Question 1

Is this SSL certificate checker free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the RoughTools SSL Certificate Checker is completely free with no account, sign-up, or subscription required. You can check as many domains as needed — individual websites, subdomains, API endpoints, or mail servers — at no cost. There are no daily limits, no captcha requirements, and no hidden premium tiers. RoughTools is funded through non-intrusive advertising, keeping every tool permanently free for developers, system administrators, and security professionals.

Question 2

Do I need to create an account to check SSL certificates?

Accepted Answer

No account, registration, email address, or personal information is required. Enter a domain name and click Check — results are displayed within seconds. There is no login wall, no rate limit that requires registration to bypass, and no history of your certificate checks stored against any profile. Each check is stateless: you get the results and that is the complete interaction.

Question 3

Does this tool store the domains I check?

Accepted Answer

RoughTools does not build a database of domains you have checked or associate lookups with your identity. The domain name is sent to the server to perform the TLS handshake and retrieve the certificate, which is then returned to your browser. Standard server access logs (maintained by all web servers) may record the domain as a query parameter, but these are operational logs and are not used for profiling, sold to third parties, or retained beyond standard log rotation periods.

Question 4

Does the SSL checker work on mobile phones and tablets?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the SSL Certificate Checker is fully responsive and works on all modern mobile browsers including Safari on iOS and Chrome on Android. The results display clearly on small screens with all certificate fields — issuer, validity dates, subject alternative names, fingerprint, and expiry countdown — formatted for readability on mobile. This is useful for quickly checking a certificate status when you receive an alert on your phone or need to verify a domain while away from your desk.

Question 5

Which browsers support this SSL certificate checker?

Accepted Answer

The tool works in all modern browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Opera, and Brave on both desktop and mobile. No special browser extensions or plugins are required. The check is performed server-side (as a TLS connection must be made to retrieve the certificate details), so your browser only needs to support standard HTTP requests, which all modern browsers handle natively.

Question 6

How accurate are the SSL certificate results?

Accepted Answer

The results are highly accurate as they are retrieved by performing an actual TLS handshake with the target server — the same way your browser connects to a website. The certificate details displayed (issuer, validity dates, subject alternative names, fingerprint, and expiry) are read directly from the TLS certificate presented by the server, not from a cached database. This means results reflect the current live certificate, including any recent renewals or changes. Results for CDN-fronted domains may reflect the CDN certificate rather than the origin.

Question 7

How do I check an SSL certificate step by step?

Accepted Answer

To check an SSL certificate: (1) Enter the domain name in the input field — use just the domain, e.g. "example.com" without "https://". (2) Optionally specify a subdomain such as "api.example.com" or "mail.example.com". (3) Press Enter or click "Check SSL". (4) Review the certificate status banner (Valid, Expired, or Issue Detected). (5) Check the expiry date and "Expires In" countdown. (6) Review the issuer to confirm it is from a trusted Certificate Authority. (7) Check Subject Alternative Names to confirm all required subdomains are covered.

Question 8

What does the expiry countdown tell me and when should I renew?

Accepted Answer

The expiry countdown shows how many days remain until the SSL certificate expires. A certificate with fewer than 30 days remaining should be renewed promptly — browsers will display security warnings to users once it expires. Most Certificate Authorities recommend renewing 30–60 days before expiry to allow time for DNS propagation and configuration verification. Certificates from free providers like Let's Encrypt expire every 90 days and should be configured with automatic renewal. A countdown of 0 means the certificate is expired and the site is showing security warnings to visitors.

Question 9

What are Subject Alternative Names (SANs) and why do they matter?

Accepted Answer

Subject Alternative Names (SANs) are a list of domains and subdomains that a single SSL certificate covers. Modern TLS certificates use SANs to protect multiple domains — for example, a certificate may cover "example.com," "www.example.com," "api.example.com," and "shop.example.com" all within one certificate. If a subdomain you need to secure is not listed in the SAN field, visitors to that subdomain will see a certificate name mismatch error. The SAN list in this tool shows all domains the current certificate is valid for, helping you identify coverage gaps.

Question 10

Why should I use RoughTools SSL Checker instead of browser developer tools?

Accepted Answer

Browser developer tools show the certificate for the current page in the active browser session, but cannot check certificates for domains you are not currently visiting, subdomains you need to audit, or certificates on non-standard ports. RoughTools SSL Checker lets you check any domain by name, see the full SAN list in a readable format, get an expiry countdown in days, and check multiple domains quickly without navigating to each one. It also shows the fingerprint for certificate pinning verification and handles redirects to retrieve the actual certificate presented at the domain.

Question 11

How do I report a bug or request a new certificate check feature?

Accepted Answer

To report a bug or suggest a feature — such as port-specific certificate checks, certificate chain validation, HSTS header detection, or bulk domain checking — use the feedback link in the site footer or visit the RoughTools contact page. When reporting a bug, include the domain you were checking, the browser and OS you were using, and what result you expected versus what was displayed. Feature requests for certificate monitoring alerts, webhook notifications on expiry, or CSV export of results are all considered for future development.

Question 12

What does it mean if the tool shows a certificate issue but my browser says it is secure?

Accepted Answer

Your browser may cache a valid OCSP response or use certificate stapling, creating a brief window where the browser shows "Secure" even if the certificate has issues at the TLS layer. CDN providers also often serve their own certificates at the edge while the origin may have a separate or expired certificate. Additionally, your browser may have the issuer in its trusted root store while this tool's server environment has a different trust store. If this tool shows an issue but browsers are not warning users, investigate the CDN or proxy layer — the edge certificate may differ from the origin certificate.

SSL Certificate Checker

SSL / TLS Certificate Checker

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this SSL certificate checker free to use?

Do I need to create an account to check SSL certificates?

Does this tool store the domains I check?

Does the SSL checker work on mobile phones and tablets?

Which browsers support this SSL certificate checker?

How accurate are the SSL certificate results?

How do I check an SSL certificate step by step?

What does the expiry countdown tell me and when should I renew?

What are Subject Alternative Names (SANs) and why do they matter?

Why should I use RoughTools SSL Checker instead of browser developer tools?

How do I report a bug or request a new certificate check feature?

What does it mean if the tool shows a certificate issue but my browser says it is secure?

💬 Feedback or Bug Report

SSL Certificate Checker

SSL / TLS Certificate Checker

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this SSL certificate checker free to use?

Do I need to create an account to check SSL certificates?

Does this tool store the domains I check?

Does the SSL checker work on mobile phones and tablets?

Which browsers support this SSL certificate checker?

How accurate are the SSL certificate results?

How do I check an SSL certificate step by step?

What does the expiry countdown tell me and when should I renew?

What are Subject Alternative Names (SANs) and why do they matter?

Why should I use RoughTools SSL Checker instead of browser developer tools?

How do I report a bug or request a new certificate check feature?

What does it mean if the tool shows a certificate issue but my browser says it is secure?

💬 Feedback or Bug Report

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