Over the past year, you may have noticed that SSL certificates are no longer being issued for 12 months like they used to be.
At the moment, most SSL certificates are issued for around 5 to 6 months, and this will be reduced further to around 3 months in the near future.
Why is this changing?
This change is being driven by major web browsers and industry bodies such as Google Chrome, Apple, and the CA/Browser Forum.
The main reason is security.
Shorter certificate lifespans mean:
- If a certificate is ever compromised, it becomes useless much sooner
- Encryption standards are kept more up to date
- The overall security of the internet improves
In simple terms, it reduces the “window of risk”.
Why go as short as 3 months?
The industry is moving towards shorter and shorter certificate lifetimes because:
- Automation has improved significantly
- Most servers can now renew certificates automatically
- There is less need for long-term certificates anymore
Shorter lifetimes mean any potential issue is corrected much faster without relying on manual intervention.
Will this affect my website?
In most cases, no.
If your hosting or server is set up correctly (as it is on our platform), your SSL certificate will renew automatically before it expires.
You should not notice any difference in day-to-day use.
Do I need to do anything?
Generally, no action is required.
However, if you are managing your own server or SSL certificates manually, you should:
- Ensure automatic renewal is configured
- Monitor expiry dates more regularly
- Avoid relying on manual renewals once per year
Summary
- SSL certificates are becoming shorter-lived for better security
- Current lifespan is around 5–6 months
- This will reduce to around 3 months in the future
- Most systems now renew SSL certificates automatically
If you have any concerns or are unsure how your SSL is set up, feel free to contact us and we can check it for you.
