---
id: certbot-dns-duckdns
version: "1.9.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# certbot-dns-duckdns — Obtain certificates using a DNS TXT record for DuckDNS domains

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 92.4K/mo

## What it is and what it does

This package is a plugin for certbot that enables automated SSL/TLS certificate issuance for DuckDNS domains using the DNS-01 challenge method. Instead of proving domain ownership through HTTP, it proves it by temporarily adding a TXT record to your DuckDNS domain via the DuckDNS API, then removes it after validation. The plugin handles the entire DNS record lifecycle automatically, allowing you to obtain certificates (including wildcards) without manual intervention.

You install it alongside certbot and configure it with your DuckDNS token—either as a command-line argument, credentials file, or environment variable. It integrates directly into certbot's challenge workflow, so once set up, you can generate and renew certificates with standard certbot commands. The plugin depends on certbot itself, requests for API calls, and dnspython for DNS operations.

Use it for:

- Obtain wildcard SSL certificates for all subdomains of a DuckDNS domain without manual DNS record editing
- Automate certificate renewal for home servers or IoT devices using DuckDNS as their DNS provider
- Delegate DNS-01 challenges from other domains to a DuckDNS domain via CNAME records for centralized certificate management
- Generate staging certificates for testing Let's Encrypt integration without hitting production rate limits
- Run certificate issuance in Docker containers with automated DNS validation for DuckDNS-hosted services

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

A certbot plugin that automates DNS-01 challenge validation for DuckDNS domains by managing TXT record creation and deletion through the DuckDNS API.

Yes. The plugin is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, installs with low friction, and solves a real problem for anyone using DuckDNS who needs automated certificate management. The MIT license carries no restrictions. Install it if you use DuckDNS and want to automate Let's Encrypt certificate issuance; skip it only if you use a different DNS provider or prefer manual certificate renewal.

## Install

pip install certbot-dns-duckdns
uv add certbot-dns-duckdns
poetry add certbot-dns-duckdns

## Installing certbot-dns-duckdns

Before you install: Installs with low friction as a pure Python wheel with three straightforward runtime dependencies (certbot, requests, dnspython). Actively maintained as of the latest release, with recent commits and a stable production status.

License in practice: MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution for commercial and private purposes with minimal legal friction.

Quickstart:

pip install certbot-dns-duckdns

certbot certonly \
  --authenticator dns-duckdns \
  --dns-duckdns-token YOUR_DUCKDNS_TOKEN \
  -d example.duckdns.org

Requires certbot >= 1.18.0 installed; if certbot runs with root privileges, the plugin must also be installed with root privileges for certbot to find it.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the plugin works with certbot versions older than 1.18.0 or newer than what has been tested
- Performance characteristics when managing multiple certificate renewals in parallel
- Compatibility with DuckDNS API rate limits under high-volume certificate issuance

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 92.4K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

certbot dns plugin duckdns, letsencrypt duckdns automation, dns-01 challenge duckdns, certbot duckdns certificate, automated dns validation duckdns, wildcard certificate duckdns, duckdns acme challenge, ssl-tls-automation, dns-validation, duckdns

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