How to fix ssl cert expiring soon on OpenCart

Steps for OpenCart

1. Renew the SSL certificate through your hosting control panel or Let's Encrypt CLI.
2. After renewal, update OpenCart's config files: in /config.php and /admin/config.php, ensure 'HTTP_SERVER' and 'HTTPS_SERVER' constants use https://.
3. In Admin → System → Settings → Your Store → Server tab, set 'Use SSL' to 'Yes'.

What is ssl cert expiring soon?

An SSL/TLS certificate is the digital credential that proves your website is who it says it is and encrypts the connection between your store and your customers' browsers — it's what puts the padlock icon and "https://" in the address bar. Every certificate has an expiry date, after which browsers will show a full-screen red warning ("Your connection is not private") to anyone who tries to visit your site. Renewing means getting a fresh certificate installed before the old one runs out. Most certificates last 90 days to 1 year, and renewal should be started at least 30 days before expiry to allow time for any issues.

When your certificate expires, every major browser — Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge — will block visitors with a hard security warning before they even see your store. This instantly destroys trust and conversions: most shoppers will leave and never return. Google also uses HTTPS as a ranking signal, so an expired certificate can hurt your organic search visibility. If you collect any customer data (names, emails, payment info), operating without a valid certificate exposes that data to interception and puts you at legal risk under privacy regulations such as GDPR and PCI-DSS. Even a single day of expiry can cause lasting damage to your brand reputation.

See the complete Ssl cert expiring soon guide for every platform and the full background.