{"id":53587,"date":"2026-04-15T12:30:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T16:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/?p=53587"},"modified":"2026-04-15T13:36:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T17:36:49","slug":"lets-encrypt-ssl-ubuntu-with-certbot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/website\/ssl\/lets-encrypt-ssl-ubuntu-with-certbot\/","title":{"rendered":"Install Let&#8217;s Encrypt Free SSL Certificate on Ubuntu with Certbot"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/How-to-Install-Lets-Encrypt-Free-SSL-Certificate-with-Cerbot-1024x538.png\" alt=\"How to Install Let's Encrypt Free SSL Certificate on Ubuntu with Certbot\" class=\"wp-image-131853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/How-to-Install-Lets-Encrypt-Free-SSL-Certificate-with-Cerbot-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/How-to-Install-Lets-Encrypt-Free-SSL-Certificate-with-Cerbot-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/How-to-Install-Lets-Encrypt-Free-SSL-Certificate-with-Cerbot-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/How-to-Install-Lets-Encrypt-Free-SSL-Certificate-with-Cerbot.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1360px) 876px, (min-width: 960px) calc(61.58vw + 51px), calc(100vw - 80px)\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s Encrypt is a free, automated Certificate Authority that provides trusted <strong>TLS\/SSL certificates<\/strong> to enable secure HTTPS connections. This improves website security, SEO, and user trust while eliminating browser warnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/certbot.eff.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Certbot<\/a><\/strong> (from the Electronic Frontier Foundation) is the most popular tool for obtaining and automatically renewing Let\u2019s Encrypt certificates on Linux servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide is tailored for <strong>unmanaged Ubuntu servers<\/strong> (including InMotion Hosting <a href=\"\/vps-hosting\">VPS<\/a>, <a href=\"\/cloud-vps\">Cloud<\/a>, and <a href=\"\/dedicated-servers\">Dedicated<\/a>). It covers installation methods suitable for InMotion environments, certificate issuance for <strong>Apache<\/strong> or <strong>NGINX<\/strong>, automatic renewal, and additional hardening steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Applies to:<\/strong> Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, and 24.04 LTS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prerequisites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before starting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A running Ubuntu server with <strong>root<\/strong> or sudo access via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/server\/ssh\/how-to-login-ssh\/\">SSH<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A registered domain name with <strong>A\/AAAA records<\/strong> pointing to your server\u2019s public IP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your web server (<strong>Apache<\/strong> or <strong>NGINX<\/strong>) installed and running.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ports <strong>80 (HTTP)<\/strong> and <strong>443 (HTTPS)<\/strong> open in your firewall (e.g., UFW) and any hosting provider security groups. Certbot uses HTTP-01 validation by default, which requires port 80.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">ufw<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">allow<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #B5CEA8\">80<\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\/tcp<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">ufw<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">allow<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #B5CEA8\">443<\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\/tcp<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">ufw<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">reload<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>(Optional but recommended) A non-root user with sudo privileges for daily operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alert alert-info\"><strong>Important Note for InMotion Cloud VPS Servers:<\/strong> Snapd (the recommended installation method by Certbot) is currently incompatible. Use the <strong>APT<\/strong> or <strong>PIP<\/strong> methods below instead. Dedicated servers may support Snapd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Install Let\u2019s Encrypt on Ubuntu with Certbot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"install\">Step 1: Update Your System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"install\">Always start with a fresh package index:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">apt<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">update<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> &amp;&amp; <\/span><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">apt<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">upgrade<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-y<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Install Certbot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose the method best for your environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recommended for Most InMotion Users: APT Method (Ubuntu 20.04+)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This uses Ubuntu\u2019s repositories and works reliably on InMotion\u2019s Cloud VPS and Dedicated Servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">apt<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">update<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For <strong>Apache<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">apt<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">install<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">python3-certbot-apache<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-y<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For <strong>NGINX<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">apt<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">install<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">python3-certbot-nginx<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-y<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alternative: PIP Method (Virtual Environment \u2013 Good for Isolation on Cloud Servers)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If APT packages are outdated or you prefer isolation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">apt<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">install<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">python3<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">python3-venv<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">libaugeas0<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-y<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">python3<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-m<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">venv<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\/opt\/certbot\/<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\/opt\/certbot\/bin\/pip<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">install<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">--upgrade<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">pip<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\/opt\/certbot\/bin\/pip<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">install<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot-apache<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\">   <\/span><span style=\"color: #6A9955\"># or certbot-nginx<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">ln<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-s<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\/opt\/certbot\/bin\/certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\/usr\/bin\/certbot<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Snap Method (Dedicated Servers Only \u2013 Official Recommended)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">apt<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">install<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">snapd<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-y<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">snap<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">install<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">core<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\">; <\/span><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">snap<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">refresh<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">core<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">snap<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">install<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">--classic<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot<\/span><\/span>\n<span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">ln<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-s<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\/snap\/bin\/certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\/usr\/bin\/certbot<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alert alert-info\"><strong>Tip:<\/strong> After installation, verify with <code>certbot --version<\/code>. The latest Certbot (as of 2026) supports modern ACME protocols and improved renewal handling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Obtain and Install Your SSL Certificate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Run Certbot with the appropriate plugin. It will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Verify domain ownership (via HTTP challenge).