What is the maximum SSL certificate validity in 2026?

200 days as of March 15, 2026— down from 398. Renewals start this clock immediately.

When will SSL certificates last only 47 days?

March 15, 2029. Phase three caps it there, with re-verification every 10 days.

Do I need ACME for SSL certificate management?

Yes, if you hate manual hell. It's the industry standard for automation via Let's Encrypt and others.

SSL Certs Down to 47 Days by 2029: The Forced March to Automation

Your once-a-year SSL renewal habit? Dead. Browsers just capped cert lifespans at 200 days, heading to 47 by 2029. Time to automate or watch visitors flee browser warnings.

DevTools Feed Apr 07, 2026 3 min read

Timeline graph of SSL certificate validity reductions from 398 to 47 days through 2029

⚡ Key Takeaways

SSL cert max validity drops to 200 days now, 47 by 2029—forcing automation. 𝕏
Manual renewals become untenable; ACME protocol is the scalable fix. 𝕏
Small sites face biggest pain; big players already tooled up. 𝕏

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#ACME protocol #CA/Browser Forum #HTTPS security #Let's Encrypt #SSL certificate validity #certificate automation

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Originally reported by dev.to

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