SSL certificate problems are silent killers — your site works fine until one day every visitor sees a red security warning. Here is how to check your certificate before that happens.
Common SSL Certificate Problems
- Expired certificate — The most common issue. Browsers block access entirely.
- Domain mismatch — Certificate issued for www.example.com but site uses example.com.
- Incomplete certificate chain — Missing intermediate certificates cause failures in some browsers.
- Mixed content — Page loads HTTPS but includes HTTP resources.
How to Check Your SSL Certificate
Option 1: SSL Checker Tool
Anonymiz SSL Checker shows certificate details instantly — validity dates, issuer, chain completeness, and days until expiry. Enter any domain and get results in seconds, free.
Option 2: Check in Your Browser
- Visit your site in Chrome or Firefox.
- Click the padlock in the address bar.
- Click Connection is secure then Certificate is valid.
Option 3: OpenSSL Command Line
openssl s_client -connect yourdomain.com:443 | openssl x509 -noout -datesWhen to Check
- Monthly as routine maintenance
- 30 days before expiry — set a calendar reminder
- After server migrations or CDN changes
How to Renew
For Lets Encrypt: run certbot renew. For paid certificates: renew via your hosting provider. Confirm auto-renewal is enabled.
