Why do I get an ERR_SSL_UNRECOGNIZED_NAME_ALERT error?

Austin B.

Published: 6 January 2020

If you're trying to access the temporary URL (i.e. example-co-uk.staging.com) you may get an ERR_SSL_UNRECOGNIZED_NAME_ALERT error.

This site can`t be reached

This will be because the temporary URL can't load over SSL (via https://). To allow the temporary URL to resolve you'll need to ensure it loads over http://.

How to fix an ERR_SSL_UNRECOGNIZED_NAME_ALERT error:

Check the WordPress site and home URL and make sure it's set to load over http://
Disable Force HTTPS in the control panel
Ensure you don't have the Really Simple SSL plugin active, you can disable it to prevent it forcing https://
Remove any redirects in the .htaccess file.

You may need to try an incognito browser tab after making any corrections to ensure https:// is not cached in your browser.

Note: Ensure you enter the correct URL in the browser when trying to access the temporary URL i.e. http://example-co-uk.staging.com