What is SSL Pending on Shopify?

SSL pending on Shopify simply means your SSL certificate is in the process of being issued by Shopify. It’s nothing to worry about—just give it some time.

Now, let’s dive into a detailed overview of Shopify SSL certificates and what “pending” status means.

What is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables encrypted communication between a web server and browser. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is essential for any ecommerce website today.

When you install an SSL certificate on your Shopify store, it activates HTTPS and the padlock icon in the browser address bar. This tells customers your site is secure and their information will be safe.

Specifically, an SSL certificate:

Encrypts sensitive data like credit cards, passwords, and personal information as it travels between customers and your store. This prevents hackers from stealing data.
Authenticates your business identity and proves to customers your Shopify store is legitimate. It helps build trust.
Enables secure checkout and payment pages so customers feel safe entering their details. This can increase sales.
Improves SEO rankings because Google favors secure HTTPS websites over unsecured HTTP sites.

As you can see, SSL certificates are crucial for protecting customer data and securing online transactions. They are mandatory for any ecommerce store today.

What does SSL Pending Mean?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer – it’s a technology that creates an encrypted connection between a website and visitors’ browsers. This protects any data transferred between the two from being snooped on or modified.

When you see a website has an “SSL pending” status, it means the site owner has purchased an SSL certificate but it hasn’t been fully set up yet.

The SSL certificate contains keys that allow the encryption process to work. But it needs to be officially issued and installed on the website’s server before the site can be accessed over HTTPS (the secure, encrypted version of a site).

So in plain English, “SSL pending” just means the site bought an SSL certificate but is still waiting for it to be issued and activated. It’s sort of in transit – they requested SSL security but it’s still on its way!

Once it’s officially validated and installed, the site will change from HTTP to HTTPS. Then all connections become securely encrypted.

The pending period is usually pretty quick – often just a matter of hours or days. If it’s stuck pending for a long time, the site owner may need to provide more info or fix some technical configurations on their server end.

But in most cases, an “SSL pending” site just means enhanced security is on the way soon! The encrypted HTTPS access is coming once that SSL certificate gets issued and set up.

Why You Need an SSL Certificate for Your Shopify Store

There are a few key reasons Shopify stores need an SSL certificate:

Data Security – SSL encryption prevents cyber criminals from accessing sensitive customer and payment data. This protects both your business and your customers.
Trust and Legitimacy – The padlock and HTTPS help prove your store’s authenticity and build trust with customers. Visitors know it’s not an imposter site.
Compliance – SSL certificates help you comply with payment card industry (PCI) regulations for securely accepting credit cards online.
SEO Ranking Boost – Google ranks HTTPS sites higher than unsecured HTTP sites. SSL helps improve your search engine optimization.
Browser Compatibility – Most modern browsers display warnings if a site doesn’t have SSL enabled. This hurts conversion rates.

As you can see, SSL certificates are mandatory for Shopify stores today. The encryption and authentication help create a safe, trusted environment for customers.

Does Shopify Provide Free SSL Certificates?

The good news is Shopify provides free SSL certificates to all its users. You don’t need to purchase an SSL certificate separately.

Here’s how it works:

Default Certificate – When you launch a new Shopify store, an SSL certificate is automatically generated across all URLs. This enables HTTPS by default.
Custom Domain Certificate – If you add a custom domain purchased from Shopify or a 3rd party, Shopify will issue a free certificate for that domain too. This secures your custom domain with HTTPS.
Automatic Renewal – Shopify will automatically renew the certificates before they expire, so you don’t have to do anything.

So you get free SSL by default with Shopify. Just make sure to activate SSL if adding a custom domain (more details below).

Shopify also offers a fully automated SSL management process, unlike other ecommerce platforms. It takes care of:

Provisioning certificates
Renewing expiring certificates
Deploying newly issued or renewed certificates

This ensures your Shopify store stays secure at all times without you having to do anything. No manual installing, uploading, or renewing required.

