SSL Certificates

Every website on the ShinePages platform gets a Free SSL certificate. The certificates allow you to have a secured connection between the customer's browser and the server. That helps in the prevention of hacking and stealing customer's information because the data is being encrypted from the customer's browser to the server. 

 You'll know your SSL Certificate has been installed when you see the "lock" symbol next to your domain name in the URL bar of your browser. 

All certificates will be installed automatically and you don't have to do anything. If your domain is connected correctly, it might take up to 48 hours for SSLs to install onto a newly connected domain (In most cases it is within the day).

If that is not the case and your website still shows as unsecured after 48 hours, there are a couple of things you could try to look for which could be preventing the SSL from installing:

1. Check if both the A and CNAME records are correctly added to the DNS as per the instructions shown in Website Settings -> Domain -> Gear icon (next to the domain name) -> Toggle DNS Settings. 

An incorrect or non-existent A record would show our instructions box in RED, so you know where to look.

Note: Your DNS Records are available to edit and update from your Domain Registrar (wherever you purchased your domain) - Click here for the article on How To Connect Your Domain

One way to check quickly for the records on a given domain WITHOUT having access to the DNS is to use record checking tools. One such tool is https://www.digwebinterface.com

Paste the domain you want to check without any https:// - as an example "mywebsite.com" instead of "https://mywebsite.com"

- Check if the A record we require matches what is added on your DNS.

There cannot be two A records. In "Type", select A record and then hit the "Dig" button. You will see all A record entries. Check to see if our required one is there (34.202.63.170) and that there aren't any others. If there are more than one, delete all not related to our platform. Below is what the A record result should look like (but with the correct A record value):

- Check if the CNAME is added to the DNS as per our instructions.

If all is correct with the A record, type www. before the domain, so it becomes www.mywebsite.com and change the "Type" to CNAME and hit Dig again. You should see the domain name appear as value such as mywebsite.com. (the dot at the end must be there). 

If it shows SOA in the result, it means the CNAME record is not added and it should be rectified.  See Step Two of this article for CNAME instructions.

- Check for AAAA record.

Lastly, remove the www. so mywebsite.com is left, change "Type" to "Any" and see if there is an AAAA record appearing. If so, please delete it from the DNS. This was most likely the reason the SSL was not installing.

2. Try to force the SSL

If 48h have passed, the records are correct yet the SSL is not installing, there is one more thing you can try. Open your browser in incognito mode and open the domain with "http" instead of "https". It will still show as unsecured, however, give it 30 minutes to an hour and try again using "http".

3.Using different browser and network.

Try accessing the domain from a different browser and also a different network (mobile network for example). There could be cache left over that is remembering the site as not having SSL and you could be missing it for that reason.