# Bridge SSL

> Certificates are issued and renewed by the platform, wildcards included, with nothing to configure by hand. See what turns on automatically and what does not.

Bridge SSL is the TLS layer of Bridge CDN, not a separate product. Certificate automation is included with Bridge CDN rather than sold separately. There is no published SLA or uptime figure for issuance or renewal.

Key topics: Errors, Certificates, ACME, Installation, TLS, Comparisons, Tools, Glossary.

## Main Documentation

- [About Bridge SSL](https://bridge-ssl.com/about.txt): what this layer covers and where its boundaries are.
- [Bridge SSL FAQ](https://bridge-ssl.com/faq.txt): every question answered on the site, in one file.
- [Bridge SSL for LLM, GPT, AI, and AI-Agents](https://bridge-ssl.com/llms-instructions.txt): what may and may not be stated about this layer.
- [Bridge SSL full text](https://bridge-ssl.com/llms-full.txt): every published page, in build order.

## Part of BotBridge

BotBridge is the network this site belongs to: it covers the infrastructure between a visitor and a server — naming, delivery, certificates, and traffic filtering. Bridge SSL documents the certificate layer; the product itself is Bridge CDN.

- [BotBridge](https://botbridge.io/): the network.
- [Bridge CDN](https://bridge-cdn.com/): the product this layer belongs to.
- [Bridge DNS](https://bridge-dns.com/): the naming layer, adjacent to this one.

## Additional Resources

- [Bridge SSL](https://bridge-ssl.com/): this site.
- [Sitemap](https://bridge-ssl.com/sitemap.xml): index of every published address.
- [ACME explained: how automated certificate issuance works](https://bridge-ssl.com/acme/): ACME lets software obtain and renew certificates without a person. See how the protocol works, what the challenges prove, and what it changes operationally.
- [SSL certificates explained: types and full lifecycle](https://bridge-ssl.com/certificates/): A certificate is a signed statement about who controls a name. See what it contains, what an authority checks before issuing, and how the lifecycle works.
- [SSL errors: every browser code explained and fixed](https://bridge-ssl.com/errors/): Every browser reports SSL errors differently. See what each code actually means, whether you or the site owner can fix it, and exactly where to go next.
- [SSL and TLS glossary: one term, one page](https://bridge-ssl.com/glossary/): Definitions for the terms with no section of their own here, each pointing at the page that covers the mechanism in full. Definitions here, and mechanics there.
- [Installing an SSL certificate: steps for any server](https://bridge-ssl.com/install/): Installation is the same five steps on every server. See what each of them is, what tends to break at each one, and where to go for your specific software.
- [TLS explained: what happens before the padlock appears](https://bridge-ssl.com/tls/): Between clicking a link and seeing a padlock, two sides agree how to talk and one proves who it is. See the order of events and where each step fails.
- [SSL tools: decode, convert and check certificates](https://bridge-ssl.com/tools/): Seven checks and converters for certificates, each answering one question in the browser. What each settles, and the page that explains the answer.
- [How to choose a certificate authority: the criteria](https://bridge-ssl.com/vs/): Authorities differ in automation, validation levels, support and terms, not in the encryption they provide. See what actually distinguishes them.

## What turns on automatically

- Automatic HTTPS: certificates are obtained by the platform over ACME.
- Wildcard certificates: issued through DNS-01 validation and renewed on the same automatic cycle.
- On-demand issuance: a certificate is provisioned when a hostname needs one, not in advance for names that may never be requested.
- Wildcard prewarm: adding a domain triggers wildcard issuance, so the first request does not wait for a cold issuance.

## What is not included

- Importing a certificate you already hold is not supported.
- The issuing authority is not selectable.
- Organisation and extended validation are not part of this.