How to Secure Connections for Your Shopify Store

Using secure connections for your Shopify store ensures your customers’ data stays private and secure. This is done with a TLS (Transport Layer Security) certificate, also called an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. The certificate encrypts communication between your store and external content, publishing the content securely over HTTPS instead of HTTP.

For example, if your store’s URL is http://www.example.com, it changes to https://www.example.com when the TLS certificate is issued. Customers using the original URL are automatically redirected to the encrypted online store.

TLS certificates provide these benefits:

Encrypt customer data for added security
Build customer trust by displaying a padlock icon by the store’s URL

Getting a TLS Certificate

Shopify provides free TLS certificates for all domains added to stores. A certificate is issued automatically when:

Any assets are hosted on the .myshopify.com domain
You buy a custom domain through Shopify or transfer one to Shopify
You connect a third-party domain by pointing the A record and CNAME record to Shopify. In this case, it can take up to 48 hours to issue the certificate. You may see an “SSL Unavailable” error in your Shopify admin or a security error on your store during this time. If the error persists after 48 hours, contact Shopify Support.

You can confirm the certificate is issued when the domain status shows as “Connected” on the Domains page. The padlock icon also displays beside your store’s URL when viewing the storefront.

Note: You can’t use third-party SSL certificates with Shopify. Certificates are provided for free.

Verifying Asset Security

If your store includes images, videos, web fonts, or other assets not hosted on Shopify, they should be delivered over HTTPS. Any page with an asset not delivered via HTTPS is considered insecure.

The best way to ensure secure assets is hosting everything on Shopify.

If hosting assets outside Shopify:

Host on a server with HTTPS
Use video services with HTTPS
Verify web fonts are served over HTTPS

CAA Records

A Certification Authority Authorization (CAA) record specifies which certificate authorities can issue certificates for a domain. You don’t need CAA records for your Shopify store. However, if required to use them, these certificate authorities must be added to each CAA record when connecting your domain to Shopify:

Troubleshooting Domain Errors

Sometimes after connecting a third-party domain, customers can’t access your store.

Symptoms:

A TLS/SSL unavailable error in your Shopify admin
An “unsecure connection” message on your storefront

Causes:

It can take up to 48 hours to issue the TLS certificate after connecting a third-party domain. An error may display during that time. If it persists after 48 hours, your domain provider’s settings may be misconfigured.

Solutions:

If the error persists after 48 hours:

Verify your A record is 23.227.38.65 and CNAME record is shops.myshopify.com
Check required CAA records are added
Remove any AAAA record
Disable DNSSEC if enabled
Contact Shopify Support if needed

Source: Shopify Secure Connection

What Does “SSL Pending” on Shopify Mean?

If you see “SSL Pending” when checking your Shopify store’s domain status, it simply means your SSL certificate is in the process of being issued by Shopify.

Here are some reasons you may see the SSL pending status:

New Store – It takes up to 48 hours after you create a new Shopify store for the SSL certificate to be issued and site secured by HTTPS.
Custom Domain – When you add a new custom domain, Shopify needs up to 48 hours to issue and deploy the SSL certificate to that domain.
Domain Changes – Any changes to your domains in Shopify (like changing DNS settings) require reissuing the SSL cert, which may show as pending for a short time.
Renewals – If a certificate is expiring, Shopify will automatically renew it, which may trigger a pending status during the renewal process.

So in summary, “SSL Pending” just means your certificate is in the process of being issued or updated by Shopify. It’s a standard status when changes are being made.

Note the SSL pending status is different than “SSL Unavailable,” which means there is an error that needs to be fixed. Pending just means it’s going through the standard issuance process.

How Long Does SSL Pending Take to Resolve?

Shopify says the SSL certificate issuance process can take up to 48 hours to fully complete.

Here is the typical timeline:

1 hour – Shopify initiates the certificate issuance process, putting the status into “pending.”
24 hours – Most SSL certificates are issued within a day or less. But the status will still show as pending during this period.
48 hours – In some cases it takes the full 48 hours for Shopify to validate, generate, and deploy the SSL certificate across their global network.

So the pending status usually resolves within 1-2 days in most cases.

You don’t need to do anything during this time. Shopify is just going through their standard process for creating and distributing your SSL certificate.

