SSL certificate monitoring
An expired certificate takes a site down as surely as a crashed server, and automatic renewal fails silently. FastPing checks your certificates every hour and warns you while there is still time.
Check details
- Monitor type
- SSL certificate
- Target
- Host name or IP address
- Default port
- 443
- Fastest interval
- 1 hour
- Before a down alert
- A second check after 20 seconds
- Warnings and changes
- Sent on the first check that finds them
- Checked from
- Helsinki, Finland (EU)
How it works
- FastPing opens a TLS connection to your host and port, sending the hostname so that the right certificate is presented.
- It validates the chain against public certificate authorities and checks that the certificate covers the hostname.
- It reads the expiry date and puts the monitor in warning inside your warning period, 14 days by default.
What FastPing checks
- Expiry date
A warning from 1 to 120 days before the certificate expires: you choose the period.
- Chain
A missing intermediate certificate is reported, even when browsers hide the problem.
- Hostname
An alert when the certificate does not cover the name, such as a missing www.
- Any TLS port
HTTPS on port 443, or any other port that speaks TLS from the first byte, such as 465, 993 or 8443.
Set it up
Choose SSL certificate and enter the hostname. Change the port if the service is not on 443, and the warning period if you renew by hand. Save: the first check runs immediately.
Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, write to us. We reply by email, usually within one business day.
Contact supportHow early will I be warned?
14 days before expiry by default. You can choose any period from 1 to 120 days.
My site works in the browser, but FastPing reports an invalid certificate. Why?
Browsers often repair a missing intermediate certificate on their own. API clients and FastPing do not. Serving the full certificate chain fixes it for everyone.
Can I monitor certificates on mail servers?
Yes, on ports that use TLS from the first byte, such as 465, 993 and 995. Plain-text ports that upgrade with STARTTLS cannot be checked by the SSL certificate monitor.
How often is the certificate checked?
At most once an hour, which is plenty for something that changes every few weeks.
Related monitoring
- Website monitoringStatus codes, redirects, certificates and response time, checked as often as every 30 seconds.
- Domain expiry monitoringRegistration expiry dates straight from the registry, with warnings 30 days ahead.
- DMARC, SPF and DKIM monitoringGraded SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, with change alerts for SPF and DMARC and for DKIM keys that disappear.
Start with the free plan
3 monitors, checks every 5 minutes and 1 status page. No payment details needed.