What does the padlock symbol mean on Google Chrome?

In short, the different locks and icons shown next to the URL bar on Google Chrome let you know if a site uses TLS or SSL certificates. These certificates allow you to distinguish between a valid and an invalid site.

Green padlock icon

The green padlock indicates that the connection to a web page is secure. This means that a website’s identity has been verified by a trusted third-party authority and that it has a valid certificate for the URL you are trying to reach.

Site certificates are produced by any website that requires some sort of authentication (such as a username and password) to access the full services of a page. An easy way to tell if a site is safe is to check its URL – encrypted sites (the ones that use SSL ) usually start with https while unencrypted sites use a URL http .

If you want to access more information about the sites you visit, you can click on the icon and select the tab Connection :

Yellow exclamation mark

A yellow exclamation mark indicates that the website did not provide the browser with a certificate. This is normal for regular HTTP sites, as certificates are usually only provided if the site uses SSL.

Blank page icon

All websites http “Normal” will be shown with a blank page icon displayed before it. These pages are accessible without prior authentication.

Padlock icon with yellow triangle

A padlock icon with a yellow triangle indicates that Chrome can see a site’s certificate, but that the site has weak security. In this case, we recommend that you proceed with caution, as your connection may not be private.

Red padlock icon

If you see a red padlock with an x next to a URL, it means there is a problem with a site’s certificate. Exercise extreme caution when proceeding on the site: refrain from entering personal data or sensitive information. It is likely that someone is trying to impersonate the website required to acquire your information.