How to Renew SSL Certificate in 2023?

4 Easy Steps to Renew Your SSL Certificate Quickly

All SSL certificates are designed with a finite lifespan. When they reach their expiration date, browsers automatically warn visitors that your website is unsafe. An SSL certificate’s expiration date ensures that your security is always up-to-date. Henceforth, you can only operate a website swiftly if you renew your SSL certificate credentials.

You’ll need to renew your SSL certificate after its validity period expires. Typically, an SSL is valid for up to two years to ensure you’re using the most up-to-date version of SSL and the cipher suite.

Integrating an SSL certificate is a non-negotiable aspect of your online security. But the question is how to renew SSL. Fortunately, we are here to help you with this handy guide you are reading. So, let’s start without any delay.

How to Renew SSL Certificate 2023?

Your website’s SSL certificate renewal procedure may vary depending on your selected web host. But each step still has the same overall purpose.

The procedure of SSL certificate renewal is simple and takes very little time to complete. Simply access your admin area in your Certificate Authority account, and then choose the certificate you wish to renew and hit the “Renew” button. However, the detailed steps to renew your SSL certificate are as follows:

• Sign in to your Certificate Authorities account.
• Choose to renew your SSL certificate.
• Complete payment and Download the SSL files.
• Install renewed certificate using new SSL files

Step 1. Sign in to your Certificate Authorities account.

You can’t renew your SSL certificates by yourself and need to get them issued by reputed Certificate Authorities (CA) or their trusted distributors. This is to ensure that you are using the correct & secure SSL. All you have to do is sign in or sign up for your CA accounts.

Step 2. Choose to renew your SSL certificate.

Unlike in the past, all Certificate Authorities now provide one-click SSL renewal and validation. You can search the “Renewal” option near your SSL certificate in your CA account. Or you can even find it in the Admin area/dashboard of some CA accounts. 

Step 3. Complete payment and Download the SSL files.

After deciding to renew, you can complete the payment to download all the SSL files and be done with the process. The prices of SSL certificates differ from category to category. You can check average prices in the next section. There can be some exceptions.

However, things could shift if you run Apache servers but need to modify the business information before the purchase. In all other circumstances, a CSR can be easily generated by the web host, attesting to the legitimacy of your server.

If you’re using cPanel, you can locate the SSL/TLS option under the Security section of the interface. After clicking the link provided below the CSR, the freshly generated CSR will be displayed. You must re-enter the information to become the domain’s owner. The SSL vendor then gives you the CSR code.

Step 4. Install renewed certificate using new SSL files

Lastly, you can extract (if zip) and run the renewed SSL files. You will receive a “Download SSL certificate” pop-up from where you can download the files. Moreover, some extra information is also given below to help you better with the situation.

Price of Renewing SSL Certificate

Prices of Renewing SSL certificates can vary widely. Generally, $50-60 per annum is the average cost of a reliable SSL certificate with good customer support. However, depending on the complexity of your site’s security demands, the annual fee can be anywhere from $5 to $1,000.

What Will happen if you don’t renew your SSL Certificate?

SSL/TLS certificates enable business owners to verify the identity of their servers and win the confidence of their customers’ web browsers. Consequently, this boosts both their reputation and their revenue.

These certificates allow users to securely send private information across an insecure network without worrying about the security of their data or the legitimacy of the server they are communicating with.

Upon expiration, you will lose all these benefits. Here are some effects that you can expect.

• Your website will display the warning, “Your connection is not private.”
• Even if a customer registers for an account on your site, their discussions with you will not be secure.
• The message sent will be unencrypted so that anyone can read it.
• You will no longer be able to use encrypted HTTPS connections for your communications.
• Your (or your customer’s) data will be sent over the unencrypted network, making it vulnerable to theft by anyone spying on the transmission.

Things to keep in mind about SSL Renewals

No CA can issue lifetime SSL: According to norms in the industry, Certificate Authorities must permanently embed the expiration date into certificates. Hence, be aware and don’t get trapped in any fraud.

Installation of new files is part of the renewal process: Certificates have a finite lifespan, and after they’ve passed that mark, they’re unusable. The Certificate Authority (CA) will issue a new certificate to replace the old one, and you will need to install it on your server as part of the “renewal” process.

Generate new CSR: When updating your SSL/TLS certificate, generating a new certificate signing request (CSR) is advisable. When you renew an SSL certificate, you’ll need a new keypair (public/private), which you may get by generating a new CSR with CSR Generator Tool.

You would need to renew CSR if you made changes: It is possible that new validation documents will be requested if any of your company’s information, like address, name, etc., changes. You should update the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) to reflect the new company details.

How to know when is the right time to renew your SSL certificate

The onus generally lies on the site owners to remember their SSL renewal information. However, many SSL Certificate issuers regularly update certificate holders with important security information. Thus, as a website proprietor, you need to periodically check your inbox for the renewal notification emails sent by your CA for the renewal of your SSL certificate.

Conclusion of How to Renew SSL Certificate

Get your website up-to-date and secure using our step-by-step guide on automatic SSL Certificate renewal. We have also enlisted things to keep in mind and the cost of SSL certificate renewal to help you make better decisions.

In a succinct, you need to sign in or sign up at your CA account, purchase an SSL certificate by clicking on renewal and running it to download the new SSL certificate. That said, we conclude the how to renew SSL certificate guide here. For more information, you can always get in touch with our team to renew your SSL certificate.