"Why SSL Monitoring is Essential for Drupal Sites" – Expired SSL certificates cause issues—Fleetview helps prevent surprises.
Avoid Downtime and Security Risks with Proper SSL Management
An expired SSL certificate can bring your Drupal site to a sudden halt. From security warnings that scare away visitors to broken third-party integrations, failing to renew your SSL certificate on time can be a costly mistake.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- Why SSL certificates matter for Drupal sites
- What happens when an SSL certificate expires
- How to monitor SSL certificates effectively
- How Fleetview helps prevent SSL-related surprises
Why SSL Certificates Matter for Drupal Websites
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates encrypt data between your site and its visitors, ensuring secure communication. Every modern website - especially Drupal-powered ones - should have an active SSL certificate to:
- Protect user data – Encrypts form submissions, logins, and sensitive transactions.
- Boost SEO rankings – Google prioritizes secure websites in search results.
- Prevent browser warnings – Modern browsers flag HTTP sites as “Not Secure.”
- Enable third-party integrations – Many APIs and payment gateways require HTTPS.
But an SSL certificate isn’t a one-time setup - it must be actively maintained and renewed before expiration.
What Happens When an SSL Certificate Expires?
An expired SSL certificate can lead to:
- Website Inaccessibility – Browsers will block access with a security warning.
- Loss of Trust – Visitors see alarming “Your connection is not private” messages.
- Broken Integrations – APIs, payment gateways, and other services may stop working.
- Drop in SEO Rankings – Search engines may penalize sites without HTTPS.
For Drupal agencies managing multiple client sites, one missed renewal can lead to a major disruption - especially if an e-commerce site or membership portal goes down unexpectedly.
How to Monitor SSL Certificates on a Drupal Site
1. Check SSL Expiry in Your Web Browser
You can manually check an SSL certificate’s expiration date in most browsers:
- Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
- Click "Certificate (Valid)" (or similar).
- Look for the “Valid until” date.
But manually checking each site is impractical for agencies managing dozens of Drupal projects.
3. Set Up an Automated SSL Monitoring Tool
Using an SSL monitoring service is the best way to track multiple certificates and receive alerts before they expire.
Popular options include:
🔹 Certbot (Let’s Encrypt users) – Automates free SSL renewals but requires server setup.
🔹 UptimeRobot – Checks SSL validity every 24 hours.
🔹 Fleetview – Monitors SSL across all your Drupal sites in one dashboard.
How Fleetview Helps Prevent SSL Surprises
Fleetview simplifies SSL management for Drupal agencies and site owners by providing:
Automated SSL Monitoring
Fleetview continuously checks SSL certificates across all connected sites, ensuring you never miss an expiration date.
Expiration Alerts
If a certificate is close to expiring, Fleetview notifies you before it’s too late, giving you time to renew it.
Multi-Site Management
Agencies managing multiple Drupal projects can monitor all SSL certificates in one dashboard, saving time and preventing human error.
Integration with Uptime Monitoring
SSL failures often coincide with downtime issues - Fleetview helps you track both for a complete picture of site health.
Conclusion
SSL certificates are critical for security, SEO, and trust, but they don’t last forever. A single expired certificate can bring down your site, cause security warnings, and disrupt third-party services.
Instead of manually tracking SSL expiry dates, use Fleetview to automate SSL monitoring and receive alerts before problems occur.
Stay secure. Stay online.
