The short answer
An SSL certificate lets your website use a secure, encrypted connection. It's what puts the padlock next to your web address and changes it from http to https. Without one, browsers such as Chrome label your website "Not secure", which puts visitors off before they've read a word.
What an SSL certificate is
When someone visits your website, information travels between their device and your hosting server. An SSL certificate scrambles that information so nobody in between can read or change it. That matters most when visitors fill in your contact form, log in or pay, but browsers now expect it on every page.
The certificate also proves your website is really yours. It's issued for your domain name, so visitors can trust they're on the right website and not a copy.
You'll sometimes hear it called a TLS certificate. TLS is the newer name for the same technology, and the two terms are used for the same thing.
Why your website needs one
- No "Not secure" warning. Browsers flag websites without SSL, and many visitors leave straight away.
- Protected enquiries. Anything typed into your contact form is encrypted on its way to you.
- A small boost on Google. Google has said it prefers secure websites, so SSL helps your SEO a little.
- Trust. The padlock is a signal people recognise, and it makes your business look established and professional.
- Payments. You can't take card payments safely on a website without it.
How to check if your website has one
Visit your website and look at the address bar. If you see a padlock and the address starts with https, you're covered. If you see "Not secure", or the address starts with http without the s, your website doesn't have a working certificate and visitors are seeing a warning.
Certificates also expire and need renewing. On good hosting this happens automatically, but if a certificate lapses, the warning comes back until it's renewed.
Types of SSL certificate
All three types below give the same padlock and the same encryption. The difference is how much the issuer checks about who owns the website.
| Type | What's checked | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Domain validated (DV) | That you control the domain name. | Almost every small business website |
| Organisation validated (OV) | The domain name plus your business's details. | Larger businesses that want extra checks |
| Extended validation (EV) | A full check of the business behind the website. | Banks and very large organisations |
What an SSL certificate costs
For most small businesses, it needn't cost anything extra. Free certificates are widely available and give exactly the same encryption and padlock as paid ones, and many hosts include one as standard. Paid certificates mostly add the extra business checks described above.
Every website built with our website builder comes with the padlock included, set up and renewed automatically, so there's nothing for you to do.
Questions
Is SSL the same as HTTPS?
They go together. The SSL certificate is what makes a secure connection possible, and HTTPS is the secure version of the web address that you see when it's working.
Does my website need SSL if it doesn't take payments?
Yes. Browsers warn visitors about any page without it, and your contact form still sends personal details like names, email addresses and phone numbers.
Why does my website still say "Not secure"?
Usually the certificate has expired, isn't set up for the exact address being visited, or the page loads something like an image over an insecure http link. A quick check by whoever looks after your website will normally find it.
Will adding SSL change my web address?
Only the start changes from http to https. Your domain name stays the same, and visitors using the old address are sent to the secure one automatically when it's set up properly.
