3 min read Intermediate 41.9k

How to Generate a Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate for Your Website

Published on September 22, 2025 at 08:50 PM

This guide explains how to generate and install a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on a VeryCloud Plesk server by configuring DNS records, adding the domain in Plesk, and enabling SSL/TLS. It also covers TXT record validation, DNS propagation, and automatic renewal to ensure your site is always secured with HTTPS.

Prerequisites

Your domain must already be configured in DNS to point to your VeryCloud server IP address.
You must have administrator access to the VeryCloud Plesk panel.
If using a DNS provider with proxying (for example Cloudflare), make sure you can disable the proxy during certificate validation.

Steps to Follow

1. Verify DNS

Log in to your domain registrar or DNS provider.
Check that the A and/or AAAA records point to your VeryCloud server IP.
If you intend to use a subdomain, ensure its DNS is correctly set.
If using Cloudflare or a similar service, set records to DNS only during issuance.

2. Access VeryCloud Plesk Panel

Go to https://plesk.verycloud.fr and sign in with your admin credentials.

3. Select the Domain to Secure

In the Plesk dashboard, navigate to Websites & Domains.
Find the domain you want to secure.

4. Initiate SSL/TLS Certificate Setup

In the domain section, open SSL/TLS Certificates.
Choose Get it free via Let’s Encrypt.

5. Configure the Certificate Request

Provide a contact email for expiration notifications.
Select all needed options, for example include www if you want both yourdomain.com and www.yourdomain.com covered.
Confirm domain ownership. Plesk may require a TXT record if HTTP validation is not available.

# Example TXT record
_acme-challenge.mywebsite.com  3600  TXT  abc123xyz456

6. Add TXT Record if Needed

If prompted, add the TXT record in your DNS provider panel.
Wait for DNS propagation (minutes to hours).

7. Finalize Issuance

After validation, return to Plesk and click Continue or Issue / Install.
Plesk will request and install the certificate.

8. Verify SSL

Open your site via https:// and verify the certificate is valid.
Optionally check your configuration with SSL Labs.

Example

Assume the domain is mywebsite.com and your VeryCloud server IP is 82.26.157.248. You want both mywebsite.com and www.mywebsite.com covered by SSL.

DNS Records Example

Record	Type	Host	Value
Root domain	A	@	82.26.157.248
www	CNAME or A	www	mywebsite.com (CNAME) or 82.26.157.248 (A)

# Example A and CNAME records
@   3600  A     82.26.157.248
www 3600  CNAME mywebsite.com

Important Notes

DNS propagation may take from a few minutes up to 24 hours.
If using a proxy service like Cloudflare, disable the proxy during issuance to avoid validation failures.
Certificates issued via Plesk typically renew automatically; verify auto-renew is enabled.
After issuance, configure an HTTP to HTTPS redirect to enforce secure connections.