Domain name and HTTPS on Ubuntu VPS with Nginx

This guide walks you through:

• Registering a domain on Namecheap
• Pointing it to your VPS IP
• Configuring Nginx with sites-available
• Securing it with free SSL via Certbot

1. Register a Domain on Namecheap

1. Go to Namecheap and purchase a domain.

2. In Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS, add these records:

   • Root domain (@) → your VPS IP
   • Subdomain (www) → your VPS IP

Example:

Host: @     | Value: <your-vps-ip> | TTL: Automatic
Host: www   | Value: <your-vps-ip> | TTL: Automatic

👉 Test after a few minutes with:

ping yourdomain.com

2. Install Nginx on Your VPS

SSH into your VPS:

ssh user@<your-server-ip>
sudo apt update && sudo apt install nginx -y

Verify it’s running:

systemctl status nginx

Default page is available at http://<your-vps-ip>.

3. Configure Firewall (UFW)

Allow web traffic and secure the firewall:

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

4. Create Nginx Config for Your Domain

Inside /etc/nginx/sites-available, create a file for your domain:

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

Paste this basic config:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;

    root /var/www/html;
    index index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Enable it by linking to sites-enabled:

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

Now http://yourdomain.com should work.

5. Secure with SSL (Certbot + Let’s Encrypt)

Install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

Run Certbot:

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

Follow prompts:

• Enter your email
• Accept terms
• Choose redirect HTTP → HTTPS

Certbot updates your config automatically.

Test auto-renew:

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

6. Verify HTTPS

Visit:

• ✅ https://yourdomain.com
• ✅ https://www.yourdomain.com

You should see the secure lock icon 🔒.

✅ Done!

• Domain registered on Namecheap
• DNS pointed to VPS
• Nginx configured with sites-available/sites-enabled
• Free SSL certificate installed with Certbot

🎉 Your VPS is now serving a domain with HTTPS!

👉 Next step: host multiple domains or subdomains on the same VPS using Nginx server blocks.