How to Delete Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificates

You delete Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates created with Certbot by using a specific command in your terminal.

Certbot is the command-line tool that helps you manage Let’s Encrypt certificates, allowing you to create, renew, revoke, and delete them easily.

Typically, Certbot stores your certificates in directories like /etc/letsencrypt/live, /etc/letsencrypt/renewal, and /etc/letsencrypt/archive. You’ll want to remove these when a certificate is no longer needed or if it has been compromised.

Before deleting, you should revoke the certificate to inform the Certificate Authority. You can find instructions on revoking Let’s Encrypt certificates in our companion guide.

How to delete Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates on Ubuntu Linux

Deleting Let’s Encrypt certificates on Ubuntu Linux is straightforward using Certbot’s delete command, which helps remove any leftover files after you’ve revoked a certificate.

Here’s how.

First, sign in to your server and open your command terminal. Then, run the commands below for the specific domain whose SSL certificate you want to delete.

sudo certbot delete --cert-name example.com

Replace example.com with the actual domain name.

If you don’t reference a domain name and run the commands below, it will list all the domains registered on the server.

sudo certbot delete

Then select the one from the list to delete.

Saving debug log to /var/log/letsencrypt/letsencrypt.log

Which certificate(s) would you like to delete?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1: example.com
2: example1.net
3: example2.org
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Select the appropriate numbers separated by commas and/or spaces, or leave input blank to select all options shown (Enter 'c' to cancel): 1

Select the domain next to the number you wish to delete and press Enter.

That should do it!

Related post:

• How to revoke a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on Ubuntu Linux

Conclusion:

• Deleting Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates using Certbot is essential for maintaining a secure and organized server environment.
• After revoking a certificate, remnants of the certificate may still exist on the server, which can be eliminated by using Certbot to delete them.
• Following the step-by-step process described in this post ensures that unnecessary certificates are removed, optimizing the server’s security and efficiency.