An SSL certificate is a signed file that names a hostname and lets the browser trust the server enough to encrypt the visit. When the check passes, the address starts with HTTPS and the padlock closes. The letters SSL remain in everyday use. The connection itself runs on TLS.
What does an SSL certificate do?
The certificate is the server's public identity for one hostname. It lists that name, the public key, the authority that signed it, and the dates it is valid. The private key stays on the server. Visitors never receive that key.
The browser asks the server to identify itself, and the server sends this file. The browser checks the signature against authorities it already trusts, then checks the name and the dates. If that passes, both sides agree a session key and the page is encrypted. A failed check stops on a warning. Do not type a password there.
- The file names one hostname and carries the public key.
- A known authority must have signed it, and the dates must be current.
- Encryption starts only after the browser accepts the file.
How is an SSL certificate different from TLS?
SSL is the older name of the security protocol. TLS replaced it, and browsers speak TLS now. Panels, invoices, and everyday speech still say SSL certificate for the same file. Choosing a certificate does not turn the old SSL protocol back on. The file is how the TLS connection names the server.
- SSL names the old protocol. TLS is what browsers speak.
- The certificate is the identity file, not the protocol.
- A closed padlock means the browser accepted the file.
How can you tell a site has a valid certificate?
Look at the address bar before you type. A valid certificate shows https and a closed padlock. Open the padlock. The name should be the site you meant to open, the issuer should be a public authority, and the dates should include today.
A Not secure label means the page is still on HTTP, so no certificate is in use. A full-page warning means the certificate is missing, expired, or named for a different host, or the browser does not trust the signer. The browser warning guide covers those cases.
Mixed content is a separate fault. HTTPS is on, but an image, a style, or a script still loads over HTTP, and the padlock stays open. Change those files in the move from HTTP to HTTPS.
Which types of SSL certificate are there?
The type names two choices: how much identity the authority checked, and how many hostnames the file covers. The encryption of the visit is the same job on every row. Read the types of SSL certificates when you are ready to pick one.
| Type | What is checked | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Domain validated (DV) | Control of the hostname | A blog, a brochure site, or a small shop |
| Organisation validated (OV) | The hostname and the organisation | A business site that wants the company name in the file |
| Extended validation (EV) | A stricter check of the organisation | The extra fact sits in the certificate details, not in a special bar colour |
| Wildcard | One domain and its subdomains | shop.example.com and mail.example.com on one file |
| Multi-domain | The hostnames you list | A few different domains on one certificate |
Does a blog need an SSL certificate?
Yes, if people open the blog in a browser. An HTTP blog is labelled Not secure even when it only publishes posts. You need the certificate before a login, a comment form, or a checkout. You still want it when none of those exist, because the label sits on the reading page.
HTTPS is a light signal in search. It is not a prize that lifts a post to the top. A useful post still has to deserve the visit. A blog on a WebJi® plan can use the free certificate included for that hostname. Paid files, including a wildcard, are listed on the SSL certificates page.
What is a self-signed or shared certificate?
A self-signed certificate is signed by the same server that uses it. No public authority has checked the name. You can trust it on one computer for a private test. A visitor's browser will warn, so it is the wrong file for a public site.
A shared SSL certificate was an old hosting shortcut. Many sites used the host's certificate, and the name in the file was the host's name, not yours, so the padlock warned. A useful certificate names the hostname people type. The free certificate on a current account is issued for that hostname. It is not a shared name.
The private key is not a private certificate. It stays on the server. Anyone with that key can impersonate the hostname, so do not email it and do not paste it into a ticket.
What does an SSL certificate cost?
WebJi® hosting includes a free Let's Encrypt certificate on the plan. A paid domain-validated Sectigo Positive SSL is ₹1,800 a year before 18% GST, for www and the bare name of one site. A wildcard for that domain and its subdomains is ₹7,500 a year before 18% GST.
Those yearly figures were read on 29 October 2026 from the live SSL price list. They are before 18% GST on the invoice. A code-signing file is a different product and does not create the website padlock.
How is an SSL certificate issued?
The authority will not sign a name you do not control. A domain-validated check proves control of the hostname. Organisation and extended checks also review the organisation. On WebJi® cPanel, AutoSSL runs the free path and renews that certificate before it expires.
- Create a private key on the server and a certificate signing request that names the hostname. The private key does not leave the server.
- For a domain-validated certificate, prove control with a file on the site, a DNS record, or email to a domain contact.
- Install the signed certificate and the intermediate chain on the server that holds the private key.
- Open an inner page in a private window. The check passed when you see https, a closed padlock, and the hostname you typed.
A paid certificate uses the same install after the authority finishes its review. Email support@webji.services with the hostname if AutoSSL does not issue. Do not use the office phone for that request.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate is a file a certificate authority signs for a hostname. The browser checks the signature, the name, and the dates, then encrypts the visit. HTTPS and a closed padlock mean the check passed. The protocol in use is TLS.
What happens if a site has no SSL certificate?
The browser labels the page Not secure, or it shows a warning. Logins and forms on that page are not encrypted. Some visitors still open an HTTP page, but a public site should not stay there.
How do I check that an SSL certificate is valid?
The address starts with https and the padlock is closed. Open the padlock and confirm the hostname, a public issuer, and dates that include today. A warning, or a certificate you signed yourself, is not valid for the public.
Is an SSL certificate free or paid?
WebJi® hosting includes a free certificate for the hostname on the plan. Pay when you need an organisation check or a wildcard. The domain-validated yearly price is ₹1,800 before 18% GST, and the wildcard is ₹7,500 before 18% GST.
Does a blog need an SSL certificate?
Yes. Browsers label an HTTP blog Not secure even when it has no shop. Add a certificate before you collect comments or logins. The file does not, by itself, move a post to the top of search results.
What is a self-signed SSL certificate?
You sign it with your own key instead of a public authority. It can serve a private test on a computer you have told to trust it. Visitors get a warning, so do not use it on a public site.