# Letsencrypt Digital Ocean API Method? **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Created:** [September 19, 2020, 9:42am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056 "2020-09-19T09:42:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KyleBrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/kylebrown/32/60027_2.png) [@KyleBrown](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/KyleBrown)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 9:42am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/1 "2020-09-19T09:42:51Z")
Please fill out the fields below so we can help you better. Note: you must provide your domain name to get help. Domain names for issued certificates are all made public in Certificate Transparency logs (e.g. [https://crt.sh/?q=example.com](https://crt.sh/?q=example.com)), so withholding your domain name here does not increase secrecy, but only makes it harder for us to provide help. My domain is: [2e0epv.com](http://2e0epv.com) I ran this command: It produced this output: My web server is (include version): The operating system my web server runs on is (include version): Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS My hosting provider, if applicable, is: Digital Ocean I can login to a root shell on my machine (yes or no, or I don’t know): Yes I’m using a control panel to manage my site (no, or provide the name and version of the control panel): No The version of my client is (e.g. output of `certbot --version` or `certbot-auto --version` if you’re using Certbot): certbot 0.40.0 I’m trying to figure out how to install letsencrypt on my digital ocean virtual machine but I’m not sure how to use the API Method. ---
**Author:** ![JuergenAuer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/juergenauer/32/26491_2.png) [@JuergenAuer](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/JuergenAuer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 9:52am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/2 "2020-09-19T09:52:59Z")
Hi @KyleBrown > [@KyleBrown](#): > > My domain is: [2e0epv.com](http://2e0epv.com) checking your domain there is no ip address defined - [https://check-your-website.server-daten.de/?q=2e0epv.com](https://check-your-website.server-daten.de/?q=2e0epv.com) | Host | Type | IP-Address | is auth. | ∑ Queries | ∑ Timeout | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [2e0epv.com](http://2e0epv.com) | A | | yes | 1 | 0 | | | AAAA | | yes | | | | [www.2e0epv.com](http://www.2e0epv.com) | | Name Error | yes | 1 | 0 | | \*.2e0epv.com | A | Name Error | yes | | | | | AAAA | Name Error | yes | | | | | CNAME | Name Error | yes | | | Add an A-entry with your ip address, then create a working port 80 vHost, then start with `certbot`. > Digital Ocean API Method? What's that? ---
**Author:** ![KyleBrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/kylebrown/32/60027_2.png) [@KyleBrown](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/KyleBrown)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 10:06am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/3 "2020-09-19T10:06:20Z")
Sorry JurgenAuer, this is for postfix and webmail. ---
**Author:** ![JuergenAuer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/juergenauer/32/26491_2.png) [@JuergenAuer](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/JuergenAuer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 10:12am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/4 "2020-09-19T10:12:08Z")
> [@KyleBrown](#): > > this is for postfix and webmail. That's not relevant where you want to use the certificate (or: It's only the installation question, not the validation question). The first question: http or dns validation. Read > **[Challenge Types - Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org/docs/challenge-types/)** > > When you get a certificate from Let’s Encrypt, our servers validate that you control the domain names in that certificate using “challenges,” as defined by the ACME standard. Most of the time, this validation is handled automatically by your ACME... Your mail subdomain has an ip address, a Roundcube login and a nginx - [https://check-your-website.server-daten.de/?q=mail.2e0epv.com](https://check-your-website.server-daten.de/?q=mail.2e0epv.com) So start with ```nohighlight certbot --nginx -d mail.2e0epv.com ``` PS: What's that? | Issuer | not before | not after | Domain names | LE-Duplicate | next LE | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Let's Encrypt Authority X3 | 2020-09-05 | 2020-12-04 | [mail.2e0epv.com](http://mail.2e0epv.com) - 1 entries | | | | Let's Encrypt Authority X3 | 2020-09-05 | 2020-12-04 | [mail.2e0epv.com](http://mail.2e0epv.com) - 1 entries | | | | Let's Encrypt Authority X3 | 2020-09-05 | 2020-12-04 | [mail.2e0epv.com](http://mail.2e0epv.com) - 1 entries | | | | Let's Encrypt Authority X3 | 2020-09-05 | 2020-12-04 | [mail.2e0epv.com](http://mail.2e0epv.com) - 1 entries | | | | Let's Encrypt Authority X3 | 2020-09-04 | 2020-12-03 | [mail.2e0epv.com](http://mail.2e0epv.com) - 1 entries | | | You have already created a lot of certificates. Why do you want to create the next? Use one of these 60 - 85 days, **then** create the next. ---
