How to Get and Fix SSL Certificates (HTTPS) on Shopify

SSL technology is the standard encryption for web traffic, and it's used across most websites today. You've most likely heard how SSL is crucial and that you have to add it to your website, but all the geek terminology sounds difficult to grasp.

What does SSL even mean?

Fear not! SSL deals with securing your website, and you can carry this out on Shopify in just a few steps.

Let's get started.

What Is An SSL Certificate?

SSL is an acronym for Secure Socket Layer. It is a kind of security that protects data as it travels between the internet and your computer. This Secure Socket Layer works by encrypting the data exchanged between both parties, preventing the information from being seen by anyone else, including web users on the same network.

So with this type of security, all your website content and traffic is secure.

Also, when a web user is on your website, SSL enables their activity to be encrypted as they navigate from page to page. The point of this (in terms of your Shopify store) is that customers won't be putting their financial details at risk when visiting your store.

After registering a domain name, you need to get your SSL certificate to ensure that your customers are properly protected when they come to your website.

What are the Pros of Adding an SSL Certificate to Your Shopify Website?

SSL certificates are vital in building customer trust and online security.

1. Builds Customer Trust

If customers log into a website without an SSL certificate, they are vulnerable to hackers that can steal their credit card numbers, passwords, or checkout page details.

So the SSL icon (padlock) indicates that your website is secure and that all data traveling to and from the platform is safe.

If customers see the SSL icon in their browser's address bar beside your website URL, they will be confident that their financial and personal data won't be vulnerable when purchasing or checking out with your store.

» Consider using a good social proof app to build your brand

2. Google SEO

Google has also stated that website encryption is extremely vital for ranking in their search engine. There is even a detailed published page from Google about website ranking and HTTPS.

The search engine identifies SSL encryption as a primary rank factor alongside other security practices to amplify SEO for your business. And as you probably know, Google search optimization offers your Shopify store greater visibility (which means more sales) and gives a good impression to first-time customers.

So by complying with Google Search expectations, increasing customer trust, and boosting your sales, there's no reason not to secure content across your domain by changing from HTTP to HTTPS.

» Best Shopify SEO apps

Can I Get a Free SSL Certificate From Shopify?

Yes, you can!

Shopify makes it extremely easy for vendors to encrypt their websites with SSL certificates. By giving merchants free SSL certificates for any Shopify store, the brand ensures that every customer is safeguarded from data theft.

With a couple of clicks, you can activate and move all your Shopify hosted pages to the secure HTTPS protocol.

How Do I Add SSL to my Shopify Store?

After you log in to your freshly created store, Shopify will automatically issue and store SSL certificates on all your URLs as soon as your domain is connected.

If the CDNs and host you use also ensure SSL, then your Shopify SSL certificate will be validated, and your store would be protected.

To check if your SSL certification was successful, you can browse around your website to check that every URL displays the prefix HTTPS rather than HTTP. If your URLs do not display the HTTPS prefix, then you won't find the padlock icon in the address bar.

There are various reasons why the switch to HTTPS may not have happened yet.

For example, domain misconfiguration, website refresh delays, and content errors can make your SSL encryption unsuccessful. When your Shopify free SSL certification isn't loading on your store, there'll be a warning on your platform that states "SSL pending" or "SSL unavailable."

SSL Unavailable - What Does this Mean?

The error SSL unavailable in your Shopify admin center is what it says: that the secure socket layer isn't available for use on your website.

The error doesn't imply that you are unable to use Shopify's free encryption. Rather, it means that an aspect of your domain configuration or your website content is insecure, so Shopify cannot issue you the SSL certificate.

There are various reasons why your content delivery or domain services may fail to establish a secure connection. A lot of the time, a basic configuration issue can be fixed to make your store SSL-worthy.

How Do I Fix the SSL Unavailable Error on My Shopify Store?

There are four major things you can do to get rid of this error:

• Wait 48 hours
• Edit your domain records
• Take out IPv6 records
• Alter or remove CAA records

SSL unavailable isn't noticeable to shoppers unless they look for the SSL icon (padlock) in the web address bar.

However, because SSL content is important for a safe and secure shopping experience, be sure to fix the problem immediately if the error appears on your Shopify webmaster tools or settings page.

1. Wait 48 Hours

After making changes to your web server or custom domain, you will have to renew your SSL certificate and re-verify them. This could last up to 48 hours because the HTTPS encryption must completely install and be distributed on your website.

The 48-hour period runs from the moment you create your website and if you make certain changes.

2. Align Your Domain Record

If you create a custom domain via Shopify, the brand automatically adds your custom domain to the Shopify admin panel and configures it for you.

However, if you created your custom domain via a third-party registrar, then you will have to add the domain yourself.

Confirm if your "A record" is directed at Shopify's IP address - 23.227.38.65. and that your CNAME entries aim at shops.myshopify.com.

Also, ensure that you don't use numerous A records for a single domain. If there are additional A records, there'll be an SSL unavailable error.

3. Take Out IPv6 Records

Though IPv6 (AAAA) records represent valid A records, they are irrelevant to Shopify's web hosting and affect HTTPS encryption. Therefore, you want to stick to IPv4 to make sure you'll have the HTTPS URL prefix for your store.

4. Alter or Remove CAA Records

It is a best practice not to use CAA records because they are unnecessary and can trip Shopify's HTTPS encryption.

However, if you must use CAA records, ensure that all records have certificate authorities for letsencrypt.org, digicert.com, and globalsign.com.

The above third-party certificate authorities verify that a particular HTTPS certificate isn't revoked and it's valid.

How Do I Fix SSL Pending on My Shopify Store?

There are 3 ways you can fix the SSL pending problem:

• Look at your A Name Records
• Fix CNAME Records Problems
• Wait it Out

SSL pending is quite different because it means that your SSL certificate is activated for a Shopify store, but Shopify has not verified your content and server yet, to make sure it is compliant with an encryption protocol.

1. Look at Your A Name Records

If every aspect of your DNS configuration is great, but your A Name records have issues with them, then there'll be an SSL pending rather than SSL unavailable.

This implies Shopify is waiting and ready to authorize SSL on your server the moment it picks up your domain.

To fix your A records, ensure that they point to Shopify's IP address - 23.227.38.65.

If you need help configuring these records, you can contact your domain host as well.

2. Fix CNAME Record Problems

Your CNAME record maps a domain's DNS records to another's record.

So ensure that your CNAME record points to shops.myshopify.com and not to an IP address.

3. Wait it Out

Regardless of the error you notice, you may have to wait for 48 hours after making changes for the issue to be handled because it needs time to be implemented.

Conclusion

That's all! Adding SSL certificates to your Shopify Store is a no-brainer and, most times, if everything is correctly done, takes just a couple of clicks.