LetsEncrypt auto renew in Webmin

Randomz · June 4, 2026, 2:06am

SYSTEM INFORMATION
OS type and version	EL10
Webmin version	2.641

Just noticed LE not auto renewing on Webmin only system.

Setting Months to renew to 2 then either Request Certificate or Just update renewal gets this:

Failed to request certificate : An ACME directory URL must be entered when using External Account Binding

Previous threads on this topic went unanswered.

ID10T · June 4, 2026, 3:26am

I don’t have plain Webmin so I’m not sure if I see the same thing you do. Are you running a webserver? I seem to recall there was a code fix to allow for the cert even if not running one. Though if this is a renewal…

stefan1959 · June 4, 2026, 3:38am

What options are you using, I would think last option would work fine.

Randomz · June 4, 2026, 4:26am

Webmin only can use certbot standalone. And does, But the auto -renew is stuffed.

You can see the option “Certbot built-in server” It’s already selected as in Stefan’s post below yours.

Randomz · June 4, 2026, 4:31am

If last option is the “Months between automatic renewal” - that is what causes the error message.

ID10T · June 4, 2026, 2:43pm

The " External Account Binding" puzzled me. I did a little research and the AI generated summary seemed to make sense. But, I scrolled down and found ‘the source’ as it were.

Randomz · June 5, 2026, 12:47am

Don’t have time to read all that, I just reported an issue that I am having.

Will it get fixed? No idea.

stefan1959 · June 5, 2026, 1:56am

Ok, I just noticed that you can’t select a SSL Provider, LetsEncrpyt is not mentions in the form unlike Virtualmin, @Jamie or @Ilia is this a bug?

Webmin

Virtualmin option

Jamie · June 5, 2026, 2:30am

More like a missing feature - only Virtualmin supports multiple SSL providers, Webmin only supports Let’s Encrypt.

stefan1959 · June 5, 2026, 2:33am

Right, OP error indicates the letsencrypt url directory is not being used automatically.

Ilia · June 5, 2026, 11:32am

Yes, however, the latest versions of Webmin should include a way to configure any other ACME-compatible provider.

It’s not as simple or as flexible on a per-domain basis as Virtualmin Pro, but it still works.

I added this feature after a user requested it. See the advances “Provider settings” in the screenshot below:

Randomz · June 5, 2026, 3:00pm

Have you tested putting a number in “Months between automatic renewal”?

Ilia · June 5, 2026, 10:27pm

Ugh, gosh! You’re right—there was a bug. It’s really surprising how long it was there! Thanks for the tip! Fixed in this PR:

github.com/webmin/webmin

Fix LE renewal to schedule by elapsed interval (#2752)

master ← dev/fix-broken-renewals

opened 10:24PM - 05 Jun 26 UTC

iliaross

+34 -8

Howdy, Jamie! This turned out to be a bug after [this](https://forum.virtualmin….com/t/letsencrypt-auto-renew-in-webmin/137371/12?u=ilia) comment on the Virtualmin forum. The Webmin SSL LE renewal setting is labeled as "Months between automatic renewal", but it was previously saved as a calendar-style cron month expression like `*/N`. That is not the same as an elapsed renewal interval. Webmin’s cron matcher evaluates month schedules against calendar month numbers, so values like `*/5`, `*/12`, or values above `12` do not reliably mean “renew every N months”. This could cause uneven or dangerously late renewal timing. This changes the renewal job to use Webmin cron’s elapsed `interval` support instead of calendar-month matching. - Saves automatic renewal as `renew * 30 * 24 * 60 * 60` seconds. - Clears the cron time fields so the scheduler uses the interval path only. - Keeps `months => '*/N'` so the SSL UI can continue to display the saved renewal value. - Resets the renewal timer only after a newly issued certificate. - Preserves the existing renewal timer for settings-only saves. - Migrates existing month-based Let's Encrypt renewal jobs during postinstall.

Randomz · June 15, 2026, 10:48pm

I am guessing that this bug will still be there until the next 6 monthly update?

This is the one that thing that really disappoints me about *min, you simply don’t bother to release updates for problems. I have no idea what the plan is except there is no plan.

Please move into this century.

I currently have a mail server off air because I can’t renew it’s LE certificate.

I also don’t know how to use Github, it doesn’t say anywhere that I have seen in the docs that learning Github is a pre-requisite for using *min.

Ilia · June 15, 2026, 11:16pm

We’re actually preparing a new Webmin 2.650 already.

Randomz · June 15, 2026, 11:30pm

Thanks to AI my server is at least back online now.

Joe · June 16, 2026, 12:58am

When have we ever gone six months between Webmin updates? I think we average about one release every two or three months, with occasional quick follow up releases for new bugs that made it through testing.

Randomz · June 29, 2026, 8:16am

When setting the renewal period from Auto to eg 2 months, there should be a Save button as well as Request Certificate and Just Update Renewal?

Both options still fail:

Failed to request certificate : An ACME directory URL must be entered when using External Account Binding

Webmin version	2.651

Cypher · June 29, 2026, 10:19am

Hi,

I think I’m missing something. I updated to Webmin 2.651 because I saw your post about other ACME providers. I can’t find the Provider settings anywhere. I’m using Webmin 2.651 and Virtualmin GPL 8.1.0. Am I looking in the wrong place, or is this a Pro feature?

Thanks!

Ilia · June 29, 2026, 10:22am

For Virtualmin integration, this is a Pro-only feature. However, now Webmin also lets you configure an ACME provider in a more general way using the “Provider settings” option in the “Webmin ⇾ Webmin Configuration: SSL Encryption” page.