If you use HostGator's shared SSL with your domain name instead of the secure server name, your browser will present a warning page instead of displaying your site. The reason for this is that the shared SSL is not tied specifically to your domain name. The web browser is alerting visitors that the domain name you are using does not match the domain name listed on the certificate.
In Internet Explorer, you may see a warning similar to this one:
There is a problem with this website's security certificate.
The security certificate presented by this website was issued for a different website's address.
Security certificate problems may indicate an attempt to fool you or intercept any data you send to the server.
We recommend that you close this webpage and do not continue to this website.
You may get a message similar to the following in Firefox:
This Connection is Untrusted
You have asked Firefox to connect securely to yoursitesdomain.com, but we can't confirm that your connection is secure.
Normally, when you try to connect securely, sites will present trusted identification to prove that you are going to the right place. However, this site's identity can't be verified.
What Should I Do?
If you usually connect to this site without problems, this error could mean that someone is trying to impersonate the site, and you shouldn't continue.
Other web browsers, and different versions of them, may present other but similar warning messages.
How to avoid the browser warning:
In order to use the shared SSL certificate without warnings, you must use the secure server name in the URL (for example, secure123.hostgator.com or secure123.websitewelcome.com) plus the cPanel username as shown in the examples below.
The format for this is https://secure###.name.com/~cpaneluser/ and you must use the correct secure server name in order for it to work correctly.
Shared Example: https://secure123.hostgator.com/~bill/
Reseller Example: https://secure123.websitewelcome.com/~bill/
You may follow the directions in the article How to set up and use your shared SSL or contact HostGator support to determine the correct secure server URL for your account.
How to avoid browser warnings and still use your domain:
If you wish to use your domain name in the URL and completely avoid warning messages, the only solution is to purchase a private SSL certificate. We provide them for $50 per year (Order online) or include them free with our Business and Enterprise plans (Upgrade today).