Docs SSL

HTTPS is a modern encryption protocol that creates a secure connection between your browser and the sites you visit. Our goal is to provide HTTPS (SSL) connections by default for all Docs sites.

About SSL

SSL connections add an extra layer of browsing security, letting visitors know that data passed through your website has been encrypted and is unreadable by third-parties. Additionally, SSL connections prove authenticity, letting visitors know that they’re actually viewing your website, rather than a spoofed(fake) domain.

Your browser indicates a secure connection with a padlock icon, or text that reads “secure” in the address bar. Secure URLs always start with https://. For example, when using a custom domain name, your secure Docs URL will look something like this: https://docs.helpscout.com

About the Certificate

The SSL certificate we obtain for your Docs sites are free, 90-day, Domain Validated certificates issued by Let’s Encrypt.

Let’s Encrypt allows organizations like Help Scout to obtain and manage SSL certificates on behalf of their customers. It’s important to note that Let’s Encrypt only offers Domain Validated (DV) certificates. Using Let’s Encrypt, we are not able to provide Organization Validation (OV) or Extended Validation (EV) certificates.

Certificate Renewals

Each day, certificates due to expire within the next 30 days will automatically renew with a fresh 90-day certificate. There is nothing you need to do to renew your certificate, and there is no impact to your Docs site upon renewal.

SSL and Sub-domains

HTTPS connections are also supported for Docs sub-domains (helpscoutdocs.com). If you're not using a custom domain name, you can point customers to the HTTPS version of your Docs site URL. For example: https://subdomain.helpscoutdocs.com. Subdomains also redirect to HTTPS by default.

Common Questions

What happens if we update our custom domain?
Custom domain updates will automatically trigger a new SSL certificate for the new custom domain.

I've set everything up but I am receiving an SSL error on my Docs site.
It can take up to a few hours for DNS propagation and certificate allocation. If you are seeing this error and it's been more than 2 hours since you set your custom domain, give us a shout and let us know.

What if I'm using Cloudflare to provide SSL already?
Toggling Flexible SSL off in favor of Full allows Cloudflare to connect to Help Scout over a secured connection. This will prevent Help Scout from generating a redirect in an attempt to secure the connection. However, we do not officially support having Cloudflare serve your SSL certificate, and are able to provide limited support if there are issues with this setup.