Hosting, Security

How to Install Lifetime Free SSL for Using acme.sh (cPanel)

SSL (HTTPS) is essential for website security, SEO, and user trust.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to install a lifetime free SSL certificate for both www and non-www versions of your domain using acme.sh and Let’s Encrypt on a cPanel server.

This setup includes automatic renewal, so no manual action is required in the future.

Why Use acme.sh for SSL?

acme.sh is a lightweight and reliable ACME client that works perfectly with cPanel.

Benefits:

Free SSL from Let’s Encrypt
Supports both www and non-www domains
Automatic renewal
No plugins required
Secure ECC certificates
Direct cPanel installation via UAPI

Requirements

Before you begin, ensure:

SSH access to your cPanel account
Domain and www subdomain both pointing to the server
Correct document root path
Port 80 enabled on the server

Step 1: Install acme.sh (One-Time Setup)

				
					curl https://get.acme.sh | sh

Step 2: Set Let’s Encrypt as the Default Certificate Authority

				
					~/.acme.sh/acme.sh --set-default-ca --server letsencrypt

Step 3: Register Your Account Email

				
					~/.acme.sh/acme.sh --register-account \
--accountemail example@gmail.com

Step 4: Issue SSL for Both www and non-www Domains

Example:

Domain: example.com
Document Root: /home/username/public_html/example.com

				
					~/.acme.sh/acme.sh --issue \
-d example.com \
-d www.example.com \
-w /home/username/public_html/example.com

This single certificate will secure:

https://example.com
https://www.example.com

Step 5: Deploy SSL Automatically to cPanel

				
					~/.acme.sh/acme.sh --deploy \
--deploy-hook cpanel_uapi \
--domain example.com

The certificate is now installed and activated in cPanel.

Step 6: Confirm Auto-Renewal (Lifetime SSL)

				
					crontab -l | grep acme.sh

Optional: Force HTTPS for All Traffic

				
					RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Final Result

HTTPS active for both www and non-www
Lifetime free SSL via Let’s Encrypt
Automatic renewal enabled
cPanel-compatible installation
Secure and SEO-friendly setup

Conclusion

Using acme.sh is one of the most efficient ways to manage SSL certificates on cPanel.
Once configured, your website remains secure without any manual renewals or paid certificates.

This method is ideal for single websites, multiple domains, and client projects.