Installing on Nginx Web Server

Nginx requires concatenating certificates in the correct order. Combine your server certificate and intermediate certificates into a single file with the server certificate first: cat yourdomain.crt intermediate.crt > yourdomain_chain.crt. This consolidated file simplifies Nginx configuration and ensures proper certificate chain delivery to browsers.

Edit your Nginx server block configuration, typically in /etc/nginx/sites-available/ or /etc/nginx/conf.d/. Add SSL configuration including listen 443 ssl, ssl_certificate pointing to your concatenated certificate file, and ssl_certificate_key pointing to your private key. Include modern SSL settings like ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3 and secure cipher suites for optimal security.

Test configuration syntax using nginx -t before applying changes. Reload Nginx configuration with systemctl reload nginx or service nginx reload to apply changes without dropping connections. Nginx's graceful reload capability minimizes disruption during certificate updates. Monitor error logs during reload to catch any issues with certificate files or configuration syntax.