What is an SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate is a file a certificate authority signs for a hostname. The browser checks its signature, name and dates, then encrypts the visit, showing HTTPS and a closed padlock. Since March 2026 public certificates last at most 200 days. WebJi® hosting includes a free one; paid DV starts at ₹1,800 a year before GST.
For site owners, bloggers and small businesses who want to know what the padlock proves and which certificate to use.
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- Read time
- 5 min
- Sections
- 8
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
What does an SSL certificate do?
An SSL certificate is the server's public identity for a hostname: it lets the browser confirm it reached the right site and then encrypt the visit. The file lists the hostname, a public key, the certificate authority (CA) that signed it and the dates it is valid. The matching private key stays on the server and is never sent to visitors.
When a browser connects, the server sends the certificate. The browser checks the signature against authorities it already trusts, then checks the name and dates. If all pass, both sides agree a session key and the page loads over HTTPS with a closed padlock. If any check fails, the browser shows a warning; do not type a password on that page.
"SSL" is the old name of the encryption protocol. TLS replaced it and browsers now speak only TLS, but the identity file is still called an SSL certificate; the history is in SSL vs TLS.
- Identity: the file names the hostname and carries the public key.
- Trust: a CA the browser knows must have signed it, and today must fall inside its dates.
- Encryption: starts only after the browser accepts the file.
How can you tell a site has a valid SSL certificate?
A valid certificate shows https and a closed padlock; open the padlock and the name should match the site, the issuer should be a public CA and the dates should include today. You can also test any domain with the SSL checker.
| What you see | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Not secure" label | Page is on HTTP; no certificate in use | Install a certificate and redirect to HTTPS |
| Full-page warning | Certificate missing, expired, for another hostname, or from an untrusted signer | See browser says not secure |
| HTTPS but padlock open or warning icon | Mixed content: an image, style or script still loads over HTTP | Update those URLs, as in moving from HTTP to HTTPS |
Which types of SSL certificate are there?
Certificate types differ in two ways only: how much identity the CA checked, and how many hostnames the file covers. The encryption of the visit is the same on every row. The full comparison is in types of SSL certificates.
| Type | What is checked or covered | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Domain validated (DV) | Control of the hostname | Blogs, brochure sites, small shops |
| Organisation validated (OV) | Hostname and the registered organisation | Businesses that want the company name in the certificate |
| Extended validation (EV) | A stricter organisation check | The extra detail appears in certificate details, not a green bar |
| Wildcard | One domain and all its first-level subdomains | shop.example.in and mail.example.in on one file |
| Multi-domain | The hostnames you list | Several different domains on one certificate |
How long is an SSL certificate valid?
Since 15 March 2026, a public TLS certificate can be valid for at most 200 days, under the CA/Browser Forum Baseline Requirements. The limit falls to 100 days from 15 March 2027 and 47 days from 15 March 2029, so automated renewal is now essential.
A paid certificate sold "per year" is therefore a yearly subscription during which the certificate is reissued, not one file that lasts twelve months. Free Let's Encrypt certificates are already short-lived and renew automatically; on cPanel, AutoSSL handles this, and on a VPS Certbot does, as in Let's Encrypt auto-renewal.
Does a blog need an SSL certificate?
Yes: browsers label any HTTP page "Not secure", including a blog with no login or shop. You need HTTPS before adding a login, comment form or checkout, and you still want it without them, because the label sits on every reading page.
HTTPS is a light ranking signal in Google search, not a boost that lifts a post on its own; the content still has to earn the visit. A blog on a WebJi® plan can use the free certificate included for its hostname.
What is a self-signed or shared SSL certificate?
A self-signed certificate is signed by the same server that uses it, so no public CA vouches for the name and visitors' browsers warn. It is fine for a private test on a computer you have told to trust it, never for a public site.
Shared SSL was an old hosting shortcut where many sites used the host's certificate, so the name never matched your domain. Current free certificates are issued for your own hostname. Keep the private key on the server: anyone holding it can impersonate your site, so never email it or paste it into a ticket.
What does an SSL certificate cost in India?
WebJi® hosting includes a free Let's Encrypt certificate; a paid Sectigo Positive SSL (DV, www and bare domain) is ₹1,800 a year and a Positive SSL Wildcard is ₹7,500 a year, before 18% GST. Those yearly prices were read from the WebJi® SSL price list on 29 October 2026; checkout confirms the current figure.
| Certificate | Covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Let's Encrypt (with hosting) | Your hostnames on the plan | Free |
| Sectigo Positive SSL | www and non-www of one domain (DV) | ₹1,800/year |
| Sectigo Positive SSL Wildcard | One domain and all subdomains | ₹7,500/year |
A code-signing certificate is a different product for software and does not create a website padlock. Paid options are listed on the SSL certificates page, and free vs paid SSL explains when paying makes sense.
How is an SSL certificate issued?
The CA signs a certificate only after you prove control of the hostname; OV and EV certificates add checks on the organisation. On WebJi® cPanel accounts, AutoSSL runs the free path and renews before expiry.
- Create a private key and a certificate signing request (CSR) naming the hostname on the server; the key stays there.
- Prove control with a file on the site, a DNS record, or email to a domain contact.
- Install the signed certificate with its intermediate chain on the server that holds the key; see installing SSL in cPanel.
- Open an inner page in a private window and confirm https, a closed padlock and the right hostname.
If AutoSSL does not issue, email support@webji.services with the hostname; replies come 24/7 in Hindi and English.
Frequently asked questions
What happens when an SSL certificate expires?
Browsers show a full-page warning and most visitors leave. Forms and logins stop being trustworthy until a new certificate is installed. With automated renewal such as AutoSSL or Certbot, the certificate is replaced before expiry, so check renewal logs rather than calendars.
Does a wildcard certificate cover the bare domain?
A wildcard for *.example.in covers first-level subdomains such as shop.example.in. Most CAs also include example.in itself, but it does not cover second-level names such as a.b.example.in. Confirm the covered names before ordering.
Does an SSL certificate protect my site from hacking?
No. It encrypts traffic between visitor and server and proves the server's name. It does not patch WordPress, block malware or stop weak passwords. Security updates, backups and a firewall are separate jobs.
Can one SSL certificate be used on two servers?
Technically yes, if both servers hold the same private key and serve the hostnames in the certificate, for example behind a load balancer. Copying the key widens the risk if either server is compromised, so issue separate certificates where you can.
Checked 14 November 2026 · Validity limits from the CA/Browser Forum Baseline Requirements · Reviewed by the WebJi® team, Jaipur.
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