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SMKRV MCP Studio supports automatic SSL certificate provisioning and HTTPS for both the UI and MCP endpoints.

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Enabling SSL

Navigate to Server > Settings and toggle Enable SSL. This reveals the SSL configuration panel.

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Domain Configuration

FieldDescription
UI DomainDomain for the MCP Studio web interface
MCP DomainDomain for the MCP server endpoint
ACME EmailEmail address for Let’s Encrypt certificate issuance
The UI domain and MCP domain can be the same or separate.

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Certificate Challenges

SSL certificates are obtained from Let’s Encrypt via ACME challenges.

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HTTP-01 Challenge

The simplest method. The ACME server verifies domain ownership by making an HTTP request to port 80. Requirements:
  • Port 80 must be accessible from the internet
  • The domain’s DNS must point to your server
  • No additional configuration needed

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DNS-01 Challenge

Use DNS-01 when port 80 is not accessible, or for wildcard certificates.

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Cloudflare DNS

Create a Cloudflare API token with Zone > DNS > Edit permission, scoped to your domain.

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AWS Route53

Provide an IAM access key with route53:ChangeResourceRecordSets and route53:ListHostedZones permissions.

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MCP Nginx Proxy

Toggle MCP Nginx Proxy to route MCP traffic through nginx with SSL termination. When enabled:
  • MCP traffic is served over HTTPS
  • SSL termination happens at nginx (internal traffic is plain HTTP)
  • The MCP endpoint URL changes from http:// to https://

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Certificate Status

The SSL settings panel shows:
  • Certificate status: Valid, Pending, or Error
  • Expiration date
  • Issuer: Let’s Encrypt
  • Domains covered

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Auto-Renewal

Certificates are automatically renewed before expiration. Let’s Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days, and renewal is attempted 30 days before expiry.

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Troubleshooting

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Certificate Not Issued

  • Verify the domain DNS points to your server
  • Ensure port 80 is open (HTTP-01) or DNS credentials are correct (DNS-01)
  • Check that the ACME email is valid
  • Review server logs for ACME challenge errors

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HTTPS Not Working After Enabling SSL

  • Wait 1-2 minutes for certificate issuance
  • Check certificate status in the settings panel
  • Verify nginx configuration was reloaded

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Mixed Content Warnings

  • Ensure all MCP clients use https:// URLs after enabling SSL
  • Update any hardcoded http:// references in client configurations

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See Also

Configuration

Environment variables including SSL settings

Deployment

Deploy and connect MCP clients over HTTPS

Security

Authentication, encryption, and container hardening

Troubleshooting

SSL certificate issues and debugging tips