Every ApaxonHost plan includes a free Let's Encrypt certificate that renews automatically. When something's wrong, it's nearly always one of the five below.
"Not secure" in the address bar
The certificate isn't installed, or the site isn't redirecting to https.
In Plesk: SSL/TLS Certificates → Install a free basic certificate. Tick both the domain and its www alias, then issue. Afterwards, tick Redirect from http to https.
The padlock has a warning on it
Mixed content — the page loaded over https but pulls an image, script or stylesheet over http. Browsers flag the whole page for it.
Open your browser's developer console and look for "Mixed Content" warnings; they name the exact URL.
On WordPress, the usual cause is old content with hardcoded http:// URLs. The Better Search Replace plugin fixes it in one pass: search http://yourdomain.com, replace https://yourdomain.com, and run it across all tables.
"Your connection is not private" / name mismatch
The certificate doesn't cover the name you typed. Nearly always a certificate issued for yourdomain.com but not www.yourdomain.com, or the other way round.
Reissue it with both names ticked. If you use subdomains, they each need covering too — or use a wildcard certificate.
The certificate expired
Let's Encrypt certificates last 90 days and renew automatically at 60. When automatic renewal fails, it's one of:
- The domain no longer points here. Renewal proves control by
answering an HTTP request on the domain. If DNS moved away, that check fails.
- A CAA record blocks it. If you added a CAA record that doesn't
include letsencrypt.org, issuance is refused. Add it.
- A redirect gets in the way. A blanket redirect that catches
/.well-known/acme-challenge/ breaks the validation request.
Fix the cause, then reissue manually in Plesk.
It works for me but not for a colleague
Usually a stale cached certificate, or an intermediate certificate that didn't install. Test with SSL Labs — it reports the full chain as a fresh client sees it. Anything below an A grade there is worth a ticket.
When to buy a paid certificate
Let's Encrypt is genuinely fine for most sites. Pay for one when you need organisation validation (your company name shown in the certificate details), a warranty, or a wildcard covering unlimited subdomains. See our SSL options.