If your website displays "Not Secure" in your web browser, it usually means the website is not being accessed through a valid HTTPS connection.
This may happen because an SSL/TLS certificate has not been installed, has expired, is invalid, is incorrectly configured, or because your website is still loading through HTTP instead of HTTPS.
Modern web browsers use these warnings to inform visitors when a website does not have a properly secured HTTPS connection.
What Causes the "Not Secure" Warning?
Some common causes include:
- An SSL/TLS certificate has not been installed.
- The SSL certificate has expired.
- The certificate is invalid or incorrectly configured.
- The certificate does not cover the domain being accessed.
- Your website is loading through HTTP instead of HTTPS.
- Your website contains mixed content.
- Your domain is pointing to the wrong hosting environment.
- DNS or hosting configuration is preventing the correct certificate from being served.
- Your browser is displaying a cached version of an older configuration.
How Can I Fix a "Not Secure" Warning?
The solution depends on the cause of the problem.
Install or Enable an SSL Certificate
Your website needs a valid SSL/TLS certificate to establish a secure HTTPS connection.
If your hosting environment supports automatic SSL installation, the certificate may be issued and installed automatically once your domain is correctly configured.
Access Your Website Using HTTPS
Once SSL is correctly configured, your website should load using:
https://yourdomain.com
instead of:
http://yourdomain.com
You should also configure your website to redirect HTTP visitors to HTTPS where appropriate.
Update Your Website URL
If you use WordPress, make sure both the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) use HTTPS.
For example:
https://yourdomain.com
instead of:
http://yourdomain.com
Incorrect URL settings can cause your website or its resources to continue loading over HTTP.
Fix Mixed Content
Mixed content occurs when a page is loaded over HTTPS but some of its resources, such as images, CSS files, JavaScript files, fonts, or other content, are still requested over HTTP.
For example:
http://yourdomain.com/image.jpg
should be changed to:
https://yourdomain.com/image.jpg
Updating insecure resource URLs can resolve mixed-content warnings and ensure that your website loads consistently over HTTPS.
Check Your Domain and DNS Configuration
Your domain must point to the correct hosting environment for the appropriate SSL certificate to be served.
If your domain is pointing to another server, an incorrect IP address, or an improperly configured hosting account, the expected SSL certificate may not be presented.
Check your DNS records and hosting configuration if you recently moved your website or changed DNS settings.
Clear Your Browser Cache
After fixing your SSL configuration, test your website in a private or incognito browser window.
You can also clear your browser cache and test the website again to make sure you are seeing the current HTTPS configuration.
Can DNS Changes Affect SSL?
Yes, but DNS itself does not issue or validate an SSL certificate.
If you recently:
- Changed your nameservers.
- Updated DNS records.
- Migrated your website.
- Moved to a different hosting account.
- Pointed your domain to a new server.
your domain may temporarily resolve to a different server or hosting environment.
This can prevent the correct SSL certificate from being served until the DNS configuration is correct and the certificate has been successfully issued or installed.
DNS changes may also take time to propagate depending on DNS caching and TTL settings.
Can an Expired SSL Certificate Cause a "Not Secure" Warning?
Yes.
An expired SSL/TLS certificate can cause browsers to display security warnings.
Depending on the browser and certificate problem, visitors may see messages such as:
- Not Secure
- Your connection is not private
- SSL Certificate Error
- Your connection is not secure
Renewing or replacing the certificate with a valid certificate should resolve the certificate-related problem.
Can an SSL Certificate Be Valid but Still Show a Warning?
Yes.
A certificate can be valid while your website still has HTTPS-related problems.
For example, your website may have:
- Mixed content.
- Incorrect HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects.
- Incorrect website URL settings.
- DNS pointing to the wrong server.
- An SSL certificate installed on a different server.
- Incorrect website or application configuration.
In these situations, the certificate itself may not be expired, but the website may still not be correctly configured for HTTPS.
Will a "Not Secure" Warning Affect My Website Visitors?
Yes.
A browser security warning can reduce visitor confidence and may discourage users from submitting forms, logging in, or completing transactions.
HTTPS also helps protect information exchanged between a visitor's browser and your website from being transmitted over an unencrypted connection.
If your website handles login credentials, personal information, or payment-related data, using HTTPS is particularly important.
Need Help Fixing Your SSL Certificate?
If your website is showing a "Not Secure" warning, our Support Team can help investigate whether the problem is related to your hosting environment, SSL configuration, or DNS setup.
When contacting us, please provide:
- Your domain name.
- The exact URL showing the warning.
- A screenshot of the warning, if available.
- When you first noticed the issue.
- Whether you recently changed your DNS, nameservers, or hosting provider.
- Any recent SSL or website configuration changes.
Providing these details will help our Support Team identify the likely cause and guide you through the steps required to restore a properly configured HTTPS connection.
