SSL on Kinsta
How Kinsta manages free SSL certificates via Cloudflare, how to check your certificate status, and what to do if you see a security warning.
Kinsta provides free SSL certificates for all sites through Cloudflare. Every site hosted on Kinsta gets HTTPS enabled automatically — keeping your visitors' connections secure and your site trusted by browsers.
Quick summary
Kinsta issues free SSL certificates via Cloudflare for all sites and domains. Certificates are auto-provisioned when your domain is connected and renew automatically. You don't need to do anything to maintain them. The MyKinsta dashboard shows the status for each domain.
How Kinsta SSL works
Kinsta integrates with Cloudflare's global network for SSL. When your domain is added to a Kinsta site:
- Kinsta provisions a free Cloudflare SSL certificate for that domain.
- The certificate is installed and HTTPS is activated.
- All HTTP traffic is automatically redirected to HTTPS.
- Certificates renew automatically — no action needed.
This applies to your primary domain and any additional domains connected to the site.
Checking SSL status in MyKinsta
Log in to MyKinsta and open your site.
Go to the Domains section. This lists all domains connected to your site.
Check the SSL indicator next to each domain. A green indicator or "Active" status means SSL is working.
You can also verify directly in your browser:
- The URL should start with
https:// - A padlock icon should appear in the address bar
- There should be no "Not secure" warning
Adding SSL for a new domain
When you add a new custom domain to your Kinsta site:
Ensure DNS is pointing to Kinsta. SSL cannot be issued until your domain is resolving to Kinsta's servers. See how DNS & hosting fit together.
Add the domain in MyKinsta (Domains section of your site).
Kinsta will automatically provision the SSL certificate. This typically happens within minutes once DNS is fully propagated.
What to do if you see a security warning
If you see "Not secure" or a broken padlock on your Kinsta site, possible causes include:
- DNS not yet fully propagated — wait a few hours after making DNS changes.
- Mixed content — some page elements (images, scripts) are loading over HTTP. This needs a WordPress configuration fix.
- Certificate in the process of being issued — wait a few minutes after adding a new domain.
Contact us if the issue persists and we'll diagnose it quickly.
Common questions
Related guides
- What is SSL & HTTPS?
- The MyKinsta dashboard explained
- How DNS & hosting fit together
- SSL on Flywheel
- SSL on WP Engine
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