How to Redirect WordPress to HTTPS?

Since WordPress is an open-source CMS platform, people often have concerns about its security for their website. But WordPress experts recommend a comprehensive guide to enhance the security and address the common WordPress vulnerabilities effectively.

The first step of reinforcing the security is HTTPS, since having only an HTTP certificate can be a major red flag for users. Nowadays, most browsers even actively warn the users against the sites lacking HTTPS.

So here’s a guide showing you how to redirect WordPress to HTTPS and ensure the first step towards a secure website.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, is the secure version of HTTP, the primary protocol used to send data between a web browser and a website. This encryption is achieved through SSL/TLS protocols.

These protocols scramble the information being transmitted, making it unreadable to anyone who might intercept it. This is crucial for protecting sensitive information like: 

• Login credentials: Usernames and passwords   
• Payment information: Credit card numbers, bank details   
• Personal data: Addresses, phone numbers, etc.

In essence, HTTPS is a fundamental security measure for any website, especially those handling sensitive user data. It’s a clear indication to your visitors that you take their security and privacy seriously.

How is HTTPS Different From HTTP?

While both HTTP and HTTPS are protocols for transferring data over the internet, there’s a crucial difference: security. That is, especially with respect to two key factors, encryption and authentication.

Encryption

Data sent over HTTP is in plain text, meaning anyone intercepting it can read it. Imagine sending a postcard – anyone who handles it can see what you’ve written.

On the other hand, HTTPS encrypts data using SSL/TLS, making it unreadable to eavesdroppers. Think of it like sending a sealed letter – only the recipient with the key can open and read it.

Authentication

HTTP doesn’t verify the website’s identity. This leaves you vulnerable to “man-in-the-middle” attacks, where someone could impersonate the website you’re trying to access.

On the contrary, HTTPS uses SSL certificates to verify the website’s identity. This ensures you’re connected to the genuine website and not a fake one.

HTTPS adds a vital layer of security that protects your information and builds trust with your website visitors. Although that may clear the doubt as to why you may want to redirect WordPress from HTTP to HTTPS. But let’s try to make it clearer.

Why Redirect WordPress From HTTP to HTTPS?

Redirecting your WordPress site from HTTP to HTTPS gives it a major security upgrade. Let’s look at few benefits:

Robust Data Encryption

HTTPS leverages industry-standard SSL/TLS protocols to encrypt all communication between your server and user browsers. This safeguards sensitive data, including login credentials, payment information, and personal details, effectively mitigating the risk of interception and unauthorized access.   

Enhanced User Trust and Brand Reputation

The presence of HTTPS and the accompanying padlock icon in the browser address bar serve as visual cues of security, assuring visitors that their interactions with your site are protected. Conversely, HTTP sites often trigger browser warnings, potentially eroding user confidence and damaging brand reputation.   

Improved Search Visibility (SEO)

HTTPS is one of the most common factors for search engines like Google. By migrating to HTTPS, you enhance your website’s visibility in search results, driving organic traffic and improving online discoverability.   

HTTP/2 Compatibility and Performance Optimization

HTTPS is a prerequisite for HTTP/2, the latest web protocol that offers significant performance advantages. This translates to faster page load times, reduced latency, and an overall enhanced user experience, contributing to lower bounce rates and increased user engagement.   

Data Integrity and Accurate Analytics

HTTPS ensures end-to-end data integrity, preventing tampering and guaranteeing that information transmitted between your server and users remains unaltered. Moreover, it preserves accurate referral data in your website analytics, facilitating comprehensive tracking of user behavior and informed decision-making.   

Compliance with Industry Standards and Regulations

HTTPS compliance is often mandated by industry regulations and data privacy laws, such as GDPR. Implementing HTTPS demonstrates your commitment to adhering to these standards, mitigating potential legal risks and fostering trust among your stakeholders.

Due to these reasons, WordPress development experts recommend on redirecting from HTTP to HTTPS. To that point, let’s see how this process goes, in the next section.

How to Redirect WordPress to HTTPS?

Redirecting your WordPress site from HTTP to HTTPS is a crucial step in enhancing its security and trustworthiness. There are two ways to go about it: With a WordPress plugin and without it.

With a WordPress Plugin

You can take care of a range of features and functionalities on your website with the help of WordPress plugins. So to redirect from HTTP to HTTPS, the most user-friendly method is by choosing the best plugin. If you are not comfortable editing code or server settings directly, this method will be helpful.

The most common plugin for this task is Really Simple SSL. This highly popular plugin automatically detects your SSL certificate, enables HTTPS, and handles most of the redirection process with a single click.

Here’s how it goes:

Step 1: Log into the WordPress admin dashboard.

Step 2: Navigate to the Plugins section and install the plugin “Really Simple SSL” following the due method.

Once activated, the plugin will usually detect your SSL certificate automatically. If not, you might need to provide some basic information about your certificate.

Step 3: Now, click the prominent “Go ahead, activate SSL!” button on the plugin’s settings page. The plugin will then rewrite your site’s URLs to HTTPS and configure the necessary redirects.

There are some advanced settings as well, which you can explore if needed. With them, you can handle mixed content, enable HSTS, and more.

While most are well-maintained, it’s important to check the plugins for compatibility issues before installing them. But what if you don’t want additional plugins on your site? Well, there are manual methods available as well.

Through WordPress Hosting & General Settings

Redirecting WordPress to HTTPS without a plugin gives you more control and avoids adding another plugin to your site.

First off, you can just use your hosting cPanel to enable the HTTPS redirection as the best WordPress hosting providers offer SSL certificates by default.

You can configure the WordPress settings and change the “WordPress Address” and “Site Address” to read “https”.

Or, you can take care of this task by editing the .htaccess file.

Through .htaccess File

This method involves adding a few lines of code to the WordPress .htaccess file, a powerful configuration file that controls how your server handles requests. You’ll need to access your website’s files via an FTP client like FileZilla.

Here’s the code snippet you need to add to the .htaccess file.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

After entering this code snippet at the top of the code, save the .htaccess file and upload it back to your server if you used FTP.

Here’s a breakdown of this snippet:

• <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>: This checks if the Apache module mod_rewrite is enabled on your server.
• RewriteEngine On: This activates the rewrite engine.
• RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off: This condition checks if the connection is not HTTPS.
• RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]: This rule redirects all HTTP requests to HTTPS. [L,R=301] signifies that this is the last rule to be applied and that it’s a permanent (301) redirect.

Though you get more flexibility, you will need technical know-how to execute it properly.

Or you can hire our professional WordPress development company to execute this task as part of our comprehensive security optimization.

FAQs on Redirecting WordPress to HTTPS

To Summarize

Setting up an SSL certification for HTTPS is the first step to ensuring security on your WordPress website. HTTPS encrypts the data transmission and verifies your website’s identity. That helps protect sensitive information, build user confidence, and improve your search engine visibility.

With respect to WordPress websites, there are 3 ways to go about it. You can either simply install a plugin (like Really Simple SSL), configure the site settings, or edit the .htaccess file. These methods can help ensure a seamless transition to HTTPS and provide a safe and secure browsing experience for your visitors.

If you need further help with the website’s security, hire our WordPress professionals today!