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SSL Expiry Monitoring:
Why It’s Important

SSL certificates keep websites secure by encrypting data between users and servers. But what happens when an SSL certificate expires? Browsers start showing security warnings, visitors lose trust, and search engines may even lower rankings.

Many businesses forget to renew their SSL certificates on time, leading to unexpected downtime or security risks. That’s where SSL expiry monitoring comes in.

With ScrapX, you can track SSL certificates—ensuring your site stays secure and accessible.

SSL Expiry Monitoring

What is SSL Expiry Monitoring?

SSL expiry monitoring is a process that tracks SSL certificates on websites and alerts you before they expire. Every SSL certificate has an expiration date, and if it’s not renewed on time, users will see security warnings when visiting the site.

A certificate expiry monitor helps businesses keep their websites secure by automatically checking certificates across multiple domains. These certificate monitoring tools provide expiry notifications, preventing downtime, security risks, and compliance issues.

Why is SSL Expiry Monitoring Important?

SSL expiry monitoring is essential for the following reasons:

  • Security Risks of Expired SSL Certificates: When an SSL certificate expires, the level of protection drops. Hackers can intercept sensitive user data, including passwords and payment information.
  • Downtime & Business Impact: An expired SSL certificate can shut down critical services, leading to revenue loss. Customers may see a warning message and leave the site.
  • SEO & Compliance Issues: Search engines prioritize secure browsing experiences. An expired SSL certificate can hurt rankings, pushing a website lower in search results.
SSL Monitoring Feature

Common Mistakes Businesses Make with SSL Certificates

Many companies think setting up SSL is a one-time task, but certificates need ongoing monitoring. Here are some common mistakes:

  • Forgetting to renew on time – Many businesses don’t track expiration dates and only realize there’s an issue when the website goes down.
  • Not checking the certificate chain – A certificate may still be valid, but if there’s an issue in the chain, it can cause problems.
  • Using self-signed certificates – These are not trusted by browsers and trigger security warnings.
  • Ignoring synthetic monitoring solutions – Relying on manual checks increases the risk of missed renewals.

Manual vs. Automated SSL Monitoring: Which One is Better?

There are two ways to track SSL certificates:

  • Manual Monitoring: Checking SSL expiry manually by looking at certificate details.
  • Automated Monitoring: Using SSL Certificate Monitoring tools like ScrapX that provide real-time alerts.

Why automated SSL monitoring is better:

  • Saves time – No need to check SSL expiry manually.
  • Prevents downtime – Automated alerts ensure businesses renew before expiration dates.
  • Tracks all certificates – Monitors previous certificates, self-signed certificates, and fraudulent certs.

Why Automated SSL Monitoring is Better

  • Saves time: No need to check SSL expiry manually.
  • Prevents downtime: Automated alerts ensure businesses renew before expiration dates.
  • Tracks all certificates: Monitors previous certificates, self-signed certificates, and fraudulent certs.

How Often Should You Check SSL Expiry?

SSL monitoring frequency depends on the certificate type and renewal process:

  • Short-term SSLs (90-day certs like Let’s Encrypt): Monitor every month.
  • Standard 1-year SSLs: Monitor every quarter.
  • Enterprise-grade certificates: Continuous monitoring is recommended for compliance and security.

Features to Look for in a Certificate Monitoring Service

Not all SSL monitoring tools are the same. When choosing a certificate monitoring service, look for:

  • Real-time SSL expiry monitoring
  • Customizable alerting options
  • Support for previous certificates & self-signed certificates
  • Active port discovery & port checks
  • Browser synthetic monitoring

Best Tool for SSL Expiry Monitoring - ScrapX

ScrapX is one of the best certificate monitoring services available. ScrapX provides a developer-friendly API and a simple installation process to make SSL monitoring easy. The platform supports synthetic monitors, real user monitoring features, and browser monitors to track SSL certificates across all domains.

