What is Fix Err_Certificate_Transparency_Required and How to Deal With This Error

An invalid certificate transparency information error occurs specifically in Google Chrome and mainly relates to problems with your SSL certificate. As a result, this issue might cause some serious troubles in the future, namely data theft and financial fraud. In this post, we'll explain what the err_certificate_transparency_required error means, what triggers it, and how you can promptly react to it.

What does ERR_Certificate_Transparency_Required mean?

Google Chrome users may sometimes stumble upon the message that states: "No certificate transparency information was supplied by the server." This error prevents you from accessing a website, no matter if it’s your own or not. Most commonly, you may experience it if there are issues with the SSL certificate of a given website.

As an encryption protocol, SSL ensures the security of the information transmitted between your browser and a website’s server. In other words, it blocks third parties from stealing any data entered into a site. SSL is a widespread security measure among eCommerce or banking platforms that handle sensitive information such as users' credit card details.

To make this certificate properly work, you have to install it on your website: you can either get one within your hosting plan or buy it from an issuing authority. Furthermore, you'll need to make sure to add your certificate to the Certificate Transparency log. This framework backs up these certificates' security as it helps domain owners see and manage their certificates and identify unauthorized ones.

You see the err_certificate_transparency_required error message when you attempt to enter HTTPS websites with SSL/TLS-related errors. Such errors worsen the connection between your device and a remote server.

What causes the ERR_Certificate_Transparency_Required error

The most popular reason that triggers the err_certificate_transparency_required Chrome issue is that the SSL certificate of a website isn't in the transparency log created by the issuing authority.

Here's what can trigger this error:

• The site owner might have asked the authority not to include the certificate into the log.
• The issuing authority has not added the certificate, most likely because of a mishap.
• Improper installation of the site’s SSL certificate.
• A corrupted SSL certificate.
• An expired certificate has expired.

There are, however, several possible solutions to the issue too. Below is a list of the most efficient ones:

1. Contact the certificate issuing authority. There might have been an error, and they hadn't added your SSL certificate to the Certificate Transparency log.
2. Apply the Certificate Transparency exemption policy to let users access your website. This will remove your domain and / or subdomain from the Certificate Transparency log so that users will be able to access a website without stumbling upon the ERR_Certificate_Transparency_Required message.
3. Reissue and reinstall your SSL certificate to make sure it's properly set up.

If you're seeing this issue as a website user, try the following:

1. Ignore this error;
2. Contact the website owner;
3. Clear the SSL slate;
4. Delete cookies and cached data in Chrome;
5. Disable Google Chrome extensions;
6. Disable firewall and antivirus apps;
7. Update Google Chrome.

How to effectively run a website audit with Netpeak Spider?

Another helpful tip for avoiding the invalid certificate transparency information error would be running regular website audits. A handy tool for that purpose is Netpeak Spider. This multi-purpose crawler can detect over 100 website- and SEO-related issues, including those that might compromise the security of stored data.

The app allows you to track your website's metrics in real-time with a built-in interactive dashboard, where you can check and store the crawling data. And, if needed, you can quickly download it in a convenient PDF format for further SEO-related needs and tasks.

One of the main perks of Netpeak Spider is that it's quite straightforward to work with. In just several quick steps, you'll receive the checkup results for any target website:

• Make the list of URLs you have to analyze or paste it from a clipboard into the app's search bar;
• On the right sidebar, pick and check all the research metrics you need to analyze;
• Click "Start" to launch the crawling process and wait for a few moments.

Here's how you can enrich your research data and get more in-depth information about your website's performance:

Data filters and segmentation

Our crawling app shows research insights segment by segment, allowing you to track only the needed parameters. You can also break the data into segments on a dashboard and set custom filtering conditions or even change the data overview for more convenient reporting and gathering information.

Internal PageRank calculator

The built-in PageRank calculator lets you keep track of any page's internal linking. Thanks to that, you'll be able to check out the link weight distribution on every page and see which one burns incoming link equity or doesn't get any of it.

Integrations with Google Analytics and Search Console

Retrieve the data from services like Google Analytics and Search Console to enrich the crawling information about your website. Thanks to this, you access essential insights on traffic, your pages' goals, conversion rates, and other eCommerce parameters that influence the performance of your website.

As you see, the tool is fast and simple yet very convenient. In just several seconds, you'll receive in-depth research results, error warnings, and even a list of tips and helpful links where you can read more about solving them. This is an extremely helpful tool for SEO specialists and website owners who want to improve their online performance and generate organic traffic by sharing high-quality content with users.

Final words

Data security is crucial in a rapidly advancing world. Thousands of online marketplaces, banking sites, and other vendors transmit terabytes of sensitive data to their servers, and the risk of it getting stolen can get quite high.

Seeing the ERR_Certificate_Transparency_Required error message as you enter a website via Google Chrome signals about SSL-related issues that can compromise the level of trust in your website. It's necessary to regularly check the status and settings of your SSL certificates to avoid serious problems in the future and to run regular website checkups.

If you want to facilitate website crawling and always stay alert about the potential issues you might stumble upon, try Netpeak Spider — a professional crawling app that will detect and help you solve the most widespread issues. It's now available as a free trial for both macOS and Windows users, so try it today and make instant improvements to your website's security and SEO strategy!