What a padlock (SSL) actually does, and when it expires

The padlock means traffic between your visitor and your site is encrypted, and that the certificate was issued for your domain name. It does not mean the site itself is trustworthy — anyone can get a certificate — but browsers warn loudly without one, and visitors have learned to look.

Expiry is the part people forget

Certificates expire, usually every 90 days for automated ones. The failure mode is a scary full-page warning on a random Tuesday. Every plan here includes the certificate with automatic renewal, so expiry is our problem to watch, not yours.

What to check on your site

• Load your site with https:// and look for the padlock.
• Click through to any page with a form — all of them must be https, or browsers flag mixed content.
• If you see warnings after moving hosts, it is almost always a hardcoded http:// link in content. Search and replace it.