4 Quick Ways to Fix Shopify SSL unavailable Error

Looking for a solution to fix Shopify SSL Unavailable error? Well, you are at the right place then. In this blog post, I will share the possible reasons along with the solutions to fix ‘SSL Unavailable’ error in Shopify.

Not having a valid SSL certificate may show a ‘Connection not secure’ error to store visitors, which may deteriorate the customer experience. It can be DETRIMENTAL to your business.

Quite often, Shopify users report secure socket layer certificate-related issues for multiple reasons. Thankfully, the Shopify SSL unavailable issue can be solved by following certain measures for the possible reasons.

Read this blog post till the end to find the solution to fix SSL Unavailable error in Shopify

Let’s go…! 🚀

Table of Contents

• What is an SSL Certificate?
• How to Get a Free SSL Certificate on Shopify?
• What Does Shopify SSL Unavailable Error Mean?
• How to Fix SSL Unavailable Error in Shopify?
  1. Domain A Record is Not Pointing to Shopify
  2. Domain is Pointing to Multiple A Records
  3. Domain is Pointing to CAA Record
  4. Domain is Pointing to IPv6 AAAA Record
• Final Take
• Frequently Asked Questions

What is an SSL Certificate?

A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) has become an essential element of online websites as it prevents interception of incoming data. It is also vital from the seo checklist point of view after Google’s official declaration of HTTPS as a ranking signal. It offers an added layer of security to the customers carrying out transactions on your online store. Hence, having an SSL certificate on your Shopify store is a must to offer a secure experience and make your store search engine-friendly.

Summarizing the top reasons you need a secure socket layer certificate in your Shopify store:

• Establish a secure connection between the website visitors and the web server.
• Help in search engine optimization as Google prefers HTTPS over HTTP pages.
• Act as a trust factor between you & your customers by offering only payments safety.

How to Get a Free SSL Certificate on Shopify?

Shopify offers a free SSL certificate to the custom domains registered on Shopify. The platform offers a free SSL certificate to ensure high-end security for the stores.

To activate an SSL certificate on Shopify, simply follow these steps:

• Log in to your Shopify admin panel
• Go to Online Store > Domains
• Click Activate SSL certificates

What Does Shopify SSL Unavailable Error Mean?

In simple terms, the ‘SSL Unavialable’ error in Shopify means that the connection between the store visitors and a web server is no longer secured through an encryption security protocol. This may display errors such as “Your connection is not private/secure” to the customers visiting your Shopify store.

How to Fix SSL Unavailable Error in Shopify?

If you’ve recently added a custom domain to Shopify, wait for at least 48 hours to get the SSL certificate established. During this period, you may also get an SSL Pending error in Shopify.

If the problem persists, follow the methods provided here to solve the Shopify SSL Unavailable issue.

Possible reasons why SSL is unavailable in your Shopify store:

1. Domain A Record is Not Pointing to Shopify
2. Domain is Pointing to Multiple A Records
3. Domain is Pointing to CAA Record
4. Domain is Pointing to IPv6 AAAA Record

1. Domain (A record) is Not Pointing to Shopify

If you are connecting a third-party domain to Shopify, you need to configure DNS settings and point it to Shopify. The A record points a domain to the physical IP address of server hosting the website, which is Shopify in this case.

Solution:

In order to point your custom domain to Shopify manually, follow these steps:

• Log into your account on your domain registrar’s website.
• In the domain management settings, configure the following DNS records:
  • A Record: 23.227.38.65 (Shopify’s IP Address)
  • CNAME: shops.myshopify.com
• Also, delete any existing configuration and save the changes.

After making changes, add the same domain through Shopify admin > Settings > Domains > Connect Existing Domain and wait for at least 48 hours for the DNS propagation.

2. Domain is Pointing to Multiple A Records

Another possible reason you’re facing an ‘SSL Unavailable’ error in Shopify may be multiple A records.

Solution:

Log into your domain registrar’s website, and delete all the A records pointing to servers other than Shopify.

3. Domain is Pointing to CAA Record

Shopify does recommend adding Certification Authority Authorization (CAA) record to the domain. And if you do so, you need to specify which certification authority can issue an SSL certificate for the domain. The general format is exampledonain.com. CAA 0 issue “authority_domain”.

Solution:

Add the following certificate issuing authority to your DNS records:

• digicert.com
• letsencrypt.org
• globalsign.com

4. The Domain is Pointing to IPv6 AAAA Record

Quad A or AAAA is similar to A record that points the domain to the latest IPv6 address.

This can be the possible cause of the SSL Unavailable error in Shopify.

If your DNS contains the AAAA record, you just need to remove it, as the A record is enough to point the domain to Shopify.

Solution:

Log into your domain registrar > DNS settings and delete the AAAA record.

Final Take

Secure socket layer certificate is no longer just a voluntary thing — it’s MUST!

There can be various reasons for the Shopify SSL Unavailable issue. You can follow the solutions provided above to solve SSL Unavailable issue in Shopify. In case you are still facing any problems regarding the Shopify SSL certificate; you can take help from Shopify experts to dig deeper and solve the issue.

Problem solved? Let me know by rating this post five stars. 😃

Thank you for reading! 🍀

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is SSL pending on Shopify?

If you’ve recently added a custom domain to Shopify, it may take around 48 hours to establish SSL. During this time, you may face the SSL pending error on Shopify.

2. Does Shopify offer multi-domain SSL certificates?

No, Shopify does not offer multi-domain SSL certificates. The certificates are issued per domain.

3. Do you need to buy separate SSL for Shopify store?

No, you do not need to buy a separate SSL certificate for Shopify store.

4. How do I add Let’s Encrypt SSL in Shopify?

Just log into Shopify Admin, go to Online Store > Domains, and click on Activate SSL certificates.