Canadian internet education
SSL certificates explained
A neutral guide to SSL certificates, HTTPS, validation, renewals, mixed content, and browser trust.
This page is general information. It does not confirm service availability, pricing, or suitability at a specific address.
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What SSL certificates do
An SSL/TLS certificate helps a browser create an encrypted HTTPS connection and verify that it is connecting to the expected domain. It does not prove that a website is honest, but it is a basic requirement for modern web trust.
What to compare
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Domain validation | Most ordinary sites use domain-validated certificates. |
| Wildcard certificates | A wildcard can cover many subdomains, but it may be unnecessary for simple sites. |
| Renewal automation | Expired certificates can break trust and traffic. |
| Mixed content | A valid certificate still fails visually if the page loads insecure images or scripts. |
| Redirects | HTTP should normally redirect cleanly to HTTPS. |
| Monitoring | Certificate errors should be caught before visitors see them. |