Tutorial: Google Chrome Your Connection is Not Private Error

How often has this happened to you? You’re doing web development, you’re trying to access a development / test site, and all of a sudden you get the dreaded Google Chrome ERR_CERT_INVALID error that prevents you from visiting the site?

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How to get around the Error

I do want to flag that this error is HIGHLY IMPORTANT when you are browsing the internet at large. You should take it really seriously and you shouldn’t ignore it in most circumstances.

Having said that, if you (like me) are trying to access your own development website, you know 110% that you are on YOUR OWN SITE and that it is in fact safe (because, it’s not some random site trying to steal your crap) then you can get around this error by simply typing into the browser (no input field required): thisisunsafe.

I don’t know when Chrome started doing this, in the past there was an “advanced” button down at the bottom that you could expand out and then go to the site anyway. At some point in the not so distant past though, this stopped being an option for me. As of today, when I get this error I just cannot access the site. It’s dead in the water. My choice is close the tab, or sit there and stare at it forever. Firefox still gives me the option to bypass and go via the UI.

In Conclusion

Don’t do stupid things. Don’t do this on sketchy sites. But if you need to get to something you know is safe, just tell chrome it’s unsafe (and it will let you right on by).

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