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    Certificate Management Service:Secure your website with HTTPS

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    Certificate Management Service:Secure your website with HTTPS

    Last Updated:Jan 30, 2026

    HTTPS protects sensitive user data, boosts SEO rankings, and builds visitor trust. This guide walks you through securing your website by deploying an SSL certificate to Alibaba Cloud CDN or install it directly on an NGINX server.

    Before you begin

    Ensure you have a domain (such as www.example.com) and choose a deployment path for Step 3:

    • Alibaba Cloud CDN (Recommended): Fastest setup. Requires an active accelerated domain. Deploy to edge nodes via the console without origin server changes.

    • NGINX server: Full control. Requires SSH access with sudo privileges, and a domain that resolves to the server's public IP address.

    For other deployment targets:

    Important

    Websites serving users in Chinese mainland require an ICP filing. For more information, see What is an ICP filing?.

    Step 1: Purchase a certificate

    1. Go to the Commercial Certificates tab of the Certificate Management Service console, click Buy Now.

    2. On the buy page, configure the following parameters and click Buy Now to complete the payment.

      Parameter

      Example

      Description

      Certificate Type

      Single Domain

      Protects one domain (such as www.example.com). Choose Wildcard for multiple subdomains (such as *.example.com).

      Brand

      Alibaba Cloud

      Cost-effective for most use cases. Choose DigiCert for higher trust requirements.

      Certificate Specifications

      DV SSL

      Domain Validation issues in minutes. Choose organization validated (OV) SSL or extended validation (EV) SSL if you need organization verification (takes 1–5 business days).

      Quantity

      1

      Defaults to 1.

      Service Duration

      1 Year

      Maximum validity per industry standards.

    Step 2: Apply for the certificate

    1. Return to the Commercial Certificates tab, find the target certificate and click Apply for Certificate in the Actions column.

      image

    2. In the Apply for Certificate panel, configure the parameters and click Submit.

      image

      Parameter

      Description

      Domains to Bind

      Enter your accelerated domain.

      Domain Verification Method

      Select a verification method:

      • Automatic DNS Verification — Use when your domain uses Alibaba Cloud DNS.

      • Manual DNS Verification — Use when you manage DNS elsewhere.

      • File Verification — Use when you cannot modify DNS settings

      Note

      If you select Manual DNS Verification or File Verification, you must manually add the TXT record or upload the verification file at your DNS provider. For details, see Verify domain name ownership.

      Contact

      Select an existing contact or click Create Contact to create one.

      Location

      Select your location.

      Encryption Algorithm

      Select RSA for broad compatibility.

      CSR Generation

      Select Automatic to let Alibaba Cloud generate the certificate signing request automatically.

      DV certificates are typically issued within minutes after the accelerated domain is verified.

      image

    Step 3: Deploy the certificate

    After the certificate is issued, deploy it to enable HTTPS. Choose the method that matches your infrastructure.

    Deploy to CDN

    Deploy directly from the console without modifying your origin server.

    1. Return to the Commercial Certificates tab, find your issued certificate and click Deploy in the Actions column.

    2. In the Select Resource step: Click CDN to filter resources, select the domain you want to protect, and click Preview and Submit.

      Note

      Cloud resources are synced automatically. If your domain is missing, check the sync status. A grayed-out Synchronize Cloud Resources button indicates a sync is in progress.

      image

    3. In the Task Preview panel, confirm the selected resources and click Submit.

      Wait for deployment to complete (typically 5 minutes for CDN edge node propagation).

    4. Verify the deployment.

      1. Log on to the CDN console. In the left navigation pane, click Domain Names. Then find the target domain name and click Manage in the Actions column.

      2. In the domain's navigation pane, click HTTPS. Confirm that HTTPS Certificate shows Enabled.

      CDN synchronization may take a few minutes to complete.

    Install on NGINX

    This section provides a quick overview. For detailed step-by-step instructions with code examples, see Install an SSL certificate on an Nginx server (Linux).

    1. Download the certificate.

    2. Upload certificate files to your server's configuration directory.

    3. Configure your nginx.conf.

    4. Restart the Nginx service.

      # Recommended: Test the configuration for syntax errors.
sudo nginx -t
# If NGINX is not running, start the service.
sudo nginx
# If NGINX is already running, reload the configuration to apply changes.
sudo nginx -s reload

    5. Visit https://<yourdomain> in your browser to verify the installation.

    • If the image icon appears in the address bar of your browser, the certificate is installed.

    • Starting in Google Chrome 117, the image icon is changed to the image icon. If the image icon appears after you click the image icon, the certificate is installed.

      image

    Renewal

    Certificates expire after 1 year. To ensure service continuity, we recommend setting a renewal reminder and completing the renewal at least 30 days before expiration. For instructions, see Configure notifications for SSL certificates and Handling of certificates that are about to expire.

    References