How to Do an SSL Redirect
SSL Redirect and HTTPS redirection are pivotal in today's digital world, seamlessly guiding users toward secure HTTPS sites and enhancing both protection and user experience.
Secured HTTPS websites are slowly replacing HTTP websites. The reasons for this change are heightened scrutiny over data protection in the wake of numerous, large-scale data breaches, and maturing regulatory frameworks designed for use in cyberspace.
The European Union's move to endorse the General Data Protection Regulations bill (GDPR) underscores the importance of data protection. This bill was drawn to protect sensitive data that consumers share online and to give customers and web users the security they need when they perform online transactions and divulge private details to companies over the web.
Many modern browsers already comply with these laws, and they provide warnings to users—via a clear "this site is not secure" banner—whenever they venture to unsecured sites.
Benefits of SSL
As a website owner, you have more to gain than lose by ensuring your site is secured with SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, the technology that powers the security in HTTPS websites (the 's' stands for secure).
Before discussing how to execute an SSL redirect, let's briefly look at the reasons why you should secure your website with SSL:
1: Web Security
Website hacks are commonplace, and private, sensitive data all too often finds its way to the public domain thanks to unauthorized parties who access private server data, or data transmitted between users, websites, and hosting servers.
You should secure your site with SSL to prevent external parties from listening in on or capturing data from transactions executed between your servers and your visitors.
2: Establishing Trust
You can improve your traffic numbers by helping your visitors feel secure when they interact with your website and share information with you. When they see that your site is SSL-secured, they will be more willing to engage with you online.
For example, if you have an eCommerce website, at some point, they will be required to fill in information such as their credit card details before they can make a purchase. If your customers can see that your site isn't SSL secured when they do a google search, then someone outside the transaction who is 'listening in' to web server activity could access these details. They can then use the data they gather from your transactions for fraudulent activities.
Establishing and maintaining trust can affect your traffic and sales as much as an intuitive UI and a good service offering.
3: SEO Benefits
Having your website rank high on search engine results pages is the goal of every online marketer.
One way to improve your SEO is to secure your site with SSL since the level of SSL security that you have is one of many criteria that modern search engines use for ranking websites. If you don't have an SSL certificate on your website, it will be difficult for you to develop the online visibility you need to be successful.
Many web hosting providers now offer free SSL certificate options for new domains. Others offer cheap and affordable rates for installing SSL security on existing web pages.
To ensure proper HTTPS redirection, implementing SSL on your site is a foundational step that enhances both security and search engine rankings.Take a look at our blog to learn more about the benefits of SSL.
How to execute the SSL redirect
Once you have SSL installed, you need to perform a domain redirect to HTTPS for visitors who are still accessing your old HTTP site to ensure they are directed to your new and secure HTTPS site. You can redirect visitors to your HTTPS domain automatically—even when they try to use your old HTTP domain. The redirection approach you should use depends on the type of server that runs your website.
Below we outline how to do it with a few popular web server deployment setups:
1: SSL Redirect for Apache Server
If you run your site on the Apache server, you can execute an SSL redirect to your new HTTPS page by following the steps below:
Log in to your Apache server
Navigate to the conf folder and select the backup file httpd.conf
View your httpd.conf via your Vi editor
Load the mod_rewrite.so module
If you see this command: LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so, uncomment it, and at the end of the file, add the following command:
RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{HTTPS} Off RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI}.
To see if the reset worked, restart Apache and try to visit your old HTTP to see if it redirects you.
2: SSL Redirect for Nginx Server
If you are running an Nginx server, you can adjust it to have your old HTTP site redirect to HTTPS by following these steps:
Log in to your Nginx server
Select the backup of the Nginx.conf file
In the directive, add the command: return 301 https://$server_name$request_uri;
Ensure that it's saved then restart your Nginx server. Your site should then redirect to HTTPS.
