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Fix 'Your Connection Is Not Private'

Before You Start

This guide shows you how to fix 'your connection is not private' errors on a website you run. It is for site owners and administrators whose visitors see a browser warning instead of their pages. You need access to the hosting control panel or server, the ability to view and renew the site's certificate, and a second device to test the result.

Find the Cause

  1. Read the error wording. Note the exact message the browser shows, such as an expired certificate, a name mismatch or an untrusted issuer. The cause decides which fix applies.
  2. Check the certificate dates. Open the certificate details in the browser and confirm the start and end dates. A certificate past its end date must be renewed, as explained in why certificates expire.
  3. Check the names it covers. Confirm the certificate includes every address visitors use, such as both the bare domain and the www address. A certificate for one name does not cover the other.
  4. Test from another device and network. If the warning appears on one device only, its clock may be wrong, so check its date and time settings before blaming the site.

Fix the Certificate

  1. Renew an expired certificate. Use your host's certificate tool or the automated renewal process to issue a new certificate, then confirm that automatic renewal works for the future.
  2. Issue a certificate for the right names. Request a certificate covering every domain and subdomain visitors use, and install it on the correct site.
  3. Install the full chain. Make sure the server sends its intermediate certificates with the site certificate, so the browser can build a chain of trust to a root it recognises.
  4. Replace self-signed certificates on public sites. Browsers cannot verify a self-signed certificate, so use one issued by a trusted authority for any public address.
  5. Retest in a private window. Load the site in a private window and on several devices. Some browsers keep showing the warning until cached state refreshes.

Mistakes and When to Ask for Help

  • Assuming the warning is an attack without first checking dates and names.
  • Installing a new certificate but forgetting the intermediate certificates.
  • Telling visitors to click through the warning instead of fixing the certificate.

Ask your host for help if you cannot renew the certificate, if the server presents the wrong default certificate to visitors, or if the problem comes from a shared server you do not control. Give them the exact error text and the domain names involved.

Is the 'connection is not private' warning always a sign of an attack?

No. Most warnings come from configuration problems, such as an expired certificate, a missing intermediate certificate or a domain name the certificate does not cover. Real attacks are rarer, but browsers treat every failed check with caution because they cannot tell the difference.

Can visitors safely continue past the warning?

Only when they know the site and understand that the identity check failed. Continuing exposes the visitor to possible impersonation on an untrusted network. Site owners should fix the certificate rather than rely on visitors to bypass the warning.

Who can fix a certificate error on my site?

Usually the site owner or the host, since visitors can only decide whether to continue. The fix depends on the cause: renewing an expired certificate, installing the full chain or issuing a certificate that covers the right names.