How to Fix SSL Certificate Errors in Email Clients

SSL certificate errors in email clients usually appear as warnings like The server certificate cannot be verified or Security certificate is not trusted. Here's what causes them and how to fix the issue.

Why SSL Errors Occur

• You're using the wrong server hostname - for example, using a generic server name instead of mail.yourdomain.com
• The SSL certificate doesn't match the hostname you've entered
• Your email client's SSL settings don't match what the server expects
• The certificate has expired

The Fix: Use the Correct Hostname

The most common cause is using the wrong server address. Make sure your incoming and outgoing server settings both use:

• mail.yourdomain.com - where yourdomain.com is your actual domain

Do not use localhost, a shared server hostname, or your hosting account's server IP address - these will trigger certificate mismatches.

Checking Your Settings

In your email client, go to account settings and verify the server hostnames. Update them to mail.yourdomain.com with the correct port:

• IMAP: port 993, SSL/TLS
• SMTP: port 465 (SSL) or 587 (STARTTLS)

If the Certificate Has Expired

If your SSL certificate is expired or invalid on the server side, contact our support team and we'll get it renewed. dotCanada provides SSL certificates for email hosting as part of your plan.