Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I still see SSL warnings after installing the certificate?
You need to install the CA certificate (ca.crt) in your system's Trusted Root Certificate Store. The domain certificate alone won't work — the browser needs to trust the Certificate Authority that signed it.
Solution: Double-click ca.crt and install it in "Trusted Root Certification Authorities" (Windows) or set it to "Always Trust" (macOS).
Can I use these certificates for production websites?
No. These are self-signed certificates for local development only. For production, use certificates from a trusted CA like Let's Encrypt (free) or a commercial provider.
Why am I getting a "rate limit exceeded" message?
To prevent abuse, the service limits certificate generation to 5 certificates per hour per IP address. This helps keep the service fast and available for everyone.
Solution: Wait an hour, then generate again. The limit resets after 60 minutes.
The download didn't work — can I regenerate?
Yes. Simply enter the same domain name again and generate a new certificate. Files are automatically cleaned up after download to save server space.
How do I install certificates on XAMPP?
Copy the .crt file to C:\xampp\apache\conf\ssl.crt\ and the .key file to C:\xampp\apache\conf\ssl.key\, then update httpd-ssl.conf with the certificate paths. Detailed instructions are included in the README.TXT file in your downloaded ZIP.
How do I install certificates in Docker?
Mount the certificate files as volumes in your docker-compose.yml, or copy them into the container. The README.TXT in your ZIP file includes Docker-specific instructions.
Does this work with wildcard subdomains?
Yes. The certificates automatically include wildcard support. A certificate for example.local will also work for *.example.local (e.g. api.example.local, admin.example.local).
How long are certificates valid?
Certificates are valid for 5 years, so you won't need to regenerate them frequently for local development.
The instructions aren't working for my setup
The README.TXT file includes instructions for XAMPP, Docker, Apache, and Nginx. If your setup differs, you may need to adapt the instructions. The general principle is: install the CA certificate in your system's trust store, then configure your web server to use the domain certificate and key files.