Troubleshooting SSL

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Troubleshooting SSL

Last updated June 05, 2026 14:11

Fix security warnings or SSL certificate errors.

All domains correctly pointing to your Squarespace site are automatically protected with free SSL certificates. If your browser shows security warnings when you visit your site, or if you're logged in and an SSL certificate message appears, follow the steps in this guide.

For general information about SSL, visit Understanding SSL certificates.

Note: SSL is only included for domains pointing to Squarespace websites. If you have a Squarespace domain that points somewhere else, contact your website host to get an SSL certificate.

Before you begin

Before troubleshooting issues with your SSL certificate, keep in mind:

  • New and recently connected domains may take a day or two to finish connecting and generate the certificate. If your domain is new to your site, wait 48 hours before taking any troubleshooting steps.
  • If your domain is pointing to a non-Squarespace website, contact your website host for help with SSL certificate issues. Only domains pointing to a Squarespace site are protected with our free SSL certificates.
  • DNSSEC is a separate security function from SSL. When you register a Squarespace domain, DNSSEC protection is automatically added to your domain. You can add third-party DNSSEC protection to a domain instead, but we can't guarantee that this setup will always work with our SSL setup.

Error message: Your connection is not private/secure

If you or your visitors find a privacy or security warning when visiting your site, the browser is detecting insecure content on the page. Depending on the browser, the message might be:

  • “Your connection is not private“
  • “Your connection is not secure”

There are a few reasons this might happen. In many cases, it's temporary, and you can fix it by following these steps:

Fix the issue

To remove the warning from your site:

  1. If your domain is new to your site, wait 48 hours. New and recently connected domains may take up to 48 hours to finish connecting and generate the certificate.
  2. After 48 hours, ensure your site is set to Secure in the SSL panel.
  3. Review your site for mixed content.
  4. Confirm your domain is correctly connected to your site.
  5. For Squarespace domains, ensure your domain's default records are intact.
  6. For third-party domains connected to Squarespace, check that the DNS records in your provider's account are entered correctly.
  7. After making any changes, wait 48 hours for the certificate to process. To check if the SSL certificate is working, visit your domain in a private browsing window.

If your domain uses forwarding

If you're forwarding your domain to another URL and this error message appears:

  1. Open your domains dashboard.
  2. Click the domain that’s receiving the error message.
  3. Click Website.
  4. Edit your domain forward and confirm that the SSL toggle doesn’t appear.
  5. If the SSL toggle doesn’t appear but you still receive this error message, review more troubleshooting steps.
  6. If an SSL toggle appears and it’s switched off, toggle it back on.
  7. Click Save. The SSL toggle disappears but remains on to ensure this error message no longer appears.

More troubleshooting

If you're still having trouble, you might be using an unsupported browser. The web and mobile browsers listed on Let's Encrypt under Platforms that trust ISRG Root X1 meet our security standards for SSL. If your browser isn't on the list, it's not supported.

Error message: SSL Certificates Unavailable

If we have trouble generating a certificate for your domain, an “SSL Certificates Unavailable” message will appear in your domain overview panel.

To fix the issue, wait a full 48 hours. New and recently connected domains may take up to 48 hours to finish connecting and generating the certificate.

If the error message still appears after 48 hours, the domain may not be properly pointing to your site. You can troubleshoot based on your domain provider:

Squarespace domains

For Squarespace domains, ensure that your default records are intact.

Keep in mind, SSL is only included for domains pointing to Squarespace websites. If you have a Squarespace domain that points somewhere else, contact your website host to get an SSL certificate.

Third-party domains connected to Squarespace

For third-party domains connected to Squarespace:

  1. Review your domain-mapping records to ensure your domain is correctly connected.
  2. Ask your provider if their system uses CAA record restrictions. Our SSL provider can't issue a certificate if there's a restriction. For more help and steps to resolve, review our sample message or visit Let’s Encrypt’s documentation.
  3. If the problem persists, we might not be able to issue a certificate because of a problem with your domain provider. For the most secure experience for you and your visitors, we recommend transferring your domain to Squarespace. If your domain isn't eligible for a transfer, keep it registered with your provider and disable SSL.

You can also contact us for help with your SSL certificate.

Next steps

After the security warnings cleared, you may want to:

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Troubleshooting SSL