SSL on Flywheel
How SSL certificates work on Flywheel, how to check your certificate status, and what to do if you see a security warning.
Flywheel provides free SSL certificates for every site. SSL is what puts the padlock in your browser bar and ensures your site uses https:// instead of http://. On Flywheel, this is handled automatically.
Quick summary
Flywheel provides free SSL certificates that are issued and renewed automatically. You don't need to do anything to maintain them. If you see a "Not secure" warning, there may be a configuration issue that we can fix quickly.
How SSL works on Flywheel
When your site is set up on Flywheel with a custom domain:
- Flywheel automatically issues an SSL certificate for your domain.
- The certificate is installed and configured on the server.
- All traffic to your site is redirected to the
https://version. - The certificate renews automatically before it expires — usually every 90 days.
You don't need to do anything to make this work. It's managed for you.
Checking your SSL status
To verify SSL is active on your Flywheel site:
Log in to Flywheel and open your site's dashboard.
Navigate to the SSL section. This is usually in your site's sidebar navigation.
Check the certificate status. It should show as "Active" with an expiry date in the future.
You can also simply open your website in a browser and look for:
https://at the start of the URL- A padlock icon in the address bar
- No "Not secure" warning
What to do if you see a security warning
If your browser shows "Not secure" or a broken padlock on your Flywheel site, common causes include:
- SSL certificate not yet issued — this can happen right after a domain is added to Flywheel. DNS needs to have propagated first.
- Mixed content — some elements on the page (images, scripts) are still loading over
http://instead ofhttps://. - Expired certificate — rare on Flywheel since renewal is automatic, but worth checking.
Contact us if you see any security warnings and we'll diagnose and fix the issue.
Adding SSL to a new domain
If you've recently connected a new domain to Flywheel, SSL may need to be manually requested:
Open the SSL section in your site dashboard.
Check whether a certificate is already being issued. Sometimes it's just in progress.
If not, look for an option to generate or request an SSL certificate for your domain.
DNS must be fully pointed to Flywheel before the SSL certificate can be issued. See how DNS & hosting fit together.
Common questions
Related guides
- What is SSL & HTTPS?
- The Flywheel dashboard explained
- How DNS & hosting fit together
- SSL on WP Engine
- SSL on Kinsta
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