How to Fix SSL Certificate Warnings in Your Email Client

If your email app warns that the mail server's security certificate is invalid, untrusted, or doesn't match the server name, it almost always means your email client is pointed at the wrong server address for secure mail. You can usually fix it in a few minutes by changing your incoming and outgoing server settings, without touching your actual email account.

Why You See This Warning

Your mailbox lives on a physical mail server that has its own hostname, something like server1.example-host.com. The free SSL certificate on that server is issued to match that exact hostname. If your email client is set up to connect using mail.yourdomain.co.ke instead of the server's own hostname, the certificate presented during the secure connection won't match what your client expected, so it shows a "certificate name mismatch" or "not trusted" warning even though the connection itself is still encrypted.

This usually shows up right after you set up a new email account, switch devices, or move your website and email to a new host.

Find the Correct Mail Server Hostname

The fastest fix is to get the exact server name the certificate was issued for, then use that in your email client instead of mail.yourdomain.co.ke.

In cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel and open Email Accounts.
2. Find your email address in the list and click Connect Devices (older versions call this Set Up Mail Client).
3. Under Secure SSL/TLS Settings, note the exact Incoming Server and Outgoing Server hostnames shown, along with their ports.

In DirectAdmin

1. Log in to DirectAdmin and open E-Mail Accounts.
2. Click on the email address, then look for the email client configuration or POP/IMAP settings details for that account.
3. Note the exact incoming and outgoing server hostnames and ports listed there, these are the names your SSL certificate actually covers.

Update Your Email Client

1. Open your account settings in Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, or your phone's mail app.
2. Replace the incoming (IMAP or POP3) server address with the exact hostname from the step above.
3. Replace the outgoing (SMTP) server address the same way.
4. Save the settings and send yourself a test email to confirm the warning is gone.

Never tap "Continue", "Always trust this certificate", or disable certificate validation just to make the warning disappear. That skips the check that confirms you're actually talking to your real mail server, and it will keep reappearing anyway after updates or device changes. Fixing the server address is the permanent solution.

If You'd Rather Keep Using mail.yourdomain.co.ke

If you prefer your email client to show your own domain name instead of the server's hostname, contact ZIPROF support and ask for your mail hostname to be added to your domain's SSL coverage. Once that's done, the certificate will match mail.yourdomain.co.ke directly and you can switch your client's server settings back to it.

Still Seeing the Warning?

• Double-check you saved the new server address correctly in both the incoming and outgoing fields; a typo will bring the warning straight back.
• If you recently moved your website and email to a new host, DNS may still be propagating, which can briefly point your client at an outdated server.
• Confirm you're using the SSL/TLS ports (not the plain, unencrypted ones) for both incoming and outgoing mail.

If none of this clears it, check your email troubleshooting guide or open a support ticket with ZIPROF.