Mac SEO Blog

EverWeb Site Shield Addon launched back in July 2017 coinciding with the launch of EverWeb 2.3. Updates to Site Shield came in 2022 and also in 2024, which means that our original Q&A from 2018 is now a bit dated. So let’s fix that with an updated EverWeb Site Shield Addon Q&A 2026 Edition!

Q. What is EverWeb Site Shield Addon?

A. EverWeb Site Shield Addon enables end to end data encryption of your website data, right from your Hosting Server to your website visitor’s browser window.

Q. What version of EverWeb do I need to use Site Shield Addon?

A. We recommend always using the latest version of EverWeb wherever possible. At the time of this Q&A, EverWeb 2.9.1 is the minimum available EverWeb software and EverWeb 4.4.3 is the latest version. If you have a current EverWeb Support and Updates plan, use the EverWeb-> Check for Update… menu on macOS, or Help-> Check for Update… menu in Windows, to update your EverWeb to the latest version. 

If you do not have a current Support and Updates plan, you can purchase this through your EverWeb Client Area.

Q. I’m an EverWeb for Windows user. Is Site Shield available for Windows users as well as Mac users?

Yes, Site Shield Addon can be used on EverWeb for Windows and EverWeb for Mac.

Q. Is Site Shield Addon the same as an SSL Certificate?

Secure websites use HTTPS and this is enabled through an SSL Certificate. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and it creates an encrypted connection that establishes trust in data transfer between web browser and web server. Site Shield Addon is EverWeb’s branding for the SSL Certificate including EverWeb’s exclusive easy HTTPS implementation from directly within the product at just the click of a button.

Q. Do I need an EverWeb+Hosting Account to be able to use Site Shield Addon?

A. You don’t need to have an EverWeb+Hosting account. Site Shield Addon works if you host with your own Hosting Provider or if have an EverWeb+Hosting account.

Q. If I am hosting with my own provider. What do I need to use EverWeb Site Shield Addon?

A. If you host with your own Hosting Provider, you will need to obtain a valid SSL Certificate from them before using Site Shield addon. There are no other requirements.

Q. How do I get Site Shield Addon?

A. If you have an EverWeb+Hosting 2GB account or an EverWeb Standalone account you can purchase Site Shield Addon through your EverWeb Client Area.

If you have a an EverWeb+Hosting 10GB, or higher, account, Site Shield Addon is absolutely free and can be activated through your EverWeb Client Area.

Q. How much does Site Shield Addon Cost?

A. If you have an EverWeb+Hosting 10GB or higher account, Site Shield Addon is absolutely free. For EverWeb+Hosting 2GB accounts, or if you have an EverWeb Standalone license, Site Shield Addon costs $39.95 USD* per year. In both instances there are no additional costs involved in upgrading your website from HTTP to secure HTTPS.

*Prices may be subject to change, so check our website for current pricing details.

Q. Why do I see a Grey/Black Padlock and not a Green Padlock when I have Upgraded to HTTPS?

A. When using HTTPS, you usually see a padlock displayed to the left of the website URL in the browser search bar. You may have noticed that the padlock on some websites is dark grey or black but on other other websites it is green. For all intents and purposes, there is no difference as both indicate that the website is secure. The difference in color indicates that encryption has been implemented technically in different ways.

Q. What happens if I have HTTP references in my website links in EverWeb? Do I need to change these?

A. It is not necessary to change these references, but it is better to do so as this will ensure data encryption.

Q. I checked the box ‘HTTPS Secure URLs’ and published my website, but don’t see the Padlock displayed.

A. If you do not see the padlock displayed in the browser search bar when viewing your website, check the URL in the search box of your browser. You should see that your URL starts with HTTPS. If not make sure that you publish your entire site using the File-> Publish Entire Site menu option.

If you still do not see the padlock, it  is possible that there is not a secure link to an image, widget, fonts or other object on the page. You may need to remove objects one by one to test to see which object is causing the problem. If you are tech savvy, you can use the ‘Inspect Element’ of Safari’s Developer menu to locate the problem (or your browser’s equivalent of this tool.) If you have inserted any code directly in to the page (using the HTML Snippet widget) or in the Page or Site Settings using the Header/Footer Code sections, this may also be the cause of the problem. Try removing any code you may have inserted and test again.

Q. If I have more than one website can I use Site Shield Addon for all of these as well?

Yes, if you have more than one website under your EverWeb website domain, you can use the HTTPS Secure URLs checkbox in Site Publishing Settings for all of your websites.