How to Set Up SSL Certificate Monitoring
SSL certificate monitoring helps you avoid security warnings and website downtime
by sending alerts before your SSL certificate expires.
This guide explains exactly what to turn ON and what to keep OFF.
What Is SSL Certificate Monitoring?
SSL certificate monitoring checks the expiration date of your SSL certificate.
If the certificate expires, visitors may see “Not Secure” warnings and your website
or APIs may stop working properly.
Before You Start
- Your website or API must use https
- SSL certificate should already be installed
- Choose how many days before expiry you want alerts
Step-by-Step SSL Certificate Monitoring Setup
Step 1: Monitor Name
Enter a clear name to identify this SSL monitor.
Example: Website SSL Certificate
Step 2: URL
Enter the full HTTPS URL of your website or API.
https://example.com
Step 3: Monitoring Interval
SSL certificates do not change frequently, so frequent checks are not required.
- 15 minutes – Recommended
- Longer intervals are also fine
Step 4: SSL Certificate Monitoring
Set SSL Certificate Monitoring to ON.
This enables SSL expiry checks.
Step 5: Set Expiry Alert Days
Choose how many days before SSL expiration you want alerts.
- 30 days – Recommended for most websites
- 15 days – Minimum safe option
- 60 days – Business-critical systems
Step 6: Domain Name Monitoring
Set Domain Name Monitoring to OFF.
Domain expiry monitoring is a separate feature and is not required for SSL checks.
Step 7: Alert Condition
You can keep URL becomes unavailable:
- ON – If you want uptime alerts also
- OFF – If you only want SSL expiry alerts
Step 8: Alert Channels
Add at least one alert channel so you never miss SSL expiry notifications.
- Email alerts – Recommended
- Webhook alerts – Slack, Discord, or other tools
Step 9: Method, Headers, Authentication
These settings are not required for SSL certificate monitoring.
- Method: Not needed
- Headers: Leave empty
- HTTP Authentication: Leave empty
Step 10: Cache Buster
Cache buster is NOT required for SSL monitoring.
Recommended SSL Certificate Monitoring Configuration
Name: SSL Certificate Monitor
URL: https://example.com
Interval: 15 minutes
SSL monitoring: ON
Alert before expiry: 30 days
Domain monitoring: OFF
Headers: None
Authentication: None
Cache buster: Disabled
SSL expiry alerts are sent well in advance, giving you enough time to renew your certificate
and avoid security warnings.
Why SSL Monitoring Is Important
- Avoids “Not Secure” browser warnings
- Prevents website and API downtime
- Protects user trust and SEO rankings
Next Steps
After setting up SSL certificate monitoring, consider enabling
domain monitoring and API monitoring for complete coverage.