How do I install an SSL Certificate on a Droplet?

Validated on 29 Mar 2024 • Last edited on 1 Aug 2024

SSL certificates increase security for your Droplet and your users by enabling encrypted connections to your server. You can purchase certificates through a commercial SSL certificate authority (CA) or use a free, open source CA like Let’s Encrypt.

Installing Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificates

Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates are free, remain valid for three months, and support automatic renewal.

To install Let’s Encrypt certificates, you need to create A records pointing your domain to your Droplet’s IP address. Then you can use certbot to automatically configure SSL on your web server.

This tutorial uses Certbot to obtain and install an SSL certificate for Nginx on Ubuntu 22.04 and set up automatic renewal.
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This tutorial uses Certbot to obtain and install an SSL certificate for Apache on Ubuntu 22.04 and set up automatic renewal.
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Installing Commercial SSL Certificates

Commercial SSL certificates usually cost money and remain valid for one year or longer. After you obtain a commercial SSL certificate, you can install it on your web server by modifying its configuration file.

This tutorial will show you how to acquire and install an SSL certificate from a trusted, commercial Certificate Authority (CA).
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Yes, you can point an unlimited number of domains to a single Droplet, and you can serve multiple websites from a single Droplet.
You can renew your certificate manually using Certbot.
Delete the Let’s Encrypt certificate associated with the domain in your account’s Settings section.
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