Today it is easy to install SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates and I highly recommend using certbot to do so. If you have a personal site, blog, or e-commerce site it is important to ensure the site is secure and uses HTTPS.


Google recommends Let’s Encrypt for SSL certificates. Installing this SSL Cert on your site or server using certbot is very straightforward. Some e-commerce services such as Shopify enable SSL (HTTPS) by default and if you have a domain name or hosting provider, they suggest purchasing a separate SSL certificate. Instead you can use this free service called Let’s Encrypt and certbot to install, and automatically update your SSL certs.
If you have your own server here are steps to follow:
https://www.vultr.com/docs/install-a-free-lets-encrypt-tls-ssl-certificate-on-a-centos-7-lemp-server-with-certbot#1__Set_Up_DNS_Records – this is for a CentOS server using Vultr but you can search articles here if you are running your own server for instructions (see also section 5 on “Automate Renewal”).
Certbot also has instructions on their site and helps guide you through this depending on your domain and server setup:
https://certbot.eff.org/instructions
Just select the type of Software and System your site is running. Hope this helps and feel free to reach out if any questions! Good luck with your now secure (for free and automated) HTTPS site!
