SSL Checker
Verify your website's SSL/TLS installation. Inspect expiration dates, certificate authorities, common names, and identify potential handshake issues instantly.
What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital key card that verifies a website's identity and sets up an encrypted connection. Think of it as a sealed envelope for your digital correspondence. It secures the lane between a user's browser and the host server.
Without a valid certificate, your data travels in plain text, making it easy for hackers on the same network to read passwords, numbers, or emails. When installed, it changes the browser bar from HTTP to HTTPS and shows a secure padlock icon.
Why should you inspect your certificate?
Prevent visitor browser warnings
If your certificate expires or is set up wrong, browsers block users with a major warning. Running regular checks helps you renew certificates before they disrupt your site traffic.
Track exact expiration dates
Public certificates now expire in 398 days or less, and Let's Encrypt expires in 90 days. Keep tabs on the remaining days so your automated setups never fail you.
Check name matching values
A common issue is a certificate that secures example.com but ignores www.example.com. Our check audits all alt names (SANs) to guarantee full coverage.
Confirm trustworthy issuers
Validate that your certificate was issued by a recognized root authority (like Google, Let's Encrypt, or DigiCert) so browsers accept your handshake without questions.
How to run a check
Enter domain name
Input the domain address you want to inspect above and press check. Do not worry about adding HTTP or HTTPS.
Inspect details
Review issuer names, fingerprints, and validation dates to confirm everything looks correct and trusted.
Confirm remaining days
Take note of the expiration date to prevent unexpected security warnings for your web visitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my website need an SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between your visitors' browsers and your server, protecting sensitive information like login details, credit cards, and form inputs. Browsers will also mark your website as 'Not Secure' if you do not have one, which ruins user trust.
What is the difference between SSL and TLS?
TLS (Transport Layer Security) is simply the modern, updated version of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). Although everyone still refers to them as SSL certificates for convenience, all modern HTTPS certificates actually use the newer, more secure TLS protocol behind the scenes.
How long do SSL certificates last?
Public SSL certificates now have a maximum lifetime of 398 days (about 13 months). Many free providers, like Let's Encrypt, issue certificates that expire after 90 days. Short lifetimes make connections safer because it forces website owners to renew certificates automatically.
What is a wildcard SSL certificate?
A wildcard SSL certificate allows you to secure a main domain and an unlimited number of its subdomains with a single file. For example, a wildcard certificate for *.example.com will automatically protect blog.example.com, shop.example.com, and mail.example.com.
What does a "Certificate Authority" (CA) do?
A Certificate Authority is a trusted organization that verifies websites and issues SSL certificates to them. Before giving out a certificate, the CA checks to make sure that you actually own the domain, preventing hackers from pretending to be your website.
What happens when an SSL certificate expires?
If a certificate expires, browsers will block visitors with a large, scary warning saying their connection is not private. This prevents users from accessing your site, destroys search engine rankings, and puts users at risk of man-in-the-middle attacks.
