SSL warnings are alarming but usually easy to fix. This guide decodes the messages visitors — and you — might see, and what each one means on a WebFulHost account.
The warnings you'll meet
| Message | Meaning | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Your connection is not private | The certificate is untrusted, expired or mismatched | Depends — see below |
| Certificate expired | Past its validity date | Let’s Encrypt auto-renew failed; reissue |
| Name mismatch / NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID | Certificate covers a different hostname | Get a certificate for the exact domain |
| Not secure (no padlock) | No certificate, or plain http | Enable SSL and force HTTPS |
Certificate expired
WebFulHost renews your Let’s Encrypt certificate automatically. An expiry warning usually means the auto-renewal couldn't verify the site — commonly because the domain's nameservers changed recently or the site returned errors during the renewal check. Open a support ticket and we'll reissue it; it takes minutes.
Name mismatch
This occurs when the certificate was issued for one domain but the visitor reached a different one — for example the certificate covers yourdomain.com but the visitor typed www.yourdomain.com (or vice versa). WebFulHost certificates normally cover both the bare and www forms. If your nameservers were recently pointed away and back, that's the usual cause; after a few hours a fresh multi-domain certificate covers it. See How to Change Nameservers.
"Your connection is not private"
This umbrella warning appears for expired, untrusted or misconfigured certificates. If it's your own device browsing your own (working) site, check the device clock — a wrong date makes valid certificates look years out of date. If visitors report it, check the SSL status page in cPanel (SSL/TLS Status).
Just no padlock at all
If your site loads on http:// with no warning and no padlock, follow How to Enable SSL and Force HTTPS. If you see the padlock but greyed/broken, the culprit is usually mixed content, not the certificate itself.
Changed nameservers recently?
SSL warnings within the first day or two of pointing a domain at WebFulHost normally mean the certificate for the new location is still issuing. Give it a few hours: the certificate authorises automatically once it confirms the domain now resolves here. If it still fails the next day, contact support.