HTTPS certificate
What the padlock in the browser means for your school website, who looks after the certificate, and what can stop it working.
When your website opens with https at the start of its address and a padlock in the browser's address bar, the site has an HTTPS certificate. In plain words, the certificate does two things. It proves to the visitor's browser that the site really belongs to your domain, and it scrambles everything sent between the visitor and the site, such as an admission enquiry, so nobody in between can read or change it. Browsers warn visitors away from sites without one, and forms on such sites are not safe to use.
With JPRAXC's managed hosting, the certificate is part of the service. You do not buy or install it yourself.
How it is set up#
- Your domain is pointed at JPRAXC's hosting. See Connect your domain.
- Once the domain reaches the new site, JPRAXC switches on HTTPS for it.
- JPRAXC confirms the launch. From then on, the site opens with the padlock.
What keeps it working#
- The certificate is kept current by JPRAXC as part of managed hosting.
- It can only be kept current while your domain points to JPRAXC's hosting. If someone changes the domain's DNS records to point elsewhere, the certificate can lapse and visitors see a warning.
- The domain itself must stay registered. Renew it with the registrar before it expires.
Good to know#
- Tell JPRAXC every address the school wants the site to open on (for example, with and without www), so each one is set up and covered.
- The padlock protects the connection. It does not by itself make the content correct; keep the site's information up to date too.
- If you add a new address, such as a subdomain for admissions, ask JPRAXC first. It needs its own records and its own HTTPS set-up.
Troubleshooting#
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| The browser says Not secure or shows a certificate warning | Check that the domain has not expired and that nobody changed its DNS records. Then contact JPRAXC support with a screenshot of the warning (the warning only, with no personal data on screen). |
| The site opens securely on one address but not another (for example, without www) | Tell JPRAXC which address shows the problem. |
| Someone plans to move the domain to a new registrar or DNS provider | Tell JPRAXC before the move, so the records can be copied across exactly and the site stays secure. |
