IT bugsolutions

SSL certificate error

“Your connection is not private”: fixing an SSL certificate error

The short answer

Visitors get a full-page warning instead of your site. That is the browser refusing to trust your certificate, and the error code in the warning tells you why.

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  • Free first diagnosis

The code is the shortest route to the cause. ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID points to an expired certificate or a wrong clock, ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID to a name that is not covered, and ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID to a missing intermediate certificate or a self-signed one. Mixed content is a close cousin: the certificate is fine, but some files still load over http, so the padlock disappears.

Sound familiar?

How an SSL certificate error appears

  • Browsers show “Your connection is not private”, “Warning: Potential Security Risk Ahead” or “This connection is not private”
  • The error code reads NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID, NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID, NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID or SEC_ERROR_UNKNOWN_ISSUER
  • The site works with www but not without it, or the other way round
  • The padlock is missing or shows “Not secure” even though you have a certificate
  • Some visitors or devices get the warning and others do not

Causes

What causes an SSL certificate error?

Certificate expired, renewal failed

Let’s Encrypt and similar certificates are valid for a short time and must renew automatically. A changed DNS record, a blocked validation path or a broken cron job makes the renewal fail without anyone noticing.

Certificate does not cover the address

The certificate was issued for example.com but visitors use www.example.com, or a subdomain or new domain was added later. The browser reports a name mismatch.

Mixed content

The page is served over https, but images, scripts or fonts are still loaded over http. Browsers block those or drop the padlock, often after a move to https or a migration.

Incomplete certificate chain

The server sends the certificate without the intermediate certificate. Desktop Chrome may work around it, while some phones, other browsers, apps and payment providers reject it.

CDN SSL mode does not match the server

Cloudflare or another CDN is set to Full (strict) while the origin has no valid certificate, or the CDN edge certificate does not cover the hostname. Visitors see a certificate error or a Cloudflare 52x error.

Wrong DNS, server or clock

DNS still points to an old server or hosting default page with another certificate. Less often, a device or server with the wrong date and time makes a valid certificate look expired.

Try it yourself

Fixing "Your connection is not private" yourself

Try these checks to narrow it down. None of them change your site.

  1. 1 Click the warning or the padlock area and read the error code and the certificate details: the expiry date and the names it was issued for. If only your own device shows the error, also check its date and time and try another network.
  2. 2 Run your domain through an online SSL checker such as SSL Labs. It shows expiry, covered names, the chain and which server answers.
  3. 3 Test both versions of the address, with and without www, and any subdomain your visitors use.
  4. 4 In your hosting panel, look at the SSL or Let’s Encrypt section. Many panels show the renewal status and let you renew or reissue with one click.
  5. 5 If you use Cloudflare, check the SSL/TLS mode and the edge certificate status. Full (strict) needs a valid certificate on your server.
  6. 6 If only the padlock is missing, open the browser developer tools (Console) and look for “Mixed Content” warnings that name the http files.

Our approach

How we fix an SSL certificate error

  1. 1

    You send us the error

    Use the form or chat and tell us which address shows the warning. We reply with the access we need.

  2. 2

    We back up first

    Before changing server, CDN or site settings, we save the current configuration, files and database so we can go back.

  3. 3

    We diagnose and quote

    We check the certificate, the chain, DNS, the CDN mode and mixed content, find why it fails, and send you a fixed price.

  4. 4

    We fix, test and report

    After your OK we reissue or install the certificate, fix renewal or mixed content, test all addresses and send a short report.

What we need

What we need from you

  • Login for your hosting control panel, or SSH access to the server
  • DNS or registrar access, and CDN access if you use Cloudflare or similar
  • A CMS admin login, if mixed content has to be fixed
  • The exact error code or a screenshot, and which addresses show it

We ask for the least access needed, preferably separate accounts or keys for us, which you can revoke as soon as the certificate works.

What we cannot fix

We cannot issue certificates for a domain you do not control, fix problems inside a certificate authority or your host’s infrastructure, or change settings in a platform that does not allow custom certificates. If the host manages SSL for you and it fails on their side, we tell you exactly what to ask them.

Price

Price and what happens next

  1. 1

    Free diagnosis

    We find the cause and tell you what is wrong.

  2. 2

    Fixed price

    You get a price and a time estimate. Nothing starts without your yes.

  3. 3

    Fixed and reported

    We repair it, test it and send a short report.

From €295 excl. VAT

Fixed price, agreed before we start

Is it urgent? Say so in the form or in the chat. We start as soon as we can and give you a realistic time estimate with the quote. If priority work costs extra, you see that in the quote before you agree.

Get it fixed

Questions?

SSL certificate error: frequently asked questions

Also see

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Written by the IT bugsolutions team · Last updated:

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