To secure an Nginx site with Let’s Encrypt, point the domain’s DNS records at the server, make ports 80 and 443 reachable, create an HTTP server block whose server_name matches the requested names, and run sudo certbot --nginx. Certbot can obtain the certificate and edit Nginx for you. If you need to review every directive yourself, use sudo certbot certonly --nginx, then add the 443 SSL block manually. In either case, keep an HTTP listener on port 80 so HTTP-01 validation and normal web traffic continue to work, test the configuration with sudo nginx -t, and reload Nginx only after the test succeeds.
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What must be in place before Certbot runs
Let’s Encrypt’s Nginx integration normally uses the HTTP-01 challenge. A validation server requests a token at http://your-domain.example/.well-known/acme-challenge/<TOKEN>. For that request to succeed, the public DNS name must resolve to this Nginx host and the host must accept inbound TCP connections on port 80. The final site also needs port 443 open for HTTPS.
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- Network access: Permit TCP 80 and 443 in the operating-system firewall, cloud security group, load balancer, and any NAT rule in front of the server.
- Nginx: Have an HTTP site online before invoking the standard Nginx or webroot flow. The requested host names must appear in the relevant
server_namedirective. - Privileges: Certbot needs permission to read and write Nginx configuration and to place certificates under its managed directory, so run the commands with
sudo.
Do not start by deleting the port-80 listener. HTTP-01 is designed around that listener, and keeping it available also lets you redirect ordinary HTTP requests to HTTPS after issuance.
“Our recommendation is that all servers meant for general web use should offer both HTTP on port 80 and HTTPS on port 443.” — Let’s Encrypt
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Create and check the initial HTTP server block
Before a certificate exists, define a server block that can answer the domain over plain HTTP. Use the exact names you intend to place on the certificate, including or excluding www deliberately. The root shown below is an example; substitute your site’s document root or replace the request handler with your reverse-proxy settings.
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example;
location /.well-known/acme-challenge/ {
root /var/www/example;
}
location / {
return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}
}The separate challenge location makes the intended validation path explicit. If your application is proxied, keep the challenge location pointed at a local directory instead of sending those requests to an application that might authenticate, rewrite, or block them. The remaining location can proxy to the application or serve files according to your deployment.
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sudo nginx -tFix every syntax or file-path error reported by the test. Reload only after it passes:
sudo systemctl reload nginxFrom a network outside the server, request the HTTP URL with each intended host name. Confirm that the request reaches this machine, rather than a parking page, an old load balancer, or a different virtual host. A redirect to HTTPS is acceptable for ordinary paths, but the challenge path must remain publicly retrievable.
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Choose Certbot’s Nginx workflow
Certbot’s Nginx plugin can act as both an authenticator and an installer. The choice below determines how much of the resulting configuration Certbot changes.
| Command or method | What it does | When it fits | Important condition |
|---|---|---|---|
sudo certbot --nginx |
Obtains the certificate through Nginx and edits the server blocks to install it, commonly offering an HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect choice. | Fast setup when the generated directives match your deployment. | Port 80, DNS, and the existing HTTP site must be reachable during validation. |
sudo certbot certonly --nginx |
Uses the Nginx plugin to complete validation and obtain the certificate but leaves installation and final server-block editing to you. | Sites with carefully reviewed proxy rules, redirects, or a configuration-management process. | You must add the 443 listener and certificate paths, test, and reload Nginx yourself. |
| DNS-01 with a Certbot DNS plugin or controlled TXT record | Proves control by publishing a DNS TXT record instead of serving a file over HTTP. | Wildcard certificates or servers that cannot expose port 80. | You need DNS API access or the ability to create the required TXT record; this is a different validation flow. |
For a conventional web server, start with sudo certbot --nginx. Certbot will discover names from the active Nginx configuration and ask which should be included. Select only names that resolve to this host and that you are prepared to serve. If you want a controlled change review, use the certonly form and perform the installation in the next section.
Wildcard names such as *.example.com cannot be issued with HTTP-01. Certbot identifies DNS plugins as the route to wildcard certificates, and DNS validation does not require inbound access to the web server. You still need to configure the resulting certificate in Nginx after issuance.
Inspect or write the HTTPS server block
After successful issuance, the HTTPS virtual host must listen on port 443 with SSL enabled and reference both the full certificate chain and the private key. A minimal file-serving example is:
server {
listen 443 ssl;
listen [::]:443 ssl;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example;
ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}
}Replace the root and request handling with the directives used by your application. The key requirements are the SSL-enabled 443 listeners and certificate/key paths. The live paths shown are Certbot-managed locations; retaining them avoids having to copy renewed files manually. The certificate name in the path may differ when Certbot has to disambiguate multiple certificates, so inspect the paths it actually reports rather than assuming the directory name.
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When Certbot has edited the file automatically, review the resulting block instead of treating the change as opaque. Check that every requested name appears in server_name, that the certificate covers those names, and that your original proxy, WebSocket, upload, and application rules remain in the intended virtual host. Automatic installation is convenient, but a manual review catches a redirect or proxy change that is syntactically valid yet operationally wrong.
Keep HTTP for redirects and future validation
The port-80 block should continue to exist after HTTPS is working. For normal requests, redirecting with return 301 https://$host$request_uri; preserves the host and path. Do not apply a blanket rule that prevents access to /.well-known/acme-challenge/. During HTTP-01, Let’s Encrypt follows redirects only to HTTP or HTTPS on ports 80 or 443, so a redirect to an unrelated port, an IP address, or a private hostname will not satisfy the challenge.
