How to Link a Domain to a VPS with Free SSL and HTTPS Redirect (Step-by-Step)

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If you’re hosting your app on a Virtual Private Server (VPS), the next crucial step is to connect a custom domain, secure it with SSL, and make sure it’s always served over HTTPS.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

• Connect a domain registered with any domain registrar to your VPS
• Issue a free SSL certificate using Let’s Encrypt & Certbot
• Automate SSL renewals
• Force HTTP to HTTPS redirection with Nginx

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✅ Step 1: Point Your Domain to Your VPS IP

1. Log in to your domain registrar (e.g., Namecheap, DreamHost, GoDaddy).
2. Go to your domain’s DNS Management panel.
3. Add an A record: Type: A Host/Name: @ Value: YOUR_VPS_IP_ADDRESS TTL: Automatic or 3600 Optional: Type: A Host/Name: www Value: YOUR_VPS_IP_ADDRESS

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🛠 Step 2: Create Nginx Server Block

SSH into your VPS (example username: deployuser, port: 2222):

ssh deployuser@YOUR_VPS_IP -p 2222

Create a new Nginx config file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com

Paste the following:

# Redirect HTTP to HTTPS
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;
    return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}

# HTTPS block with SSL
server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;

    root /var/www/example-app;
    index index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri /index.html;
    }

    location /api/ {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:8000/;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }

    ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem;
    include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-nginx.conf;
    ssl_dhparam /etc/letsencrypt/ssl-dhparams.pem;
}

Enable the site and reload Nginx:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

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🔐 Step 3: Install Certbot and Get SSL Certificate

Install Certbot:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Obtain SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com

Certbot will automatically configure your Nginx SSL block and reload the server.

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🔁 Step 4: Automate SSL Renewal

Certbot installs a systemd timer. You can confirm it’s scheduled with:

sudo systemctl list-timers | grep certbot

You can test it using:

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

No extra setup needed — the timer handles auto-renewals every 60 days.

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🔁 Step 5: Force HTTPS Redirection

As shown in the Nginx config earlier, the HTTP block listens on port 80 and redirects everything to the HTTPS version. This improves both security and SEO.

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🎉 Final Result

• Your domain now points to your VPS.
• It’s secured with a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt.
• The SSL certificate automatically renews before expiration.
• All HTTP traffic is redirected to HTTPS.

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This method works for any VPS provider (Hostinger, DigitalOcean, etc.) and any domain registrar (DreamHost, Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.).