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Certify Certificate Manager

Certify Certificate Manager is a Windows application and background service that automates the requesting, deployment, and renewal of SSL/TLS certificates from Let's Encrypt and other ACME certificate authorities.

Startup UI

Core Capabilities​

  • Manage configurations via the desktop application, while a dedicated Windows background service handles scheduled certificate renewals.
  • Automatically binds certificates to IIS websites, installs certificates directly to the Windows Certificate Store, or runs deployment tasks to export certificates for other local or remote services.
  • Join your Certify Management Hub for extended functionality and multi-server administration and monitoring.

System & Domain Requirements​

To use Certify Certificate Manager, your environment should meet the following conditions:

  • Use a supported version of Windows ideally with outbound HTTPS access to contact your chosen Certificate Authority (public or custom).
  • Install the software directly on the server hosting the target service, or use SSH/UNC shares etc to with deployment tasks to sync certificates to other destination systems.
  • Ensure your target domains are active and can complete either HTTP challenge validation (requiring port 80/443 access) or DNS challenge validation (requiring programmatic control or manual modification of your DNS zone).
  • You must keep the software up to date. Certificate Authorities periodically change their services in ways that may become incompatible.

Quick Start: Requesting Your First Certificate​

Setting up a managed certificate generally involves these steps:

  1. Install: Download and run the installer as described in the installation guide.
  2. Setup Bindings (IIS): If you are securing IIS websites, configure your hostname bindings in IIS Manager before beginning.
  3. Add Managed Certificate: In the Certify UI, click New Certificate and specify the domains you want to secure.
  4. Configure Challenge Validation: Choose a validation method (HTTP or DNS) and click Test to ensure path or DNS access is functional prior to placing the actual order.
  5. Preview: The Preview tab will show you details of the certificate being ordered and the deployment that will happen, including any matching IIS site bindings the cert will target.
  6. Request Certificate: Click Request Certificate to fetch and apply your certificate. Review the request and deployment flow to understand how the process executes.
  7. Automatic Renewal: Once a certificate is successfully requested, Certify's background service will schedule it for routine renewal checks. Learn how this operates in the renewal behavior guide.

Options for Larger Deployments​

  • Unattended Execution: The Windows background service runs continuously to manage periodic automated renewals even when no users are logged in.
  • Automation Tasks: Extend your deployment pipeline with built-in deployment tasks, custom scripting hooks, or the command line interface (CLI).
  • Centralized Administration: For coordinating across multiple servers or platforms, see the Certify Management Hub documentation.

Next Docs to Read​

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Certify The Web is our range of certificate management products, including Certify Certificate Manager, Certify Management Hub, Certify Dashboard, and Certify DNS.