With actionable insights and analytics features, businesses get a complete experience for SSL tracking. Configuration options allow teams to customize certificate monitoring tasks, set up certificate expiry notifications, and even track self-signed certificates.

ScrapX's pricing plans offer flexible solutions, from a regular plan for small businesses to a premium plan for enterprises. With technical account management, businesses can simplify vendor management, streamline the renewal process, and ensure secure browsing experiences for users.

  • Real-time SSL Certificate Monitoring: Get certificate expiry notifications before certificates expire.
  • Advanced Alerting Features: Receive alerts via email, webhook, or other party integrations.
  • SSL Certificate Transparency Alerts: Get notified of changes in your certificate metadata.
  • Active Port Monitoring & Port Checks: Monitor SSL security across key locations.
  • Developer-Friendly API: Easily integrate monitoring into your workflow.

ScrapX ensures that your certificate revocation, previous certificates, and self-signed certificates are always tracked properly. It provides a complete experience for businesses that need secure browsing experiences and actionable insights into their SSL status.

How to Set Up SSL Expiry Monitoring (Step-by-Step Guide)

Setting up SSL Certificate Monitoring with ScrapX is simple. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

  1. Sign Up for ScrapX: Choose a regular plan or one of the premium plans based on your needs.
  2. Add Your Domain: Enter the IP address or URL of the website you want to monitor.
  3. Set Up Alerts: Enable certificate expiry notifications via email, webhook, or synthetic monitor integrations.
  4. Track SSL Status in Real-Time: View your SSL monitoring details, i.e. you will be informed when your certificate expires in less than 30,7,6,6,5,4,3,2,1 days.

ScrapX offers technical account management to help businesses manage SSL Cert monitoring efficiently.

How ScrapX Compares to Other SSL Monitoring Tools

ScrapX offers lots of solutions for SSL monitoring. But how does it compare to other tools?

FeatureScrapXTrackSSLSolarWinds SAMUptimeRobotDynatrace SSL Monitor
Real-time SSL Expiry Notifications
Developer-Friendly API
Advanced Alerting Features

Other SSL Issues to Monitor

SSL expiry isn’t the only problem. Other SSL certificate errors include:

  • Certificate revocation: If an SSL certificate is revoked, the website becomes insecure.
  • Configuration errors: Mistakes during administrator configuration can cause SSL failures.
  • Mismatched certificate details: If the certificate metadata doesn’t match the domain, it triggers security warnings.

Conclusion

SSL expiry monitoring is a must for businesses that care about security, uptime, and reputation. An expired SSL certificate can lead to security warnings, data risks, and reputation damage.

ScrapX makes SSL tracking easy with real-time alerts, synthetic monitoring solutions, and advanced alerting features.

With SSL Certificate Monitoring, businesses can avoid fraudulent certs and prevent downtime during major sales events.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What happens if an SSL certificate expires?

Your website will display a security warning, and users may not be able to access it. This can lead to reputation damage, revenue loss, and compliance issues.

2. How often should I check SSL certificates?

With certificate expiration monitoring, you don’t need to check manually. Certificate monitoring tools like ScrapX send real-time alerts before your SSL expires.

3. Can ScrapX monitor multiple certificates?

Yes! ScrapX supports multiple domains, allowing businesses to track SSL expiry across different websites.

4. Does ScrapX offer automatic SSL renewal?

ScrapX provides real-time SSL expiry alerts, helping businesses renew certificates before expiration. While it does not handle automatic renewal, it ensures organizations have enough time to renew manually or through their CA’s auto-renewal system.

5. What’s the difference between synthetic monitoring and real user monitoring?

Synthetic monitoring solutions use simulated user interactions to check SSL status. Real user monitoring features track SSL performance based on actual visitor data.

6. How do I get started with SSL Certificate Monitoring?

Sign up for ScrapX, configure your certificate expiry monitoring, and enable certificate expiry notifications. It’s a simple task with a simple installation process!