SSL Certificate Expiry Monitoring for Websites
SSL certificate expiry monitoring checks the HTTPS certificate on your websites and warns you before it lapses. You choose the lead time on each monitor, and it's included on every plan, Free included.
Why SSL expiration matters
An expired certificate doesn't take a site offline. It does something that hurts almost as much: every browser shows a full-page security warning first. Most visitors leave, forms stop receiving submissions, and a store stops selling, even though the server is technically still responding.
Most certificates renew automatically. The trouble is the renewal that quietly fails: a DNS change, a domain moved to another registrar, a firewall rule that blocks validation. And certificate lifetimes keep shrinking. The maximum dropped to 200 days in March 2026 and is scheduled to drop to 100 and then 47, as we explain in 200-, 100-, and 47-day SSL certificates. More renewals mean more chances for one to fail.
How certificate checks work
MonitoraWeb connects to your site over HTTPS, just like a browser, and reads the certificate the server presents: its expiration date, the issuer, and the names it covers. From the expiration date, it works out how many days are left.
For a one-off look without an account, use the free SSL certificate checker. The monitor runs the same check on a schedule and alerts you when it matters.
SSL expiration alerts
There are two alerts, and they work differently:
- On the monitor. When you create or edit a website monitor, you choose how far ahead to be warned about its certificate: 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 30, or 60 days.
- In your alert lists. Email and WhatsApp lists only receive the certificate alert when 3 days are left or it has already expired, so certificates that renew on their own stay quiet. On WhatsApp, it arrives in the Monday summary.
MonitoraWeb does not renew certificates. It tells whoever manages hosting or DNS that it's time. Certificate expiry is also separate from domain renewal, which is covered by domain expiration monitoring.
Free checker vs. SSL certificate expiry monitoring
| Free SSL checker | SSL expiry monitoring | |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Not needed | Yes, free |
| When it checks | When you ask | On a schedule |
| Alert | No | Yes, with the lead time you pick |
| Best for | Checking a domain right now | Not finding out too late |
If you need the full technical picture of a domain (DNS, email authentication, security headers, technologies), that's the Domain Kit.
Plans and use cases
SSL expiration alerts come with every plan. Free covers 10 websites, Pro covers 100, and Agency covers 500. For an agency maintaining dozens of client sites, it keeps an expired certificate from being something the client discovers first. Compare plans on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Are SSL expiration alerts included on Free?
Yes. Every plan alerts you before the SSL certificate on a monitored website expires.
How far in advance can I be alerted?
On the monitor, choose 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 30, or 60 days ahead. Email and WhatsApp lists alert when 3 days are left or the certificate has expired.
Does MonitoraWeb renew my certificate?
No. We alert you. Your hosting provider, certificate authority, or server administrator handles the renewal.
My certificate renews automatically. Do I still need this?
It's for exactly the case when automatic renewal fails without telling anyone. If renewals keep working, the list alert never fires.
Is this the same as domain expiration?
No. The certificate secures the connection and expires every few months. The domain is the name itself and usually renews yearly. They're monitored separately.