9 ways to redirect a website from HTTP to HTTPS

What are HTTP and HTTPS?

Before diving into the different ways to redirect your website to HTTPS, let’s first clarify what HTTP and HTTPS are.

HTTP

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol, which is a protocol that enables communication between web servers and web clients (i.e., web browsers). It was initially designed for transferring plain text documents and has since been developed to support other types of content, such as images and videos.

HTTPS

HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure, and it’s a secure version of HTTP. It works by encrypting the data transferred between the web server and the web client, making it virtually impossible for anyone to intercept and read it.

HTTPS is essential for websites that collect sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, login credentials, and personal information. It’s also important for SEO, as Google has confirmed that HTTPS is a ranking factor.

Benefits of Changing HTTP to HTTPS

There are several benefits to changing your website from HTTP to HTTPS, including:

• Improved website security
• Better search engine rankings
• Increased user trust and confidence
• Compliance with industry standards and regulations

How to Redirect Your Website from HTTP to HTTPS?

Your website’s host will be responsible for setting up the HTTPS redirect. Before you even consider the specifics, there are a few preparation steps you can take care of:

1. Choose an SSL certificate for your site
2. Tell Google about your new protocol 
3. Update internal links

Choose a certificate for your site

Before you can redirect your website from HTTP to HTTPS, you’ll need an SSL/TLS certificate as a confirmation of your site’s legitimacy. You can purchase a certificate from a trusted certificate authority (CA) like Let’s Encrypt, or you can use a web hosting provider that offers SSL certificates.

Tell Google About Your New Protocol

Once you have your SSL certificate installed, it’s important to tell Google about your new HTTPS protocol. You can do this by adding your HTTPS site to Google Search Console and submitting a new sitemap. Google will take a few days to complete this transfer.

Update Internal Links

Finally, it’s essential to update all internal links on your website to reflect the new HTTPS protocol. This includes updating links in your content, navigation menus, and any other internal links that may exist on your site.

9 ways to redirect a website from HTTP to HTTPS

Switching your website from HTTP to HTTPS has become an essential step to keep your website secure and to gain trust from your visitors. HTTPS encrypts the data transferred between the website and the visitor’s browser, making it difficult for hackers to intercept the data. Moreover, it shows a green padlock icon in the address bar, indicating a secure connection.

WordPress

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS), and it has built-in support for HTTPS. To enable HTTPS on WordPress, you need to follow these steps:

1. Purchase an SSL certificate.
2. Install and activate the Really Simple SSL plugin.
3. Go to Settings > SSL to configure the plugin.
4. Run a test to check if your site is now HTTPS-enabled.

Nginx

To redirect HTTP to HTTPS on an Nginx server, you can use the following code in your configuration file:

server {listen 80;listen [::]:80 default_server;server_name _;return 301 https://$host$request_uri;}

Make sure to replace the example snippets in the code with your sites’ information.

Windows IIS

Windows Internet Information Services (IIS) is a web server that runs on Windows operating systems. Here’s how to redirect a website from HTTP to HTTPS in IIS:

1. Install an SSL certificate.
2. Open IIS Manager.
3. Click on the website you want to redirect.
4. Click on “URL Rewrite” in the middle pane.
5. Add a rule to redirect HTTP to HTTPS.
6. Test the website to check if the redirection works.

Apache

Apache is an open-source web server that supports HTTPS. Here are the steps to redirect a website from HTTP to HTTPS in Apache:

1. Install an SSL certificate.
2. Open the Apache configuration file.
3. Add a virtual host block for HTTPS.
4. Redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS.
5. Save the changes and restart Apache.

Cloudflare

Cloudflare is a content delivery network (CDN) that provides SSL certificates and supports HTTPS redirection. Here’s how to enable HTTPS redirection on Cloudflare:

1. Sign up for Cloudflare and add your website.
2. Go to the “SSL/TLS” tab.
3. Enable “Always Use HTTPS.”
4. Wait for the changes to be implemented.

cPanel

cPanel is a web hosting control panel that supports HTTPS redirection. Here’s how to enable HTTPS redirection in cPanel:

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Click on “SSL/TLS” under the “Security” section.
3. Click on “Enable SSL/TLS” for the domain you want to redirect.
4. Click on “Force HTTPS Redirect.”
5. Test the website to check if the redirection works.

Sucuri

Sucuri is a website security company that provides SSL certificates and supports HTTPS redirection. Here’s how to enable HTTPS redirection on Sucuri:

1. Sign up for Sucuri and add your website.
2. Go to the “HTTPS/SSL” tab.
3. Enable “Full HTTPS” in SSL mode.
4. Select “HTTPS only site” in Protocol Redirection
5. Wait for the changes to be implemented.

Kinsta

Kinsta is a WordPress managed hosting provider that supports HTTPS redirection. Here’s how to enable HTTPS redirection on Kinsta:

1. Log in to the Kinsta dashboard.
2. Click on the website you want to redirect.
3. Click on “Tools” in the left-hand menu.
4. Select “Force HTTPS”.
5. Test the website to check if the redirection works.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, migrating your website from HTTP to HTTPS is an important step in ensuring the security and trust of your website visitors. It is also beneficial for improving your website’s search engine optimization. The good news is that there are multiple ways to redirect your website from HTTP to HTTPS, and you can choose the one that best fits your needs and technical expertise.

At On Digitals, we can help you with all aspects of web building to reach your desired results through our SEO services. Contact On Digitals for more information about these services.