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I installed the new certificate but the site still shows the old one

You installed the new certificate but visitors, or a checker, still see the old one or an expiry warning. The new certificate is almost never the problem. It is usually one of these.

1. The server has not picked it up yet

Apache and nginx read certificates when they start or reload. Run a config test (apachectl configtest or nginx -t), then reload (systemctl reload apache2, httpd or nginx). Some control panels also need a service restart.

2. It was installed on a different site or address

Servers with several sites pick a certificate per site. Make sure the new one is attached to the site that is showing the old certificate, for the exact domain name, and that there is not a second, older entry for the same domain answering first. In Plesk check Hosting Settings; in cPanel check the domain in Manage SSL sites.

3. Something in front of the server is serving the old one

A CDN, proxy or load balancer (such as Cloudflare or a hosting provider's front end) has its own certificate. Update it there too. A second server behind a load balancer may also still need the new files.

4. You are looking at a cached copy

Try a private window or another device, and the address with and without www. Use our certificate checker, which connects to the server directly and shows exactly what is being sent, including its expiry date.

5. The chain is incomplete

If the checker shows the new certificate but trust errors remain, see how to fix an incomplete chain.

6. You installed the wrong file

Check the dates and names in the checker. If it shows the old expiry date, the new certificate file is not the one in use.

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