Website says "Not secure"? How to fix it
A red warning page, or "Not secure" next to your address, makes customers leave. It is nearly always an SSL certificate issue, which is fixable and rarely means anyone has hacked you.
What's usually wrong
- The SSL certificate has expired. Certificates need renewing. Many renew automatically, until something changes and the renewal fails.
- The site is loading over http, not https. No certificate is installed, or there is no redirect from the old address.
- Mixed content. The certificate is fine, but some images or scripts still load over http, so the browser flags the page.
- The domain has expired or its settings changed. A lapsed domain or a moved website can break the certificate.
Things you can try yourself
- Open the site in a different browser, or on your phone using mobile data. If the warning only appears on one device, check that device's date and time are right, as a wrong clock triggers this error.
- Click the warning or the padlock to read the message. "Certificate expired" (often shown as ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID) means it needs renewing.
- Test the site with the free SSL Labs test. It shows whether the certificate is valid and when it ends.
- Log in to wherever the site is hosted (your host, or Wix, Squarespace and similar). Look for an SSL, security or HTTPS section and renew or enable the certificate. On cPanel hosting, open "SSL/TLS Status" and run AutoSSL.
- Switch on "force HTTPS" or a redirect, so anyone typing http:// is sent to the secure version.
- If the padlock still shows a warning, look for mixed content. On WordPress, a plugin such as Really Simple SSL can change old http links to https.
- Check the domain itself has not expired. See what to do if a domain has expired.
Questions people ask
Does "Not secure" mean my website has been hacked?
Usually not. It normally means the certificate has expired or is missing. It is worth checking, but it is more often an admin slip than an attack.
Is an SSL certificate expensive?
Often no. Most good hosts include one free, and it renews on its own. The fault is usually a failed renewal, not a missing payment.
How quickly can you fix it?
Most certificate problems are sorted the same week, often the same day, and it is typically a £40 to £60 job.
If you'd rather I sorted it
If you'd rather I sorted it: most of these are a £40 to £60 job, usually done the same week. I'm Yehor, 17, based in Easingwold, and I can come to you round York.
Prefer to talk? Ring or WhatsApp 07356 082474, or email [email protected].
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