Just check back after 48 hours and your domain should show a secured “Active” SSL status, indicated by a green lock icon.

How to Check Your Shopify SSL Status

You can check the SSL status for your primary store domain and any custom domains in your Shopify admin:

Login to your Shopify admin area.
Go to Settings > Domains.
Under the Domains section you will see a list of all domains along with their SSL status.

The different SSL statuses you may see are:

Active – The SSL certificate is valid and installed. This is indicated by a green lock icon.
Expiring Soon – The cert is still valid but will expire within 30 days. Shopify will automatically renew it.
Pending – The certificate is in the process of being issued and isn’t yet active.
Unavailable – There is an error preventing the SSL certificate from being issued. You may need to fix some settings to resolve this.

Checking here will let you monitor the SSL status for all your domains and take any troubleshooting steps needed.

Troubleshooting SSL Issues

In most cases, your Shopify SSL certificate will automatically issue within 48 hours without any action needed.

But if it has been over 48 hours and your domain still shows an “SSL Pending” or “SSL Unavailable” status, here are some things you can try to troubleshoot:

Wait a full 48 hours – Double check it has definitely been over 48 hours since you made the domain change before troubleshooting.
Confirm DNS settings – Make sure your domain’s DNS records like A record and CNAME record are correctly pointed at Shopify.
Delete other A records – You can only have one A record per domain. Delete any extras.
Remove unsupported records – Shopify does not support IPv6 (AAAA records) or CAA records. Remove these if added.
Contact support – If you still see issues after 48 hours and double checking settings, reach out to Shopify support for help.
Try free certificate tools – Tools like ZeroSSL can help identify and fix issues with requesting your SSL certificate from Shopify.

With a bit of troubleshooting, you should be able to resolve any problems and get your Shopify domain secured with a valid SSL certificate. Just be patient during that initial 48 hour issuance period.

FAQs about Shopify SSL Certificates

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Shopify and SSL certificates:

Does Shopify provide free SSL?

Yes, Shopify provides free SSL certificates. You don’t need to purchase one separately. Shopify will create and auto-renew the certificates for your main store and any custom domains.

Do I need SSL for Shopify?

Yes, all Shopify stores are required to use SSL certificates to encrypt traffic and secure customer data under HTTPS. Shopify enables this by default. Not having SSL configured will cause browser errors.

Why does my Shopify site say “SSL Pending”?

“SSL Pending” means your certificate is in the process of being issued by Shopify. This usually resolves within 48 hours. It indicates issuance is in progress, not a critical error.

Why is my Shopify site not secure?

If your Shopify store shows “Not Secure” in the browser, it likely means your SSL certificate is not properly installed. Make sure to activate SSL and check your DNS settings. Contact Shopify support if issues persist after 48 hours.

How do I edit SSL on Shopify?

You cannot edit Shopify’s built-in SSL certificates. However, you can activate/deactivate SSL, check the status, and configure settings like using custom certificates under Settings > Domains in your Shopify admin.

Does Shopify work without SSL?

SSL is required for Shopify stores. Without a valid SSL certificate, your store may face errors, broken pages, lack of encryption, and poor SEO. Enable Shopify’s free SSL to keep your site secure.

Conclusions About Shopify SSL

Here are some key conclusions:

Shopify provides free SSL certificates to encrypt and secure all traffic. This is mandatory for stores.
When you create a new store or add a custom domain, it takes up to 48 hours to issue the SSL certificate.
The status will show as “SSL Pending” while the certificate is being issued and validated. This is normal.
Make sure your DNS settings are configured correctly if the pending status persists longer than 48 hours.
Reach out to Shopify support if you can’t resolve SSL problems after troubleshooting.
Take advantage of Shopify’s automated SSL certificates and management to keep your store secure.

So in summary, “SSL Pending” is nothing to worry about. It’s just indicating Shopify is in the process of provisioning your SSL certificate. Just allow up to 48 hours for it to resolve.

With a greater understanding of Shopify SSL certificates, you can rest assured your store data is being transmitted securely and customers are protected.