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SSL issues
SSL troubleshooting
An SSL problem blocks visitors from your site even when your server is healthy. Browsers stop them at a full-page security warning before they see your content, and few come back. This section covers the specific issues DomainDash flags, what causes them, and how to put them right.
DomainDash runs SSL checks on every plan. How often they run and how long DomainDash keeps the history depend on your plan: see the plan comparison. You'll find the results on the Security card on the site's page.
If you don't know which issue you have, start with visitors see a security warning, which matches browser error codes to the pages below.
Validity issues
Problems with the certificate's lifespan or trust status.
- Certificate expired — the most common SSL issue. The certificate has passed its expiry date.
- Certificate not yet valid — the certificate's start date is in the future. Usually a certificate issued or generated with a start date that's still ahead.
- Certificate has been revoked — the issuing authority has invalidated the certificate.
Trust issues
Problems with who issued the certificate and whether browsers trust them.
- Self-signed certificate — the certificate was issued by the same server it protects. Browsers don't trust these.
- Certificate signed by an untrusted authority — the certificate chain doesn't lead back to a recognised root.
- Certificate signature is invalid — the certificate's signature failed cryptographic verification.
Configuration issues
Problems with how the certificate is set up on your server.
- Hostname doesn't match certificate — the certificate was issued for a different domain than the one being served.
- TLS handshake failed — the secure connection couldn't be established. Often a protocol or cipher mismatch.
Common questions
- Visitors see a security warning — a routing page from the user-facing symptom to the specific issue.
Related
- SSL certificates — how DomainDash checks SSL and warns you before a certificate expires
- Uptime troubleshooting — for a site that's down, timing out, or returning HTTP errors
- DNS troubleshooting — for a domain that isn't resolving, missing records, or propagation
- Domain registration troubleshooting — for an expired, suspended, or unrenewed domain
- How incidents work — how DomainDash confirms and notifies about SSL issues
Catch this automatically
DomainDash keeps an eye on this for you — and tells you in plain English the moment something needs your attention, before your visitors notice. Set up in under a minute, no credit card.
Last updated: 13 October 2026