3: SSL Redirect for Cloudflare
If you use Cloudflare, you can execute an SSL redirect as follows:
Log in to your Cloudflare account and select the website/domain that you want to redirect
Navigate to the Crypto tab, navigate downwards, and select the toggle you find there to ON
An alternative way to activate HTTPS on Cloudflare involves using Page Rules:
Go to Page Rules
Navigate to the "create page" icon and click on it
Input the URL you want to redirect
Click on the "Add Settings" tab, then navigate through what pops up and click on "Always use HTTPS"
On the far end below, click on the tab that says "Save and Display," and you are done
4: SSL Redirect for SUCURI
Just like Cloudflare, if you use SUCURI to run your website and you want to configure it for SSL, here is what you need to do:
Log in to your SUCURI account
Click on "FULL HTTPS" on the SSL mode page
Navigate to Project Redirection and click on "HTTPS only site"
Click on the "Save" tab below, and in no time your website will automatically run HTTPS as default
Now that you know how to do an SSL redirect, it's time to start putting it into practice. Along with knowledge you will need the right tool for a successful WordPress auto redirect from http to https.
You can also visit our blog on WordPress URL Redirection and Bluehost Redirects for more details.
Common questions about SSL redirects
Can you use SSL without a domain?
No, an SSL certificate requires a domain name to function. It's designed to secure data transferred between your website and the user's browser, providing encryption and authentication for a specific domain or subdomain.
Can I use the same SSL certificate on multiple sites?
Yes, a Multi-Domain (SAN) or Wildcard SSL certificate allows you to secure multiple websites or subdomains using a single SSL certificate.
How to configure SSL and TLS in server?
To configure SSL/TLS, install an SSL certificate on your server, then update the server configuration file to include SSL/TLS directives. Restart the server to apply changes.
How to implement SSL on Windows Server?
On Windows Server, use the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager to install an SSL certificate. Navigate to your site, choose "Bindings," then add an HTTPS binding linked to your SSL certificate.
How to enable SSL in HTTP server?
To enable SSL on an HTTP server, first install an SSL certificate. Update the server's configuration settings to listen on port 443 and direct it to the SSL certificate files.
Can a web server use both http and https?
Secured HTTPS websites are slowly replacing HTTP websites. The reasons for this change are heightened scrutiny over data protection in the wake of numerous, large-scale data breaches, and maturing regulatory frameworks designed for use in cyberspace.
The European Union's move to endorse the General Data Protection Regulations bill (GDPR) underscores the importance of data protection. This bill was drawn to protect sensitive data that consumers share online and to give customers and web users the security they need when they perform online transactions and divulge private details to companies over the web.
Many modern browsers already comply with these laws, and they provide warnings to users—via a clear "this site is not secure" banner—whenever they venture to unsecured sites.
Benefits of SSL
As a website owner, you have more to gain than lose by ensuring your site is secured with SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, the technology that powers the security in HTTPS websites (the 's' stands for secure).
Before discussing how to execute an SSL redirect, let's briefly look at the reasons why you should secure your website with SSL:
1: Web Security
Website hacks are commonplace, and private, sensitive data all too often finds its way to the public domain thanks to unauthorized parties who access private server data, or data transmitted between users, websites, and hosting servers.
You should secure your site with SSL to prevent external parties from listening in on or capturing data from transactions executed between your servers and your visitors.
2: Establishing Trust
You can improve your traffic numbers by helping your visitors feel secure when they interact with your website and share information with you. When they see that your site is SSL-secured, they will be more willing to engage with you online.
For example, if you have an eCommerce website, at some point, they will be required to fill in information such as their credit card details before they can make a purchase. If your customers can see that your site isn't SSL secured when they do a google search, then someone outside the transaction who is 'listening in' to web server activity could access these details. They can then use the data they gather from your transactions for fraudulent activities.
Establishing and maintaining trust can affect your traffic and sales as much as an intuitive UI and a good service offering.
3: SEO Benefits
Having your website rank high on search engine results pages is the goal of every online marketer.
One way to improve your SEO is to secure your site with SSL since the level of SSL security that you have is one of many criteria that modern search engines use for ranking websites. If you don't have an SSL certificate on your website, it will be difficult for you to develop the online visibility you need to be successful.
