If you want to confirm your website has a valid SSL certificate installed, or you need to check exactly when it expires, you don't need any special tools. You can check it in your browser in seconds, confirm the details with a free online checker, or get the full certificate information from your hosting control panel.
Check From Your Browser
This is the fastest way to confirm your site is using HTTPS and see the certificate's basic details.
- Visit your website in any browser.
- Click the padlock icon (or similar security icon) to the left of the address bar.
- Select Connection is secure or Certificate is valid, depending on your browser.
- Click Certificate or View certificate to see the issuer, the domain names it covers, and the Valid from and Valid to dates.
If the padlock is missing, shows a warning triangle, or your browser blocks the page with a privacy warning, your certificate may be missing, expired, or misconfigured.
Check With an Online SSL Checker
A free online SSL checker gives you a more detailed report than your browser, including the full certificate chain and whether any intermediate certificates are missing. Search for "SSL certificate checker," enter your domain name, and run the check. It will show you the certificate's issuer, expiry date, and whether it's trusted by all major browsers.
Check in Your Hosting Control Panel
Your control panel shows the exact certificate installed on your hosting account, including whether it's a free or paid certificate.
In cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and go to the Security section.
- Click SSL/TLS Status.
- Find your domain in the list and click on its row to expand it. This shows the certificate's issuer, type, and expiry date.
In DirectAdmin
- Log in to DirectAdmin and go to SSL Certificates (sometimes listed under Advanced Features, depending on your DirectAdmin skin).
- The page displays the certificate currently installed for your domain, including its issuer and expiry date.
Checking the expiry date regularly matters most for a certificate you installed manually. A free AutoSSL-type certificate normally renews itself, but it's still worth checking occasionally in case renewal failed. If you'd rather make sure you never miss a renewal, see How to Renew Your SSL Certificate Before It Expires.