An SSL is essential

HTTPS and SSL

For your site to load over HTTPS, it needs a certificate, often called an “SSL certificate.” The certificate proves the site’s identity and lets the server and the visitor’s browser encrypt their exchanges. Most hosts now install one for free and automatically, for example with Let’s Encrypt or Cloudflare. Paid certificates also exist; they are mainly useful in specific cases (warranty, organization validation, enterprise needs).

Once the certificate is installed, two steps are often forgotten: redirecting every http:// address to https://, and fixing internal links or images that still point to http://.

What is SSL?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the name of the Web’s old encryption protocol. It was replaced long ago by TLS (Transport Layer Security), now in versions 1.2 and 1.3. Out of habit, people still say “SSL certificate,” but it is TLS that protects your site.

Encryption protects everything that travels between the visitor and the site: passwords, contact forms, addresses, payments. It also prevents a middleman (public Wi-Fi, network provider, etc.) from reading or altering pages along the way. That is why HTTPS is now the norm for every site, not only online stores or banks.

Browsers now require HTTPS

For several years, browsers have flagged HTTP sites as “Not secure.” Chrome goes further: starting with Chrome 154, scheduled for October 2026, the “Always use secure connections” setting is on by default. Chrome tries HTTPS first and asks for the visitor’s approval before opening a public site that is only available over HTTP. A site without HTTPS may therefore lose some visitors before they even see the page.

Certificates are getting shorter

Industry rules are gradually reducing the maximum certificate lifetime:

• since March 15, 2026: 200 days;
• from March 15, 2027: 100 days;
• from March 15, 2029: 47 days.

Let’s Encrypt follows its own, even shorter schedule (64 days in 2027, then 45 days in 2028). In practice, renewal must be automatic: a certificate renewed by hand will sooner or later expire, and the site will then show a security warning to every visitor.

How to check that your certificate is configured correctly

SSL Labs. The free SSL Labs SSL Server Test analyzes your server’s configuration. Enter your site’s address and click “Submit”: you get a grade, along with the strengths and weaknesses of the setup.

An A grade means a good configuration: recent protocols such as TLS 1.3, strong encryption, old versions disabled. An A+ also requires the HSTS header, which forces browsers to always use HTTPS for your site. A B grade means a correct but improvable setup: follow the recommendations shown by the tool.

Your browser. Click the icon to the left of the site’s address to see the connection and certificate details: who issued it and when it expires. Browsers no longer show a green padlock; it is mainly the absence of HTTPS that is flagged, with “Not secure.”

Redirects. A certificate is not enough if your site is still reachable at http://, or goes through several redirects before reaching HTTPS. Redirect Audit checks the four variants of your domain for free (http, https, with and without www), confirms they all lead to the same HTTPS address in a single redirect, and shows whether the HSTS header is present.

HTTPS and Google

Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal, but it is a light one: it will never replace good content. It applies the same way to every site. The real SEO benefits are indirect: no warning that scares visitors away, more trust, and clean redirects that clearly tell Google which address to index.

In short, why a certificate is essential

1. Protect data: encryption protects your visitors’ information against interception and tampering.
2. Avoid warnings: without HTTPS, browsers show “Not secure,” and Chrome will soon ask for the visitor’s approval before opening the site.
3. Build trust: an HTTPS site reassures visitors, especially on a form or a checkout page.
4. Support SEO: HTTPS is a Google ranking signal, light but real.
5. Use modern features: online payments, geolocation, notifications and many browser technologies only work on HTTPS sites.