Do I keep the same SSL certificate when renewing SSL?
Here's the information you need, but the decision is ultimately up to you.
In recent years, Google has mandated that all websites should carry a seal of security in the form of an SSL certificate. These SSL certificates guarantee to visitors that the site is secure and that information shared over connections with it is encrypted so they cannot be breached by third parties.
It's quite easy to apply for an SSL certificate and install it. However, all certificates are hard-coded with an expiration date. In the case of free trial SSL certificates, this expiration date might be 30 to 60 days. However, all paid SSL certificates can be purchased for one or two years. After that period, the certificate inevitably expires completely.
It is impossible to extend the dates on the same certificate. As such, when you're renewing SSL certificate, you are essentially buying a new SSL certificate. You do not keep the same certificate.
It is essential to do this because if your SSL certificate expires, your site will lose its badge of security. You will lose the green or gold padlock, and Google Chrome will also display the ‘Not Secure' warning next to the address bar. This can lead to decreased traffic as viewers and users lose faith in your site.
In this article, we'll give you all the information you need on renewing SSL certificate.
Important Details to note about Renewing SSL Certificates
Depending on your situation, renewing SSL certificate might mean a number of things.
- Generation of CSR: If you use an Apache server and if you haven't changed your business details since your previous purchase, you will not need to generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) again. However, if you use a Windows, Tomcat, or Java-based server — or if you've updated your business details recently — you'll need to generate a CSR again.
- Validation: You will need to go through the validation process again If you're upgrading your SSL certificate by a validation level, if you're changing your certificate authority, or if you have changed business details recently. However, if you're buying a comparable certificate from the same authority and haven't changed business details recently, you don't need to go through the validation process again.
How to Renew Security Certificate that Expired?
- Generate a new CSR if necessary.
- Go to your existing account and select the Renew SSL link.
- From the products page, select the SSL certificate you want to renew.
- If you don't get the Renew page, you can simply select the necessary product and then sign into your account when asked to generate CSR. (If you purchased the SSL certificate from a reseller, contact that specific reseller.)
- Once your renewal request is approved, the certificate will be sent to your email address.
- Install your renewed certificate and verify it. You should do this before you uninstall the previous certificate. That will ensure that your site is never left without security.
- Create a backup of the old certificate (in case something goes wrong) and uninstall it from your website.
If you're renewing a Domain Validated Certificate, the renewal will come through within a few minutes. And if you're renewing an Organization Validation or Extended Validation Certificate, the renewal will come through within two days.
I hope this helps you figure out how to renew site certificate. If you have any other questions, feel free to let us know.