**Author:** ![\_az](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/22d042/32.png) [@\_az](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/_az)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 10:24am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/5 "2020-09-19T10:24:28Z")
If you’re following along with [https://certbot.eff.org/lets-encrypt/ubuntufocal-other](https://certbot.eff.org/lets-encrypt/ubuntufocal-other), you can click onto the “Wildcard tab” which will explain how to install Certbot + the Digital Ocean DNS plugin. The documentation for actually using the Digital Ocean API with Certbot can be found here: [https://certbot-dns-digitalocean.readthedocs.io/en/stable/](https://certbot-dns-digitalocean.readthedocs.io/en/stable/). It includes actual example commands for acquiring the certificates. As @JuergenAuer mentions, you might just be able to use `certbot --nginx` instead. It would be simpler, and then you can use that same certificate for your Postfix server. ---
**Author:** ![KyleBrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/kylebrown/32/60027_2.png) [@KyleBrown](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/KyleBrown)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 10:35am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/6 "2020-09-19T10:35:28Z")
root@Mail-Server:~# certbot --nginx Saving debug log to /var/log/letsencrypt/letsencrypt.log The requested nginx plugin does not appear to be installed root@Mail-Server:~# ---
**Author:** ![\_az](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/22d042/32.png) [@\_az](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/_az)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 10:38am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/7 "2020-09-19T10:38:38Z")
How did you install Certbot? If it was from `apt`, then I think you need to add: ``` apt install python3-certbot-nginx ``` ---
**Author:** ![KyleBrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/kylebrown/32/60027_2.png) [@KyleBrown](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/KyleBrown)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 11:03am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/8 "2020-09-19T11:03:42Z")
Running the certbot --nginx command I get this output. ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/original/3X/6/a/6a194a58ecbe978378437dc8d2cdc3dca6cfd5ca.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![\_az](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/22d042/32.png) [@\_az](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/_az)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 11:12am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/9 "2020-09-19T11:12:36Z")
I would choose (1), since you want to use that certificate for Roundcube/webmail. This should automatically secure the webmail for you. Then, you will also need to manually configure Postfix to use the certificate. You can use [https://ssl-config.mozilla.org/#server=postfix&version=3.4.8&config=intermediate&openssl=1.1.1d&guideline=5.4](https://ssl-config.mozilla.org/#server=postfix&version=3.4.8&config=intermediate&openssl=1.1.1d&guideline=5.4) to guide you. The certificate path is `/etc/letsencrypt/live/mail.2e0epv.com/fullchain.pem` and the private key path is `/etc/letsencrypt/live/mail.2e0epv.com/privkey.pem`. ---
**Author:** ![KyleBrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/kylebrown/32/60027_2.png) [@KyleBrown](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/KyleBrown)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 11:28am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/11 "2020-09-19T11:28:15Z")
> [@\_az](#): > > The certificate path is `/etc/letsencrypt/live/mail.2e0epv.com/fullchain.pem` and the private key path is `/etc/letsencrypt/live/mail.2e0epv.com/privkey.pem` . Does the end of the path need a ; on the end? ---
**Author:** ![KyleBrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/kylebrown/32/60027_2.png) [@KyleBrown](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/KyleBrown)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2020, 11:40am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/13 "2020-09-19T11:40:17Z")
Horray! It finally works! Thanks to everyone on the letsencrypt forums for your help, it wouldn’t have been possible without you! \<3 ![chrome_C2A6br7wQC](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/original/3X/f/e/fea59b92a79d3e3e23b081832f41f8d5fc614c06.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/original/3X/c/a/ca6c06ea1ea201324bba7048c6841ce60236468d.png) [@system](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 11:40am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/letsencrypt-digital-ocean-api-method/134056/14 "2020-10-19T11:40:31Z")
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