Fix a website that will not open after installing SSL

What is SSL?

SSL is a lock for the link between your visitor and your website. It scrambles the data so nobody can read it on the way. A site with SSL starts with https:// and shows a padlock in the browser.

Common causes

• The certificate is for a different domain name.
• The certificate is not fully installed yet.
• An old redirect rule sends visitors in a loop.
• The site still loads some items over plain http://.
• Your browser or the internet still remembers the old setup.

Steps to fix it

1. Wait about 15 to 30 minutes. A new certificate can take a little time to start working.
2. Clear your browser cache. The cache is a store of saved page copies. Old copies can show old errors.
3. Try the site in a private window or another browser.
4. Check the address. Type https://yourdomain.com and also https://www.yourdomain.com.
5. Log in to cPanel and open SSL/TLS Status. Check that your domain has a valid certificate.
6. If the status shows a problem, reinstall the certificate or run AutoSSL again if your plan has it.
7. Check for a redirect loop. Open the .htaccess file in File Manager. Look for several rules that all force https. Keep only one.
8. If you use WordPress, open Settings then General. Make sure both addresses start with https://.

Warning: take a backup of .htaccess before you edit it. One typing mistake can break the whole site.

If you see a "too many redirects" message

This is a redirect loop. Two rules keep sending the visitor back and forth. Remove the extra rule. If you use a tool such as Cloudflare, set its SSL mode to match your server.

If you see warnings but the page loads

This is mixed content. Some images or scripts still load over http://. Change those links to https://.

Quick recap

• Wait a little, then clear your browser cache.
• Check the certificate in SSL/TLS Status.
• Look for duplicate https redirect rules in .htaccess.
• Fix mixed content by using https:// links.
• Ask support if the problem stays.