Free SSL Certificates Automatically with Certbot

2026 Certbot: use the current official installation path and test renewal

Do not copy obsolete pip/virtualenv instructions or add an unverified cron job. Start at Certbot Instructions and select the actual OS and web server. HTTP-01 requires the name to resolve to this server and port 80 to be reachable; wildcard certificates normally require DNS-01 and tightly scoped DNS-provider credentials.

For Nginx, back up the configuration and run sudo nginx -t; then use the command appropriate to the installed Certbot package, for example sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com. Use certonly with an explicit authenticator if Certbot must not edit the web-server configuration. Confirm the existing systemd timer/package renewal mechanism and run sudo certbot renew --dry-run. Do not remove packages or overwrite renewal schedules without understanding the existing installation.

Official references: Certbot installation; Certbot user guide.