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obtain the certificate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>(Optional) Automatically configure your web server for HTTPS and set up an HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For Apache<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">--apache<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-d<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">example.com<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-d<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">www.example.com<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For Nginx<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">--nginx<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-d<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">example.com<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-d<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">www.example.com<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alternatives<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Specific domains only:<\/strong> Always specify -d flags for precision (especially if using the system hostname).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cert-only mode<\/strong> (no automatic config changes \u2013 useful for custom setups or staging):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certonly<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">--apache<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-d<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">example.com<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">-d<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">www.example.com<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>or <code>--nginx<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the interactive prompts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter your <strong>email<\/strong> (for renewal notices and security alerts from Let\u2019s Encrypt).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Agree to the Let\u2019s Encrypt Terms of Service.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>(Optional) Share your email with EFF.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose redirect option: <strong>2<\/strong> (Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS) is recommended for most production sites.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alert alert-info\"><strong>Wildcard Certificates<\/strong> (for <code>*.example.com<\/code>): Use DNS-01 validation with a plugin (e.g., <code>certbot-dns-cloudflare<\/code>). This requires DNS provider API credentials and is more complex\u2014see official Certbot docs for details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Verify Installation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Certificates are stored in <code>\/etc\/letsencrypt\/live\/example.com\/<\/code> (fullchain.pem and privkey.pem).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test your site: Visit <code>https:\/\/yourdomain.com<\/code> and check the padlock.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use external validators:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssllabs.com\/ssltest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SSL Labs<\/a> for detailed grade (aim for A+).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whynopadlock.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Why No Padlock?<\/a> for mixed content issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check configuration:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certificates<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Automatic SSL Renewal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s Encrypt certificates are valid for <strong>90 days<\/strong>. Certbot sets up automatic renewal (via systemd timer or cron) that runs twice daily and renews certificates expiring within 30 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>View renewal schedule:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">systemctl<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">status<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot.timer<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\">    <\/span><span style=\"color: #6A9955\"># or cat \/etc\/cron.d\/certbot<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Test renewal (dry-run \u2013 safe, no actual changes):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #DCDCAA\">sudo<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">certbot<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">renew<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">--dry-run<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Post-renewal hook example<\/strong> (if needed for service reload): Add to renewal command or use <code>--deploy-hook \"systemctl reload apache2\"<\/code> (or nginx).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Security Hardening Recommendations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An SSL certificate + redirect is a great start, but add these for better protection:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Enable HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This tells browsers to <strong>only<\/strong> connect via HTTPS and prevents downgrade attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For Apache<\/strong> (add to your VirtualHost):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">Header<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> always set Strict-Transport-Security \"max-age=<\/span><span style=\"color: #B5CEA8\">63072000<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\">; includeSubDomains; preload\"<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For <strong>NGINX<\/strong> (in server block):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kevinbatdorf-code-block-pro\" data-code-block-pro-font-family=\"Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL.ttf\" style=\"font-size:clamp(16px, 1rem, 24px);font-family:Code-Pro-JetBrains-Mono-NL,ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;line-height:clamp(26px, 1.625rem, 39px);--cbp-tab-width:2;tab-size:var(--cbp-tab-width, 2)\"><pre class=\"shiki dark-plus\" style=\"background-color: #1E1E1E\" tabindex=\"0\"><code><span class=\"line\"><span style=\"color: #569CD6\">add_header <\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\">Strict-Transport-Security <\/span><span style=\"color: #CE9178\">\"max-age=63072000; includeSubDomains; preload\"<\/span><span style=\"color: #D4D4D4\"> always;<\/span><\/span><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Reload your web server after changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Additional Best Practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Disable old TLS versions (1.0\/1.1) in your web server config.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use strong ciphers and modern protocols (Certbot usually handles this well).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regularly monitor with <code>sudo certbot renew --dry-run<\/code>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Backup <code>\/etc\/letsencrypt\/<\/code> (contains private keys \u2013 keep secure and restrict permissions: <code>chmod 600<\/code> on keys).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For production: Consider DNS validation for automated wildcards if HTTP-01 isn\u2019t feasible (e.g., behind load balancers).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Troubleshooting Common Issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cNo matching server block\u201d or validation failures:<\/strong> Ensure domain points to the correct server IP and port 80 is open\/accessible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Connection reset \/ timeout:<\/strong> Firewall blocking port 80, or ModSecurity rules interfering (temporarily disable if needed).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Permission or snap issues on InMotion Cloud:<\/strong> Stick to APT\/PIP methods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Renewal fails:<\/strong> Run the dry-run command and check logs in <code>\/var\/log\/letsencrypt\/<\/code>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mixed content warnings:<\/strong> Update all internal links\/resources to <code>https:\/\/<\/code> or relative URLs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Apache\/NGINX not reloading after renewal: Add a deploy hook.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If issues persist, check the official documentation for <a href=\"https:\/\/certbot.eff.org\/instructions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Certbot<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/letsencrypt.org\/docs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Let\u2019s Encrypt<\/a>, or contact InMotion support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Following these steps gives you a free, auto-renewing Let\u2019s Encrypt SSL certificate with proper HTTPS redirection. Your site will be more secure and perform better in search rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For managed hosting options or assistance, InMotion provides <a href=\"\/solutions\/inmotion-solutions\">premium support<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let&#8217;s Encrypt is a free, automated Certificate Authority that provides trusted TLS\/SSL certificates to enable secure HTTPS connections. This improves website security, SEO, and user trust while eliminating browser warnings. Certbot (from the Electronic Frontier Foundation) is the most popular tool for obtaining and automatically renewing Let&#8217;s Encrypt certificates on Linux servers. This guide is<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/website\/ssl\/lets-encrypt-ssl-ubuntu-with-certbot\/\"> Read More ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56983,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4312],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ssl"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Install Let&#039;s Encrypt SSL Certificate on Ubuntu with Certbot (2026 Guide)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to install a free Let&#039;s Encrypt SSL certificate on Ubuntu with Certbot and ensure your certificate will be automatically renewed.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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