How to Install SSL Certificate on Caddy

Prerequisites

Before installing an SSL certificate on Caddy, ensure you have:

• Caddy installed and running
• Root or sudo access to the server
• Domain name pointing to your server
• SSL certificate files (if not using automatic HTTPS):
  • Certificate file (.crt)
  • Private key file (.key)
  • Certificate chain file (if applicable)

Obtaining SSL Certificate

With Caddy, you have several options for SSL certificates:

Installing SSL Certificate

If using your own certificates, follow these steps:

1. Create a directory for certificates:

   sudo mkdir -p /etc/caddy/certs/example.com

2. Copy certificate files:

   sudo cp example.com.crt /etc/caddy/certs/example.com/
   sudo cp example.com.key /etc/caddy/certs/example.com/

3. Set proper permissions:

   sudo chown -R caddy:caddy /etc/caddy/certs/
   sudo chmod 600 /etc/caddy/certs/example.com/*

Configuring Caddy

Use our configuration generator to create your Caddy SSL configuration:

example.com {
    root * /var/www/html
    file_server
    tls /etc/caddy/certs/example.com/example.com.crt /etc/caddy/certs/example.com/example.com.key
}

Testing Configuration

Verify your SSL configuration:

1. Validate Caddyfile syntax:

   caddy validate

2. Reload Caddy configuration:

   caddy reload

3. Verify SSL installation:
   • Visit https://example.com
   • Check certificate details in browser
   • Use SSL testing tools (e.g., SSLLabs)

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

• Security:
  • Use automatic HTTPS when possible
  • Keep Caddy updated
  • Regular security audits
• Maintenance:
  • Monitor certificate expiration (if using custom certificates)
  • Regular configuration reviews
  • Backup Caddyfile and certificates

Automatic HTTPS

Caddy's automatic HTTPS features:

# Minimal Caddyfile for automatic HTTPS
example.com {
    respond "Hello, HTTPS!"
}