When you publish a site with Studio.Design, a TLS certificate is issued automatically. This article covers the basics of TLS certificates, how Studio.Design handles the issuing process, how long it takes, and which certificate authorities we use.
What is a TLS certificate?
A TLS certificate is a system that encrypts communication between a website and its users, allowing information to be exchanged securely. URLs that start with "https://" are simply "http://" connections encrypted with TLS.
A certificate is a file stored in a specific format such as PEM or DER, and it includes information like the issuer, expiration date, and domain name.
A TLS certificate confirms that the site operator is the owner of the domain and that the communication has not been tampered with. It also helps reduce the risk of information leaks and impersonation.
SSL, the predecessor of TLS, is no longer recommended due to security concerns. TLS is the current standard, although you may still see the term "SSL/TLS" used.
Why TLS certificates matter
If you publish a site without a TLS certificate, most browsers will display warnings such as "Not secure." This often discourages visitors from browsing or using your site, so in practice, issuing a TLS certificate is essentially required.
How Studio.Design issues TLS certificates
Automatic issuance
Studio.Design automatically issues a TLS certificate when you publish a site. This happens the same way whether you publish with a custom domain or a Studio.Design subdomain.
Automatic renewal
TLS certificates are also renewed automatically. If a certificate expires or your domain name changes, the TLS certificate is automatically reissued, so no manual updates are needed.
How long it takes to issue a TLS certificate
Issuing a TLS certificate typically takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. If DNS records take longer to propagate, it can take up to about 72 hours.
If certificate issuance takes more than 4 hours, we can help by issuing it manually. If you run into trouble, please reach out via the chat support by clicking the [?] icon in the bottom-left of the editor.
What to do if issuance isn't working
Sometimes certificate issuance can stall due to server congestion. If that happens, try the following steps:
Click [Publish] in the top-right of the design editor to open the publish panel.
Click [Custom domain settings] and check the current certificate status.
If issuance hasn't progressed for a long time, click the [×] button to the left of the domain name in the publish panel to disconnect the domain.
Wait a few minutes, then reconnect the domain.
How to check the issued TLS certificate
You can check the status of your issued TLS certificate from the publish panel.
Click [Publish] in the top-right of the design editor to open the publish panel.
Click [Custom domain settings] and check the current certificate status.
Tip: View certificate details in your browser
You can also view detailed TLS certificate information directly from your browser.
The steps vary depending on the browser, but here's how to do it in Chrome:
Open the website (HTTPS) you want to check.
Click the "lock" icon or the "tune" icon on the left side of the address bar.
In the panel that appears, click "Connection is secure" or "Certificate is valid."
The "Certificate" dialog will open, where you can see details like who the certificate was issued to, the issuer, and the validity period.
For more detailed information, check the "Details" tab.
Certificate authorities used by Studio.Design
Studio.Design uses two different services to issue TLS certificates.
Target IP address | Service used |
34.111.141.225 | Google Managed SSL certificates / Let's Encrypt |
Both services issue DV (Domain-Validated) certificates.
If you'd like to use your own certificate, such as an EV or OV certificate, see How to publish a Studio.Design site using your own TLS certificate.
Related articles
protocol