You've seen the little padlock next to website addresses in your browser. It means the connection is private and secure — and browsers warn visitors away from sites that don't have it. Every ValoHosting plan includes it, free, with nothing for you to set up. Here are the questions we hear most.
What is it, technically?
The padlock comes from an SSL certificate (also written TLS). It scrambles the information travelling between your visitors and your website, so passwords and card details can't be read along the way. Without one, browsers show a "Not Secure" warning that scares customers off — here's why that matters for business.
Is it really free?
Yes. Every plan includes a certificate from Let's Encrypt, a trusted provider used across the industry, renewed automatically. If you run an online shop and want the more heavily-vetted kind (called "extended validation"), our Premium plan supports that too — just message us.
Do I ever need to renew it?
No. Certificates last 90 days and we renew yours automatically about a month before expiry. Under normal circumstances you'll never think about it.
My browser is showing a warning. What now?
- You just connected a new domain. Each address needs its own certificate, and a freshly connected one can take a few minutes to get it.
- A renewal quietly failed. Rare, but possible if your domain settings changed. Message us and we'll reissue it straight away.
- Your browser is showing an old copy. Try a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R) or a private window before assuming something's really wrong.
I already bought a certificate elsewhere. Can I use it?
Yes — send us the certificate files via a ticket from your account page and we'll install it for you.