Automatic HTTPS, for free ! #
HTTPS is HTTP, but secure (thus the extra “S”). HTTPS relies on the TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol and X.509 certificates to provide encryption, authentication, and data integrity. HTTPS plays a crucial role in the Internet’s security. It ensures that clients connect to websites they intend to and that the data transferred to/from these sites is not readable nor modified by others.
Acquiring TLS web server certificates used to be slow, cumbersome, and
expensive. This isn’t the case anymore.
Acquiring certificates is now fast, easy, automatic, and free thanks
to the ACME protocol and free TLS web server certificates offered by
publicly trusted ACME CAs (Certificate Authorities) like Let’s Encrypt
and Google Trust Services.
HTTPS adoption keeps growing since
Let’s Encrypt became generally available
in 2016. As shown on
Google’s HTTPS transparency report,
HTTPS is now the norm. For instance,
Cloudflare shut down all cleartext HTTP ports
on api.cloudflare.com in 2025.
HTTPS and digital certificates are foundational layers of the Internet. Website
operators shouldn’t have to think about it. HTTPS should be automatically
provisioned for all websites. Regrettably, too many site operators still
manage their certificates manually.
This site provides resources to better understand the WebPKI and automate the lifecycle
management of digital certificates using ACME, preferably using free DV (Domain
Validated) TLS web server certificates.
If your setup allows it, the best way to manage certificates is to have someone else do it for you! All major cloud providers offer managed certificate solutions, which are integrated in most of their cloud hosting services. For example:
- Google Certificate Manager (Free)
- Cloudflare SSL/TLS Certificates (Free)
- Amazon AWS Certificate Manager (Free)
- Azure Key Vault (Requires payment of a DigiCert or GlobalSign subscription)
If you’re unable to delegate the management of your certificates, see the getting started page for automating the lifecycle management of your certificates using the ACME protocol.