If you prefer Certbot’s automatic redirect option, inspect the generated result and verify that the challenge location remains reachable. If you write the redirect yourself, put the challenge exception before any broad deny, authentication, rewrite, or proxy rule that could intercept it. This matters on every renewal, not only on the first issuance.
Validate safely and test both protocols
- Run the configuration test:
sudo nginx -t. A successful result confirms that Nginx can parse the files and open the referenced certificate and key. - Reload without dropping connections:
sudo systemctl reload nginx, or use the equivalent reload operation supplied by your platform. - Check each hostname externally: Visit both
http://andhttps://forms for every name on the certificate. Confirm that HTTP redirects as intended and HTTPS serves the expected site. - Inspect the certificate: Use the browser’s certificate viewer or another external TLS inspection method to verify the subject names, validity dates, and issuing chain. Check the name users actually type, not just the first name in the certificate.
- Exercise the challenge path: Place a temporary test file in the directory mapped to
/.well-known/acme-challenge/and request that exact URL over HTTP from outside the server. Remove the file after confirming the mapping. The response must come from this Nginx host and must not be blocked or rewritten to an application login page.
If the test command fails after an automated Certbot run, do not reload blindly. Read the reported file and line, correct the duplicate listener, missing semicolon, or incorrect path, and run sudo nginx -t again. A reload is safe only when Nginx reports a valid configuration.
Make renewal automatic and observable
Let’s Encrypt certificates are short-lived, so issuance is only half of the job. Certbot packages normally install a scheduled cron job or systemd timer that attempts renewal before expiry. Confirm that the scheduled job exists on your system and that it runs under the same installation that owns the live certificate paths.
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Renewal must also reach the challenge endpoint. Keep DNS records current, leave port 80 open, and preserve the challenge location when editing redirects or application rules. If you used certonly and maintain Nginx configuration yourself, make sure a successful renewal is followed by an Nginx reload; otherwise Nginx may continue serving the previous certificate even though Certbot has written a new file.
Run the renewal test recommended by your Certbot package before relying on the schedule. Check the job’s logs for a successful simulated renewal and verify that the service account can read the managed files. A timer that exists but cannot reload Nginx, reach DNS, or write its log is not an operational renewal system.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot HTTP-01 failures by symptom
The domain resolves to the wrong machine
Review the A and AAAA records from a network outside your hosting environment. An old A record, a proxy service, or an AAAA record pointing to an unconfigured IPv6 listener can send the validation request elsewhere. Correct the record, wait for the change to propagate, and verify that both address families reach the Nginx host before running Certbot again.
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Port 80 is blocked
Check every layer: the local firewall, cloud security group, router or NAT rule, and any upstream load balancer. Certbot’s standard Nginx flow expects an HTTP site reachable from the Internet. Opening only port 443 does not satisfy HTTP-01.
The challenge returns a redirect, 403, or application page
Request the exact /.well-known/acme-challenge/ URL and inspect which server block handles it. A broad redirect, access rule, authentication middleware, or proxy location may be taking precedence. Create an explicit challenge location, ensure its root contains the requested token, and keep it outside rules intended for the application.
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Another process owns port 80
Standalone validation needs to bind the port itself and therefore cannot start while another service owns it. The Nginx plugin works with the running web server, and webroot-style validation places the token in an already-served directory. If you deliberately choose standalone mode, stop the conflicting service for validation and start it again afterward; otherwise use the Nginx or webroot approach to avoid that replacement workflow.
The certificate is issued but Nginx will not reload
Run sudo nginx -t and read the first reported error. Common causes include a certificate path that does not match the name Certbot created, a private-key permission problem, duplicate listen 443 ssl declarations with conflicting settings, or a copied path that points outside Certbot’s managed locations. Restore the correct paths, test again, and only then reload.
A wildcard request fails immediately
HTTP-01 cannot validate wildcard names. Switch to DNS-01 with a suitable DNS plugin or publish the required TXT record manually. This proves DNS control and does not depend on a web server accepting inbound port-80 traffic, but it requires reliable DNS administration and careful handling of API credentials or TXT records.
Automatic installation versus manual server-block control
The automatic command is appropriate when the site has a straightforward Nginx layout and you want Certbot to add the certificate directives and redirect. It reduces typing and gets a conventional site online quickly. The trade-off is that a tool-generated edit may not reflect the routing, caching, authentication, or multi-tenant policy you want to enforce.
The certonly workflow separates identity validation from configuration deployment. It is preferable when Nginx files are managed from a reviewed template, when several applications share a host, or when you need to decide exactly which block receives each certificate. You assume responsibility for inserting listen 443 ssl, the certificate paths, the redirect behavior, and the post-renewal reload.
Neither workflow changes the underlying validation requirements. DNS must still identify the correct host, port 80 must remain reachable for HTTP-01, and the challenge URL must survive future configuration changes. The practical decision is who edits the server blocks and who owns the reload step after renewal.
Operational checklist
- Every A and AAAA record for the requested names points to this deployment.
- Inbound TCP 80 and 443 are allowed at the host and hosting-provider firewalls.
- The HTTP block contains the exact
server_namevalues and serves/.well-known/acme-challenge/. - You selected
--nginxfor automatic installation orcertonly --nginxfor manual installation intentionally. - The HTTPS block listens on 443 with SSL and references the actual Certbot-managed
fullchain.pemandprivkey.pempaths. sudo nginx -tpasses before every reload.- External tests cover both HTTP redirects and HTTPS responses for every certificate name.
- A packaged cron job or systemd timer is present, its renewal test succeeds, and any custom deployment reloads Nginx after renewal.
Following that sequence gives Certbot a reachable validation endpoint, gives Nginx a clear 443 configuration, and leaves port 80 available for the next renewal instead of treating certificate issuance as a one-time change.
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