SSL certificates
Secure your website with an SSL certificate
The padlock and https in every browser, encrypted logins, forms and payments, and the trust your visitors expect. Domain-validated certificates from Sectigo, usually issued within minutes, for any domain.
Choose your certificate
Enter the domain the certificate is for, pick a term and add it to your cart. The domain can be registered with us or anywhere else.
EssentialSSL
One domain, with and without www
From $8.96 per year
- Domain validation, usually issued within minutes
- Trusted by every major browser and device
Positive SSL multi-domain
Up to 3 domains
From $23.99 per year
- Domain validation, usually issued within minutes
- Trusted by every major browser and device
EssentialSSL Wildcard
Wildcard: the domain and all its subdomains
From $59.99 per year
- Domain validation, usually issued within minutes
- Trusted by every major browser and device
What is an SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate is a small data file installed on your website's server. It proves to browsers that the site really belongs to your domain, and it lets the browser and the server agree on a key to encrypt everything sent between them.
Once it is installed, your website opens over https instead of http and browsers show a padlock next to the address. Passwords, contact forms, card details and anything else your visitors type travel encrypted, so nobody on the same Wi-Fi network or along the way can read or change them.
Strictly speaking, today's certificates use TLS, the modern successor of SSL. The old name stuck, so "SSL certificate" and "TLS certificate" mean the same thing.
Why your website needs SSL
No "Not secure" warning
Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox mark every http page as "Not secure", and many visitors leave as soon as they see it.
Protects what visitors type
Logins, contact and booking forms, addresses and payments are encrypted from the visitor's device to your server.
Better for search
Google has used https as a ranking signal since 2014, and visitors who trust your site stay longer and come back.
Needed to take payments
Card payment rules (PCI DSS) and payment providers require an encrypted connection on any page that collects payment details.
Proves the site is yours
The certificate is only issued after the domain owner confirms the request, so visitors know they reached the real site.
Faster, modern websites
HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, location access, notifications and installable web apps only work over https.
Which certificate do you need?
Single domain
One website: example.com and www.example.com. The right choice for most company sites, shops and blogs.
Wildcard
The domain and every subdomain at one level, such as shop.example.com and mail.example.com, with one certificate.
Several domains
Different names on one certificate, for example example.com and example.ae, when the product on sale says how many it covers.
Every certificate we sell online is domain validated (DV): it confirms you control the domain, gives the same padlock and the same strength of encryption as any other certificate, and is issued without paperwork. Organisation (OV) and extended (EV) validation add a check of your company documents; contact us if you need one.
How you get your certificate
Order and pay
Choose the certificate and term above, and pay by card at checkout.
Send us your CSR
In My Account, paste the certificate request (CSR) made by your hosting control panel or server. We show the one command that makes it if your host does not.
Confirm the domain is yours
Pick the way that suits you: approve an email sent to the domain, add a DNS record, or upload a small file to the website.
Install it
The certificate is usually issued within minutes of the check. We email you, and you download it from your account and install it on your hosting.
Certificates now last about six months
Browser makers and certificate authorities agreed to shorten how long a certificate may be valid, so that a stolen key or an outdated check is useful for less time. Since 15 March 2026 a new certificate lasts at most 200 days; the limit falls to 100 days in March 2027 and to 47 days in March 2029.
You can still buy for one year or more. Within the term you paid for, a new certificate is issued each time the current one is about to run out, at no extra cost. We email you when each one is ready to install, and remind you 30 and 7 days before the term itself ends.
- Your private key never leaves your server; we never ask for it
- Trusted by every major browser, phone and operating system
- Reissue for free at any time during the term
- Works with any host and any domain, wherever it is registered
Help
SSL questions, answered
Cannot find your answer here? Get in touch and we will help.
How long does it take to get an SSL certificate?
A domain-validated certificate is usually issued within minutes of the domain check: as soon as the approval email is accepted, or as soon as the certificate authority finds your DNS record or file.
My domain is registered somewhere else. Can I still buy here?
Yes. A certificate can be ordered for any domain you control, wherever it is registered and whoever hosts the website. You only need to be able to confirm the domain by email, DNS record or file.
What is a CSR and where do I get one?
A CSR (certificate signing request) is a block of text that holds your domain name and the public half of a key pair. Most hosting control panels (cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin) make one in their SSL section. On your own server one OpenSSL command makes it; we show it in your account. The private key stays with you.
My host offers free SSL. Why pay for a certificate?
Free certificates encrypt just as well, and if your host installs and renews one for you, that may be all you need. A paid certificate is for when you manage your own server or a host without free SSL, want a certificate authority's warranty and a wildcard or multi-domain option, or want someone to help when something goes wrong.
Does a wildcard certificate cover every subdomain?
It covers the domain itself and every subdomain one level down: *.example.com covers shop.example.com but not eu.shop.example.com.
Do I need to install it myself?
Yes, on the server that hosts the website: you download the certificate from your account and paste it into your hosting control panel's SSL section, or ask your host to install it. Then make sure your site sends visitors from http to https.
What happens when the term ends?
We email you 30 and 7 days before. Renew from your account to keep your website secure for another term. If you do not renew, browsers show a warning once the last certificate expires.
Complete your online presence
A domain for your website, a certificate to secure it, and an email address with your own name, in one account.