Effortlessly Create and Configure SSL Certificates with Certbot on Ubuntu with Nginx

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Coding with PierreJanineh

3 min readDec 22, 2023

Securing your website with an SSL certificate is no longer optional in today’s digital world — it’s a necessity. Whether you’re setting up a new site or adding a certificate to an existing one, the process can seem daunting. This guide simplifies the journey of creating and configuring SSL certificates. By leveraging Certbot, an efficient tool for managing Let’s Encrypt certificates, you’ll learn how to secure your domains and subdomains with confidence.

How?

Configure your domain’s DNS records pointing to the IP address of your server or primary domain: Depending on where you have your Domain’s DNS records managed, the layout of the configuration page may differ. Following is an example on GoDaddy. , that the domain/subdomain is correctly set up in your DNS records. This usually means adding an A record or a CNAME record pointing to your server’s IP address or primary domain.
Install Certbot: If not already installed, install Certbot on your server. Certbot is the recommended client for obtaining SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt. It’s available for most operating systems.
For example, on a Ubuntu server, you can install Certbot with:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install certbot

Generate the Certificate for the Domain/Subdomain: You can generate a new certificate specifically for the domain, or you can expand an existing certificate to include a subdomain.
Generate a new certificate:

sudo certbot certonly --cert-name newcertname -d yourdomain.com

To expand an existing certificate:

sudo certbot --expand -d yourdomain.com -d subdomain.yourdomain.com

Replace subdomain.yourdomain.com with your actual subdomain and domain.
Follow Prompts: Certbot will guide you through the process. This includes setting up a temporary web server for validation or making changes to your existing web server configuration.
Verification: Let’s Encrypt will verify that you control the domain and subdomain by making HTTP requests to your server.
Certificate Installation: If the verification is successful, Certbot will automatically install the SSL certificate for the domain/subdomain.
Auto-Renewal Setup: Certbot typically sets up auto-renewal for your certificates. You can test the renewal process with:

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Configuring Your Web Server: Finally, ensure your web server is configured to use the SSL certificate for the domain/subdomain. This usually involves specifying the certificate and key files in your web server’s configuration file.

Best Practices for Managing SSL Certificates

Regularly monitor your SSL certificates to prevent expiration surprises. Automation tools like Certbot can help in automating certificate renewal, reducing the risk of human error.

Validate Configuration

Checking status:

sudo systemctl status nginx

Checking for syntax error:

Test the Configuration: Before applying the changes, always test your Nginx configuration for syntax errors:

sudo nginx -t

Reload/Restart Nginx:

If the configuration test is successful, reload Nginx to apply the changes.

sudo systemctl reload nginx

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Conclusion:

Mastering the creation and management of SSL certificates is a key skill for any web administrator. This guide provides a clear pathway to not only obtaining these essential digital credentials using Certbot but also ensuring they are correctly implemented and maintained. Embracing these practices isn’t just about following protocol — it’s about championing the security and integrity of your website. As you deploy and manage these SSL certificates, you’re not only safeguarding your data but also fortifying the trust your users place in your digital presence. With tools like Certbot and a vigilant approach to SSL management, you can navigate the evolving challenges of web security with confidence and ease.