Installing a Free SSL Certificate (Let's Encrypt)

<h3>Automatic SSL with Let's Encrypt in DirectAdmin</h3> <p>DirectAdmin includes built-in support for Let's Encrypt, allowing you to secure your website with a free SSL certificate in just a few clicks. Let's Encrypt certificates are trusted by all major browsers and automatically renew every 90 days.</p> <h3>Enabling Let's Encrypt SSL</h3> <ol> <li>Log in to your DirectAdmin control panel.</li> <li>Navigate to <strong>Account Manager &rarr; SSL Certificates</strong>.</li> <li>Select the <strong>Free &amp; automatic certificate from Let's Encrypt</strong> option.</li> <li>Check the boxes for the entries you want to secure. At minimum, select your main domain (e.g., <code>example.com</code>) and the <code>www</code> subdomain (<code>www.example.com</code>).</li> <li>Optionally check <strong>mail.example.com</strong> if you want to secure your mail server as well.</li> <li>Click <strong>Save</strong> to request and install the certificate.</li> </ol> <div class="alert alert-info">DirectAdmin will automatically attempt to renew your Let's Encrypt certificate before it expires. You do not need to manually renew it.</div> <h3>Verifying the Certificate</h3> <p>After installation, verify the SSL is working by visiting your site using <code>https://</code>. You should see a padlock icon in your browser's address bar. You can click the padlock to view certificate details and confirm it was issued by Let's Encrypt.</p> <h3>Troubleshooting Common Issues</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Domain not pointing to server:</strong> The domain's DNS A record must resolve to the server's IP address before Let's Encrypt can validate it.</li> <li><strong>Rate limits:</strong> Let's Encrypt has rate limits of 50 certificates per registered domain per week. If you hit this limit, wait before retrying.</li> <li><strong>.well-known directory blocked:</strong> Ensure your <code>.htaccess</code> file or server configuration is not blocking the <code>/.well-known/acme-challenge/</code> directory, as this is used for domain validation.</li> <li><strong>Wildcard certificates:</strong> Let's Encrypt supports wildcard certificates, but they require DNS validation. Check with your hosting provider if DNS validation is configured.</li> </ul>