Automate DNS-01 with DigitalOcean

Connecting DigitalOcean DNS lets aethercert create and remove the DNS TXT records ACME uses for DNS-01 validation automatically.

1. Create a personal access token

  1. Sign in to the DigitalOcean control panel and open API > Tokens.
  2. Click Generate New Token, give it a name, and set scope to Write (read-only won't let it create records).
  3. Copy the token - it's only shown once.

DigitalOcean tokens are account-wide (not scoped to a single domain), so treat it with the same care as a full API credential.

2. Connect it in aethercert

  1. Make sure the domain is already added and verified under Build > Domains - the domain must already be managed in your DigitalOcean account's Networking > Domains section.
  2. On that domain's setup step 2 ("DNS provider"), choose DigitalOcean from the provider dropdown.
  3. Paste the token into API token.
  4. Click Test & save - aethercert verifies the token before saving it.

3. Use it

Any certificate you create for this domain (or its subdomains) can now use DNS-01, including wildcards. The token is stored write-only and never displayed back in the dashboard once saved.