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Keep certificate verification enabled. Start by updating the trusted root certificates on the operating system and the Python packages in the same environment that runs urlwatch. Then check whether the problem affects one monitored host or many, and investigate the host’s certificate chain, hostname, and any proxy or private-CA configuration. urlwatch’s ssl_no_verify option is a per-job bypass—not a routine fix.
What the error means
HTTPS certificate verification checks that a server presents a trusted certificate valid for the hostname urlwatch requested. Verification can fail because the client cannot build a trusted chain, the certificate is expired, or the hostname does not match. Requests verifies HTTPS certificates by default; disabling that check also stops it detecting these problems and can expose the connection to a man-in-the-middle attack. Requests: SSL certificate verification
Diagnose the scope before changing settings
- Save the full error. Note the affected job URL and the exact exception text.
- Identify the runtime. Record the operating system, urlwatch version, Requests version, and the Python interpreter or environment that launches urlwatch. Updating packages in a different Python environment may not affect the running job.
- Check how many hosts fail. If one host fails, focus on that server’s certificate chain, hostname, validity, or a host-specific proxy or private CA. If many unrelated hosts fail, first examine local trust-store freshness, package updates, and changes to the environment. This is a troubleshooting heuristic, not proof of the cause.
Update the operating system and Python trust sources
Refresh the operating system’s root certificates
Use the documented update mechanism for your operating system or Linux distribution to install current CA certificates. Operating-system updates generally update root certificates, according to GitHub’s troubleshooting guidance. GitHub: troubleshooting certificate authority issues
Update packages in urlwatch’s Python environment
Requests uses the certifi certificate bundle and recommends keeping certifi updated. Use the package manager for the same Python environment that runs urlwatch to update Requests and certifi. urlwatch’s installation page documents this command for installing or upgrading urlwatch itself:
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python -m pip install --upgrade urlwatchRun it with the interpreter belonging to the environment you identified; it upgrades urlwatch, not necessarily the system CA store. urlwatch installation · Requests: SSL certificate verification
Configure trust for a private CA or proxy
If your organization uses TLS inspection, an enterprise proxy, or an internal certificate authority, the client may need to trust the organization’s CA. Obtain the correct CA certificate or bundle from your administrator—not from an unverified download—and configure the supported trust path for the active client environment.
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Requests documents two ways to point a request at a CA bundle: its verify parameter or the REQUESTS_CA_BUNDLE environment variable. A directory used as a CA bundle must first be processed with OpenSSL’s c_rehash utility. These are Requests client settings; confirm that the urlwatch version and runtime in use pass through the relevant configuration rather than assuming a setting applies automatically. Requests: SSL certificate verification
Investigate a host-specific certificate problem
If the same exact host still fails after trust stores and packages are current, check with the site operator or network administrator that the server supplies a valid, complete certificate chain and a certificate for the requested hostname. A browser loading the page successfully does not establish that every client sees the same certificate chain: clients can use different trust stores or encounter different proxy paths. Requests documents hostname mismatch as a certificate verification failure. Requests: SSL certificate verification
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Why not set ssl_no_verify: true?
urlwatch 2.29 documents ssl_no_verify as an optional per-job true/false setting that disables SSL certificate verification. urlwatch 2.29 URL-job reference
Requests warns that setting verification to false accepts any TLS certificate presented by the server, including expired certificates and hostname mismatches, and can make the application vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks. Treat urlwatch’s bypass the same way: at most, use it briefly for a tightly controlled diagnostic when you understand the risk, then restore verification. It does not repair the CA store, the server’s chain, or the hostname. Requests: SSL certificate verification
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