Why does my website say Not secure?

What the warning means

When someone visits your website in Chrome and sees Not secure next to the address, the browser is telling them the connection is not private. Google's own help page says that information sent through a site like this could be seen or changed on the way.

That does not mean your site has been hacked. It means the site is not using encryption, so the browser flags it. A site that does use it shows a lock, and Google describes that as information being private between the visitor and the site.

Why it matters to a customer

Someone deciding whether to book you, send a message or give you their address sees a warning in the address bar. Many will not read the small print. They will just go back to the search results and pick someone else.

You never hear about these visitors, because they leave without a word. That is why a warning like this is worth fixing quickly.

It matters most on pages with a form, a booking box or a payment step. Customers type names, phone numbers and card details there. Those pages should never go out without encryption.

How it gets fixed

The fix is a certificate, a small file that proves your site is yours and turns on the encryption. There is nothing to replace on your pages.

Certificates can cost nothing. Let's Encrypt, run by a nonprofit, provides them at no cost to anyone who owns a domain name, and many hosting companies switch them on for you with a button. Others charge for theirs, so ask.

• Ask your host or web designer: is HTTPS turned on for my domain, with and without the www?
• Ask that the old http address sends visitors to the https one.
• Ask who renews the certificate. Most renew by themselves. A few expire quietly.
• Once it is on, load every page and check for the lock.

A warning that comes back

Sometimes a site says Not secure only on some pages, or the warning returns months later. Two common causes are an expired certificate and a page still pulling one old picture or file over the insecure address.

Both are quick for a professional to track down. If it keeps happening, the host is probably not renewing for you.

What to do today

Open your site in Chrome on your phone and your computer. Look at the address bar on the home page, the contact page and any booking or payment page. Write down what you see.

If any page shows Not secure, send that note to whoever looks after your site. If nobody does, a website check-up covers this and the other basics. You can also get in touch and we will say plainly what is wrong.