an SSL certificate update, you have two primary options: automated or manual renewal. The best choice depends on your hosting provider, technical setup, and the type of certificate you use. Most modern systems favor automation to eliminate human error, but understanding the manual process is still essential for certain environments and for troubleshooting.

Method 1: Automated Renewals (The “Set It and Forget It” Approach)

Automated renewal is the easiest and most reliable method, ensuring your site remains secure without manual intervention. It’s especially crucial with the shorter 90-day validity periods of free certificates.

Let’s Encrypt and Certbot: Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open CA that provides Domain Validated (DV) certificates. It uses the ACME (Automated Certificate Management Environment) protocol to automate the process. The most common client for this is Certbot, a tool that can be installed on your server. Once configured, Certbot can be set up with a cron job (a scheduled task) to automatically check and renew your certificates before they expire. A simple command like sudo certbot renew is all it takes to run the check.
Managed Hosting Providers: Quality Managed WordPress Hosting services and many shared hosting plans now include free SSL certificates with fully automated renewals. The hosting platform handles the entire lifecycle of the certificate, from issuance to renewal and installation. This is the most hands-off approach. You can usually check your hosting control panel (e.g., the SSL/TLS Status page in cPanel) to confirm that an auto-renewal feature like AutoSSL is active for your domains.
Cloud Platforms and CDNs: If your site is deployed on cloud infrastructure like Amazon Web Services, the AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) provides free public certificates with automatic renewal for services like CloudFront (a CDN) and Elastic Load Balancers. Similarly, most modern Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) like Cloudflare offer their own integrated SSL solutions with automated updates, often securing traffic between the user and the CDN’s edge network.

Method 2: Manual SSL Certificate Update Steps

If automation isn’t an option—for instance, if you require an OV or EV certificate from a specific CA or have a custom server setup—you’ll need to renew it manually.

Generate a new Certificate Signing Request (CSR): A CSR is a block of encrypted text containing information that will be included in your certificate, such as your organization name and domain name. It’s critical to generate a new CSR for every renewal, as this process also creates a new, secure private key. Reusing old CSRs or private keys is a major security risk. On a Linux server, you can use OpenSSL:
```
openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout yourdomain.key -out yourdomain.csr
```
You’ll be prompted for details like your country, organization, and Common Name (which must be the exact domain you want to secure, e.g., www.yourdomain.com). This command creates two files: the private key (yourdomain.key), which you must keep secret and secure on your server, and the CSR (yourdomain.csr). For more details, see our guide to Generate SSL Certificate WordPress or DigiCert’s resource on How to create a CSR.
Submit the CSR to your Certificate Authority (CA): Log in to your account on your CA’s website. Navigate to the renewal section for your certificate and paste the entire contents of your .csr file (including the -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- and -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- lines) into the appropriate form.
Complete Domain Control Validation (DCV): The CA must verify that you own and control the domain before issuing the certificate. This is typically done in one of three ways:
- Email Validation: The CA sends an email to a standard administrative address (e.g., admin@yourdomain.com) with a verification link.
- HTTP File Validation: You are required to upload a specific text file to a designated location on your web server.
- DNS Record Validation: You must add a specific CNAME or TXT record to your domain’s DNS zone file.
Receive and Install Your New Certificate: Once validation is complete, the CA will provide your new certificate files. This usually includes your primary certificate (for your domain) and an intermediate certificate bundle. You’ll need to upload these to your server and update your web server’s configuration.
Verify Your Installation: After installation, clear all server and browser caches. Then, check your site in a browser to ensure the padlock icon is present and the new expiration date is correct. Use an online SSL checker to confirm the installation is complete and free of errors.

Installing Your Renewed Certificate on Common Platforms

After your CA has issued the new certificate, the final step of your SSL certificate update is installing it on your web server. This process involves uploading the certificate files and updating your server’s configuration to point to them. The exact steps vary depending on your server software or hosting control panel.

