What the SSL check looks at
We open a secure connection to your site the way a browser does and check what it presents:
- HTTPS not working — flagged critical if your site refuses a secure connection or a browser wouldn't trust it (expired, self-signed or issued for a different name). Visitors would see a browser warning instead of your site.
- Expires within 14 days — flagged critical.
- Expires within 30 days — flagged high.
- 30 days or more left — counted as healthy. The result doesn't list the exact date.
If our connection times out, we report the check as not verified rather than as a failure.
Why it matters
SSL/TLS expires on a fixed date. If automatic renewal quietly stops working, nothing looks wrong until that day. Then a customer who opens your site gets a full-page warning that the connection isn't private, and their browser advises them not to continue. A warning 30 days ahead gives you time to fix renewal before anyone sees that page.
What this check doesn't cover
We check the domain you enter on port 443. We don't test every TLS version or cipher your server supports, and we don't check subdomains or mail servers.
Free scan or Pro
The free scan shows every issue it finds, how serious each one is and what it means, in plain English, plus your Ghost Score out of 100. No account needed.
Pro adds step-by-step fix instructions for each issue, a Top-3 action plan, a PDF report and your score history, for domains you have verified you own.
Questions
Does the SSL checker show my SSL/TLS expiry date?
When it matters. If your SSL/TLS expires within 30 days, the finding says how many days are left. If it has longer, the scan counts it as healthy and doesn't list the date.
What if my SSL/TLS has already expired?
A browser-style connection fails once SSL/TLS has expired, so the scan flags HTTPS as not working, at critical severity. The same happens if it is self-signed or issued for a different name.
Which address does it check?
The domain you enter, on the standard HTTPS port (443). Subdomains, mail servers and other ports are not checked.
Is the SSL check free?
Yes. The scan, your Ghost Score and every finding with its explanation are free, with no account needed. Step-by-step fix instructions are part of Pro.