How to install an SSL certificate

Choose your hosting

Hosting providers

OVHcloudWeb Hosting, RSA key onlyHostingerhPanel, you paste 3 files, RSA key

Hosting control panels (used by many providers)

PleskPlesk Obsidian, RSA keycPanelthree interface versions, including MeridianDirectAdminnew and older interface

Own server and NAS

Own server (nginx or Apache)nginx or Apache, over SSHProxmox VEProxmox VE 9, web interface on port 8006Synology NASDSM 7, you upload the files from your computerQNAP NASQTS 5 and QuTS hero, RSA keyTrueNASCommunity Edition 25.10, you paste two filesUnraidUnraid 7, one file in /boot/config/ssl/certsOpenMediaVault NASOMV 8 and 7, you paste the files into a form

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Files from the generator

• privkey.pem: the private key. It was created in your browser and only you have it. Paste it only into your hosting control panel or onto your own server, never into an email or a chat.
• fullchain.pem: the certificate for your domain together with the intermediate certificates (the chain). Most panels and servers use this file.
• cert.pem: just the certificate for your domain, without the chain.
• chain.pem: just the intermediate certificates, for a field called “CA”, “chain” or “intermediate certificate” if the panel has a separate one.

Upload the certificate from production mode. A certificate from test mode is only for checking the process: browsers don't trust it, and some panels won't accept it at all.

A Let's Encrypt certificate is currently valid for 90 days. Renewing means generating a new certificate and uploading it to the same place. We'll remind you by email.

How to copy the content of a file

1. Windows: right-click the file, choose “Open with” and then “Notepad”. Mac: Control-click the file, choose “Open With” and then “TextEdit”.
2. Select all the text (Ctrl+A, on a Mac Cmd+A) and copy it (Ctrl+C, on a Mac Cmd+C).
3. In the panel, click into the field and paste (Ctrl+V, on a Mac Cmd+V). Paste everything, including the BEGIN and END lines, and don't change anything.

Checking the result

Open your website over https:// and click the padlock (or the settings icon) next to the address. The certificate details should show Let's Encrypt as the issuer and an expiry date matching the panel. If the browser still shows the old certificate, wait a few minutes and reload the page.

If you see a warning instead of your website, we explain the error codes on the page “Your connection is not private”. If the site opens over https but looks broken or something doesn't work, see mixed content. Finally, turn on the redirect from http to https so everyone lands on the secure version.

Hosting panels change from time to time. If something looks different from this guide, write to kontakt@freessl.pl and we'll update it.