A common pitfall during installation is creating an incomplete certificate chain. Your server must provide not only your primary domain certificate but also the intermediate certificates that link it back to a trusted root CA stored in browsers and operating systems. If this chain is broken, browsers will not trust the certificate and will display a security warning.

For detailed instructions on a wide variety of platforms, DigiCert’s SSL Certificate Installation Instructions & Tutorials is an excellent and comprehensive resource.

Apache Web Server

For Apache, you’ll typically receive a primary certificate (.crt), an intermediate bundle (.ca-bundle), and have your private key (.key) from when you generated the CSR. Upload these files to a secure directory on your server (e.g., /etc/ssl/certs/ and /etc/ssl/private/).

Next, edit your site’s SSL configuration file (often found in /etc/apache2/sites-available/your-site-ssl.conf or /etc/httpd/conf.d/ssl.conf). Inside the <VirtualHost *:443> block, update these three directives to point to your new files:

SSLCertificateFile /path/to/your_primary.crt
SSLCertificateKeyFile /path/to/your_private.key
SSLCertificateChainFile /path/to/your_intermediate_bundle.crt

Before restarting, always test your configuration with sudo apachectl configtest. If it returns “Syntax OK,” restart Apache to apply the changes: sudo systemctl restart apache2.

Nginx Web Server

With Nginx, the standard practice is to combine your primary certificate and the intermediate certificates into a single file. This is often called a “chained” certificate. You can create it by concatenating the files:
cat your_primary.crt your_intermediate_bundle.crt > your_chained_certificate.crt

Upload this combined file and your private key to a secure directory like /etc/nginx/ssl/. Then, edit your site’s server block in its Nginx configuration file (e.g., in /etc/nginx/sites-available/your-site). Update these two directives:

ssl_certificate /path/to/your_chained_certificate.crt
ssl_certificate_key /path/to/your_private.key

Test the configuration with sudo nginx -t. If successful, reload Nginx to apply the changes without downtime: sudo systemctl reload nginx.

cPanel / WHM

For servers using cPanel, the process is simplified through the graphical interface.

Log in to cPanel and navigate to the “SSL/TLS” section.
Click on “Manage SSL sites” under the “Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS)” heading.
Select your domain from the dropdown menu.
Paste the contents of your certificate file (.crt) into the “Certificate: (CRT)” box.
Paste your private key (.key) into the “Private Key (KEY)” box.
Paste the intermediate bundle (.ca-bundle) into the “Certificate Authority Bundle: (CABUNDLE)” box.
Click “Install Certificate.” cPanel will install the certificate and restart the web server automatically.

Microsoft IIS

On Windows Server, you’ll use the graphical IIS Manager. The process varies slightly by version, but DigiCert offers excellent guides for IIS 10, IIS 8, and IIS 7.

Import the Certificate: Open IIS Manager, select your server name in the Connections pane, and double-click “Server Certificates.” In the Actions pane, click “Complete Certificate Request.” Browse to the .crt file from your CA, give it a friendly name, and select the “Web Hosting” certificate store.
Bind to Your Site: In the Connections pane, navigate to your website under the “Sites” folder. Click “Bindings” in the Actions pane. Select the HTTPS binding, click “Edit,” and choose your newly imported certificate from the SSL certificate dropdown menu.
Restart: Restart your website or the entire IIS service to apply the changes.

For Exchange Server, the process is similar but managed through the Exchange Admin Center. DigiCert provides guides for Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2007.

Advanced SSL Management and Best Practices

Properly managing an SSL certificate update is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Adopting best practices and understanding more advanced concepts will ensure your site remains secure, performs well, and avoids unexpected emergencies. For a deeper dive into overall website protection, check out our Ultimate WordPress Security Guide.

Renewing vs. Reissuing: What’s the Difference?

