Why does my site show as "not secure" in the browser?

Chances are, you're probably already familiar with Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL for short. It's what places the "HTTPS" in front of your domain in the URL bar, instead of "HTTP." Having an SSL certificate for your website ensures the connection between your web server and a visitor's browser is encrypted and therefore can't be eavesdropped on or spoofed. 

In Chrome, SSL-protected sites show the trusted padlock icon in the URL bar. It signals to users that a site is safe, and they can enter sensitive information such as passwords and credit card information.

On July 24, 2018, Chrome rolled out an update that makes non-SSL sites show as "Not Secure," warning users the site may not be safe:

As we move towards a totally secure internet, now is a great time to consider adding SSL to your site. Once considered an optional feature, a secure connection is quickly becoming the standard.  In 2021, about 85% of all website traffic was served over HTTPS.

Luckily, it has never been easier to get an SSL certificate for your domain, and it's free at Porkbun! Porkbun offers free Let's Encrypt SSL Certificates for all of our users. 

If you host your site with us directly using one of our web hosting plans, your site is automatically SSL-protected. You can even use your free Porkbun certificate with a third-party web host or if you're self-hosted. If you would like to add SSL to your domain, check out this page for more information.