Let’s connect
SEO Library Technical SEO 1 min read

HTTPS

In short

HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP: data between the browser and the website is encrypted using TLS. It's a lightweight Google ranking signal, a browser requirement for many features and a basic trust signal for visitors.

Last reviewed · Iftikhar Qureshi

Why HTTPS matters#

  • Security: protects logins, forms and personal data from interception.
  • Trust: browsers label HTTP pages “Not secure”, which scares visitors away from forms.
  • Ranking: Google has used HTTPS as a lightweight ranking signal since 2014, and it’s part of page experience.
  • Features: service workers (PWAs), geolocation, HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 require HTTPS in practice.

Moving a site to HTTPS#

  1. Install a TLS certificate — free from Let’s Encrypt via most hosts, or through Cloudflare.
  2. Update WordPress Address and Site Address (Settings → General) to https://.
  3. Add sitewide 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS.
  4. Fix mixed content: images, scripts or stylesheets still loading over HTTP. A search-replace in the database usually solves most of it.
  5. Update internal links, canonical tags and the sitemap to HTTPS.
  6. Add the HTTPS property in Search Console (a Domain property covers both).
  7. Optionally enable HSTS once everything works.

Full walkthrough: SSL and HTTPS guide. Related: HTTP status codes.

Share this term