The rules around SSL certificates are changing across the whole internet. The good news is that for most customers, very little will change on your side.<\/p>\n
This is an industry-wide update, and we\u2019ll handle the practical bits wherever we manage your SSL.<\/p>\n
From 15 March 2026, newly issued SSL certificates will only be able to remain technically active for up to 200 days at a time, which is just under seven months.<\/p>\n
Right now, most SSL certificates can last up to 398 days.<\/p>\n
Any certificates issued before 15 March 2026 will remain valid until their normal expiry date. Nothing changes for those.<\/p>\n
This change comes from the CA\/Browser Forum, the industry group that sets security standards for browsers and certificate authorities.<\/p>\n
Shorter certificate lifetimes improve security. If a certificate or encryption key were ever compromised, a shorter lifetime limits how long it could be used. It also encourages better automation and more frequent verification.<\/p>\n
Put simply, the industry is moving towards SSL that is renewed and re-verified more often, ideally automatically.<\/p>\n
For most customers, this will be largely invisible.<\/p>\n
Your website will still be protected by SSL and visitors will still see the familiar padlock in their browser.<\/p>\n
The main difference is that, within an annual SSL subscription, your certificate may need to be re-verified once during the term to meet the new 200 day rule.<\/p>\n
Where Heart Internet manages your domain\u2019s DNS, we will handle this re-verification automatically using a DNS verification record. Your certificate stays active and your site stays secure.<\/p>\n
You may occasionally receive an automated email from the certificate issuer to your domain\u2019s admin contact email address. This is expected and usually does not require a response, but it is worth making sure your admin contact email is up to date.<\/p>\n
If you manage your SSL certificates or DNS settings outside of Heart Internet, you may need to complete the re-verification yourself. We will provide guidance in advance if this applies to you.<\/p>\n
The move to 200 days is the first step. The industry plans to shorten certificate lifetimes further over the next few years:<\/p>\n
This may sound dramatic, but the long-term goal is for SSL renewal and re-verification to be fully automated, so most website owners never have to think about it.<\/p>\n
At Heart Internet, we aim to keep things simple.<\/p>\n
Where we manage your SSL, we will take care of the re-verification process for you. Your billing cycle, renewal date and subscription terms remain unchanged. We\u2019re simply doing a bit more work in the background to keep everything compliant and running smoothly.<\/p>\n
If you have any questions, our support team is here to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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