Once your website files are uploaded and visible, the next step is securing the connection with SSL. Virtualmin makes it easy to install a free, auto-renewing SSL certificate through Let’s Encrypt — no extra software or plugins required.
Steps to Enable SSL Using Let’s Encrypt:
1. Log in to your Virtualmin dashboard.
2. Select your domain from the drop-down list in the top-left corner.
3. From the left menu, open Server Configuration → SSL Certificate.
4. Click the Let's Encrypt tab at the top of the page.
5. In the Domain Names field, make sure your main domain (for example, yourdomain.com) and any additional names (like www.yourdomain.com) are listed.
6. Choose Request Certificate.
7. Wait a few seconds while the system validates your domain and installs the new SSL certificate.
8. Once complete, you’ll see confirmation that the certificate has been issued successfully.
Verifying Your SSL Installation:
• Visit https://yourdomain.com in your browser.
• You should see the padlock icon indicating a secure connection.
• If the browser still shows “Not Secure,” try clearing cache or forcing a reload with Ctrl + F5.
• Double-check that your domain’s DNS points correctly to this server — Let’s Encrypt cannot verify domains that aren’t resolving.
Automatic Renewal:
• Virtualmin automatically renews your SSL certificate every 60 days.
• You’ll receive an email notification if renewal ever fails, allowing you to retry manually.
• You can check your current certificate’s expiration date anytime under Server Configuration → SSL Certificate → Current Certificate.
Next Steps:
• Update your website or CMS configuration to use HTTPS URLs.
• Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS for better SEO and security.
• Continue to “Creating Email Accounts” to set up addresses for your new domain.
