Using Let’s Encrypt is the easiest way to secure a website with a trusted SSL certificate. Plesk includes native support for Let’s Encrypt, allowing you to install and renew certificates without manual configuration or downtime.
This setup is commonly used on environments managed through Plesk hosting where SSL management needs to be simple and reliable.
What Let’s Encrypt Is and When to Use It
Let’s Encrypt is a free and automated certificate authority that issues trusted SSL certificates. Unlike self-signed certificates, Let’s Encrypt certificates are recognized by all modern browsers and display the secure padlock icon.
Let’s Encrypt is suitable for:
- Public websites
- Blogs and business sites
- APIs and web applications
The domain must resolve correctly in a browser before a certificate can be issued. Even if the site has no content yet, DNS must be working.
Installing a Let’s Encrypt Certificate
Étape 1: Open the Let’s Encrypt tool
Log in to the Plesk control panel.
From the left sidebar, open Websites & Domaines and click Let’s Encrypt.
[Screenshot: Websites & Domains page with Let’s Encrypt icon]
Étape 2: Configure certificate options
Enter a valid email address. This address is used for expiration notices and recovery.
If you want the certificate to cover both the root domain and the www version, enable the option to include the www subdomain.
[Screenshot: Let’s Encrypt certificate options]
Faire un clic Installer. Plesk will request and install the certificate automatically.
If installation fails, verify that:
- The domain name is spelled correctly
- DNS records point to the server
- The domain resolves publicly
Étape 3: Assign the certificate to the site
After installation, return to Websites & Domaines and open Hosting Settings.
Make sure SSL/TLS support is enabled and select the Let’s Encrypt certificate from the certificate list.
[Screenshot: Hosting Settings with SSL certificate selected]
Save the changes.
Automatic Renewal Behavior
Let’s Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 jours. Plesk automatically renews them on a regular schedule without requiring any action.
This process runs in the background and is transparent to visitors. If a renewal attempt fails, there is still enough time to fix the issue before the certificate expires.
This automatic renewal model is widely used on production sites hosted on serveurs cloud.
Manually Renewing a Certificate
Manual renewal is rarely required, but it can be done if needed.
Étape 1: Open the certificate page
Go to Websites & Domaines and click Let’s Encrypt.
[Screenshot: Let’s Encrypt certificate page]
Étape 2: Renew the certificate
Faire un clic Renew. Plesk will immediately attempt to renew the certificate.
Practical Notes
- Do not disable DNS records used by the domain
- Avoid firewall rules that block HTTP validation
- Use HTTPS redirects only after the certificate is active
For high-traffic or multi-site deployments, Let’s Encrypt works reliably on dedicated server environments as well.