Error guide / ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID

ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID error

ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID means the browser cannot verify who issued the site's SSL certificate. The certificate is either self-signed, issued by an authority the browser does not trust, or the server is missing the intermediate (chain) certificate. As a result, the connection is marked as not secure.

What causes it

Usually it is an oversight on the site's side: a self-signed certificate was installed, or the intermediate certificate of the authority was left out. Sometimes it is an internal or test certificate that was never meant for public access.

How to fix it

1. Run the SSL test below: it shows whether the certificate chain is complete and who the issuer is.
2. Replace a self-signed certificate with a trusted one. A free, trusted option is Let's Encrypt, installed by AutoSSL on cPanel/LiteSpeed.
3. If you use a paid certificate, upload the intermediate certificate (CA bundle) in the server's SSL settings.
4. Make sure you install the certificate for the real public domain, not for localhost or an internal name.
5. After the change, restart the web server or let the panel apply it, then test the site again.

Related errors

• ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID error
• ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID error
• ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR error
• NET::ERR_CERT_REVOKED NET::ERR_CERT_REVOKED error