This Connection Is Not Private: What It Means and How to Fix It
Nothing is as frustrating as clicking a link and being met with a blank screen with the warning that “This Connection Is Not Private.” This results in a user immediately hitting the “back” button. For a website owner, it’s a loss in potential revenue and a tarnish on reputation.
The question on everybody’s mind is, what causes this error and how does it differ from “This Site Can’t Be Reached”.
We’ll dive into why these errors happen and the steps you can take to fix them in Google Chrome, plus other browsers.
What Does “This Connection Is Not Private” Mean?
When your browser attempts to visit a website, it performs a digital handshake to verify the site’s security certificate, known as an SSL certificate. If the browser cannot verify the connection is secure and encrypted, it will display the “This connection is not private” warning. This is a key safety feature built to protect your personal data, such as passwords or credit card information, from being handled by hackers.
Is it the same as this site can’t be reached? Not quite. Both are equally frustrating, however they indicate different issues:
This connection is not private – The site is live but this security ID is expired or misconfigured. This site can’t be reached – This signals an issue with the DNS or a broken internet connection. On Chrome, you may see this displayed as an “ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED”.
How to Fix “This Connection Is Not Private” in Chrome
If you are trying to access a site, here are some simple tricks to try and clear the error:
Simple but helpful if there is a temporary browser glitch that causes the SSL handshake to fail.
The most common, invisible cause. SSL certificates rely on the computer’s clock for verification. If your date and time are incorrect, Chrome will think the certificate has expired.
If the site is able to load in an Incognito window, the issue is more than likely due to a browser extension issue.
Overloaded or old “cookies” can interfere with security processes. To clear your browsing data in Chrome, go to Settings → Privacy and Security → Clear Browsing Data.
Solving the “This Site Can’t Be Reached Error
If you are seeing “This site can’t be reached” error on Chrome, there is more likely a deeper issue. Try troubleshooting it by:
- Restarting your router – this refreshes local hardware.
- Check the URL – simple typos and trigger this message.
- Flush your DNS – Open a command prompt and type “ipconfig/flushdns”. This will force the computer to look for the website from scratch.
Advice for Website Owners: How to Prevent These Errors
If users are met with these errors, you must act fast. These error messages can damage your SEO rankings and drive customers towards your competitors.
- Install a valid SSL certificate – every website needs an SSL. If yours is expired, your visitors will get the “Not Private” warning.
- Ensure auto-renewal is on – Use a provider, like UK2, that offers automatic SSL renewals.
- Fix mixed content – If your site has a valid SSL but images are loading via http:// instead of https://, some browsers will flag the connection as “not fully private”.
Keep Your Website Secure with UK2
Don’t let these errors or security warnings turn your potential customers away. At UK2, we provide robust SSL certificates and reliable Web Hosting plans to make sure your site is always reachable and secure.