Many web hosting providers now offer free SSL certificate options for new domains. Others offer cheap and affordable rates for installing SSL security on existing web pages.
To ensure proper HTTPS redirection, implementing SSL on your site is a foundational step that enhances both security and search engine rankings.Take a look at our blog to learn more about the benefits of SSL.
How to execute the SSL redirect
Once you have SSL installed, you need to perform a domain redirect to HTTPS for visitors who are still accessing your old HTTP site to ensure they are directed to your new and secure HTTPS site. You can redirect visitors to your HTTPS domain automatically—even when they try to use your old HTTP domain. The redirection approach you should use depends on the type of server that runs your website.
Below we outline how to do it with a few popular web server deployment setups:
1: SSL Redirect for Apache Server
If you run your site on the Apache server, you can execute an SSL redirect to your new HTTPS page by following the steps below:
Log in to your Apache server
Navigate to the conf folder and select the backup file httpd.conf
View your httpd.conf via your Vi editor
Load the mod_rewrite.so module
If you see this command: LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so, uncomment it, and at the end of the file, add the following command:
RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{HTTPS} Off RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI}.
To see if the reset worked, restart Apache and try to visit your old HTTP to see if it redirects you.
2: SSL Redirect for Nginx Server
If you are running an Nginx server, you can adjust it to have your old HTTP site redirect to HTTPS by following these steps:
Log in to your Nginx server
Select the backup of the Nginx.conf file
In the directive, add the command: return 301 https://$server_name$request_uri;
Ensure that it's saved then restart your Nginx server. Your site should then redirect to HTTPS.
3: SSL Redirect for Cloudflare
If you use Cloudflare, you can execute an SSL redirect as follows:
Log in to your Cloudflare account and select the website/domain that you want to redirect
Navigate to the Crypto tab, navigate downwards, and select the toggle you find there to ON
An alternative way to activate HTTPS on Cloudflare involves using Page Rules:
Go to Page Rules
Navigate to the "create page" icon and click on it
Input the URL you want to redirect
Click on the "Add Settings" tab, then navigate through what pops up and click on "Always use HTTPS"
On the far end below, click on the tab that says "Save and Display," and you are done
4: SSL Redirect for SUCURI
Just like Cloudflare, if you use SUCURI to run your website and you want to configure it for SSL, here is what you need to do:
Log in to your SUCURI account
Click on "FULL HTTPS" on the SSL mode page
Navigate to Project Redirection and click on "HTTPS only site"
Click on the "Save" tab below, and in no time your website will automatically run HTTPS as default
Now that you know how to do an SSL redirect, it's time to start putting it into practice. Along with knowledge you will need the right tool for a successful WordPress auto redirect from http to https.
You can also visit our blog on WordPress URL Redirection and Bluehost Redirects for more details.
Common questions about SSL redirects
Can you use SSL without a domain?
No, an SSL certificate requires a domain name to function. It's designed to secure data transferred between your website and the user's browser, providing encryption and authentication for a specific domain or subdomain.
Can I use the same SSL certificate on multiple sites?
Yes, a Multi-Domain (SAN) or Wildcard SSL certificate allows you to secure multiple websites or subdomains using a single SSL certificate.
How to configure SSL and TLS in server?
To configure SSL/TLS, install an SSL certificate on your server, then update the server configuration file to include SSL/TLS directives. Restart the server to apply changes.
How to implement SSL on Windows Server?
On Windows Server, use the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager to install an SSL certificate. Navigate to your site, choose "Bindings," then add an HTTPS binding linked to your SSL certificate.
How to enable SSL in HTTP server?
To enable SSL on an HTTP server, first install an SSL certificate. Update the server's configuration settings to listen on port 443 and direct it to the SSL certificate files.
Can a web server use both http and https?
Yes, a web server can operate with both HTTP and HTTPS. Typically, HTTP operates on port 80, while HTTPS operates on port 443. Servers can be configured to redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS for enhanced security.
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