Though often used interchangeably, these terms refer to distinct actions with different purposes:

Renewal is the standard process of extending your certificate’s validity period when it’s approaching its expiration date. You generate a new CSR, get a new certificate issued by the CA, and install it for another term. This is your routine, scheduled SSL certificate update.
Reissuance (or reissue) is the process of getting a new certificate before the old one expires, typically because something has changed or been compromised. The new certificate will have the same expiration date as the original one. Common reasons to reissue include a compromised private key, a change in your organization’s details, or the need to add or remove domains (SANs) from the certificate. Most CAs offer free reissues during the certificate’s lifetime. If you ever suspect your private key has been exposed, you must reissue the certificate with a new key pair immediately. This is not optional—it’s a critical security step to invalidate the compromised credential.

Wildcard and Multi-Domain (SAN) Certificates

As your web presence grows, you may need to secure more than just a single domain. Two special types of certificates can help:

Wildcard Certificate: Secures a single domain and an unlimited number of its first-level subdomains. For example, a wildcard for *.yourdomain.com would secure www.yourdomain.com, blog.yourdomain.com, shop.yourdomain.com, etc. This simplifies management significantly.
Multi-Domain Certificate (SAN/UCC): A Subject Alternative Name (SAN) or Unified Communications Certificate (UCC) can secure multiple, completely different domain names in a single certificate. For example, one SAN certificate could cover www.domain-one.com, www.another-domain.net, and mail.my-company.org. This is ideal for businesses managing multiple brands or services.

Renewing these certificates follows the same manual or automated process, but you must ensure your CSR and validation process account for all included hostnames.

Best Practices for SSL Certificate Management

Follow these practices to keep your SSL management smooth and stress-free:

Renew Early: Start the renewal process at least 30 days before expiration. This provides a crucial buffer to handle any validation delays (especially for OV/EV certificates, which require manual vetting) or unforeseen technical issues during installation.
Automate Whenever Possible: Use automated renewal tools like Let’s Encrypt/Certbot or services from your hosting provider. Automation is the single most effective way to prevent outages from expired certificates.
Protect Your Private Keys: Your private key is the crown jewel of your SSL setup. Store it in a secure, access-restricted directory on your server (e.g., with file permissions set to 400 or 600). Never share it, email it, or commit it to a public code repository.
Generate a New CSR for Every Renewal: Always create a fresh CSR and a new key pair for each renewal. This practice, known as key rotation, is a fundamental security principle that limits the damage if a key is ever compromised.
Keep a Certificate Inventory: If you manage multiple websites, maintain a spreadsheet or use a dedicated monitoring service to track each domain, certificate type, expiration date, issuing CA, and renewal status.
Monitor Your Certificates: Use external monitoring tools or set multiple calendar reminders to alert you of upcoming expirations. Do not rely solely on CA email notifications, which can be filtered as spam or sent to an unmonitored inbox.
Test After Installation: After every update, perform a thorough check. Visit your site in multiple browsers, clear your cache, and use an online tool like SSL Labs to verify the installation, check for a complete certificate chain, and ensure there are no configuration errors.
Keep Contact Information Current: Ensure your administrative and technical contact email addresses are up-to-date with your CA and domain registrar. Validation often depends on email, and an outdated or inaccessible mailbox can halt your renewal process.

Post-Installation Security Enhancements

Once your certificate is installed, you can further bolster your site’s security:

OCSP Stapling: This feature improves SSL/TLS handshake performance. Instead of the user’s browser having to contact the CA to check the certificate’s revocation status, your server queries the CA periodically and “staples” the timestamped response to the certificate. This reduces latency and enhances privacy. It can be enabled in Apache and Nginx with a simple configuration directive.
HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS): HSTS is a security policy you can enable on your server that tells browsers to only connect to your site using HTTPS. This prevents downgrade attacks where an attacker tries to force the connection back to unencrypted HTTP. Implementing HSTS is a powerful way to lock in your site’s security, but it should only be done after you are confident your HTTPS setup is stable and permanent.