This guide explains how to check the validity period and details of an SSL certificate installed on your cPanel account. Checking SSL validity helps ensure your website remains secure and visitors are not shown browser warnings.
Steps to Check SSL Certificate Validity
- Log in to your cPanel account.
- Navigate to the Security section and click on SSL/TLS Status.
- Locate your domain in the list. The Expiration Date column shows when the certificate expires.
- To view full certificate details, click View Certificate next to the domain. This displays:
- Valid From: The date the certificate was issued.
- Valid Until: The exact expiry date and time.
- Issuer: The certificate authority that issued the certificate.
- Domains Covered (SANs): All domains and subdomains included in the certificate.
Alternative: Check Via SSL/TLS → Manage SSL Sites
- Go to SSL/TLS in the Security section.
- Click on Manage SSL Sites.
- Select your domain from the dropdown.
- View the certificate details displayed, including validity dates.
Important Notes
- SSL certificates typically have a validity period of 90 days (Let's Encrypt / AutoSSL) or 1 year (commercial certificates).
- AutoSSL renews certificates automatically approximately 30 days before expiry. No manual action is needed for AutoSSL-managed certificates.
- For manually installed commercial certificates, set a reminder to renew at least 2 weeks before the expiry date to avoid service interruption.
- An expired certificate will cause browsers to display a security warning, which may drive visitors away from your site.
Troubleshooting
- Certificate shows expired but AutoSSL is active: Click Run AutoSSL to trigger an immediate renewal attempt. If it fails, check DNS resolution and domain validation.
- Wrong domain on the certificate: Ensure your domain resolves to the correct server. AutoSSL issues certificates based on the domain's DNS records.
