What is an SSL certificate?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates authenticate websites and allow them to switch from HTTP to HTTPS encryption, protecting the exchange of valuable information visitors send to or receive from a website.

When you’ve got an SSL certificate protecting your site, your customers can rest assured that the information they enter on any secured page is private and can’t be viewed by any bad actors. GoDaddy makes it easy to install your certificate and protect sensitive customer data on your site.

For even more information on SSL certificates, check this help article.

 SSL Certificates inspire trust and show visitors that you value their privacy. An SSL certificate protects your customers’ sensitive information such as their name, address, password, or credit card number by encrypting the data during transmission from their computer to your web server. SSL is the standard for web security, and a server certificate is required by most merchant account services – you’ll need one if you plan to accept credit cards on your website.

For more information, see How does an SSL certificate work?

How you build your website is entirely up to you. In fact, most basic secure websites can be hand-coded using HTML.

When a visitor enters an SSL-protected page on your website, their browser bar displays a padlock icon and the HTTPS:// prefix in the URL address. While most Internet users know to look for those SSL indicators, you can also add a site seal to your website to show visitors your site is verified and secured. Visitors can click the seal to view your certificate’s status and details, seeing for themselves that it’s safe to send sensitive information to your website.