• Monday, May 9, 2022

How Does HTTPS Redirection Work?
In the Domains interface in cPanel (Home > Domains), there’s an option to enable Force HTTPS Redirection from the insecure version (HTTP) to the secure version (HTTPS) with a toggle switch.

All domains with valid SSL certificates can have redirection enabled. Aliases (historically called Parked Domains) will inherit their redirection status from their parent domain. No longer will a manual .htaccess redirect or plugin be required. Now, you can toggle a switch to redirect your visitors to the secured version of your sites!

Why is forcing HTTPS a good thing?
Having an SSL on your website enables the padlock icon in the left side of the URL bar of your browser: This informs your site’s viewers that the site is secured and that data transferred back and forth between the end-user and the site is encrypted. There are several added benefits (aside from security) that having an SSL on your site provide.

HTTPS for WordPress
If you’re a WordPress user (as many of you are) or are actively trying to increase your page’s rank in Google searches, Google announced that websites using HTTPS would get a slight ranking factor boost in searches using their engine. Additionally, the newer HTTP/2 protocol has proven to have faster performance than the standard HTTP but requires HTTPS due to browser support.

Tracking data with Google Analytics
If you are tracking data in Google Analytics, a user who redirects from an HTTPS site to an HTTP site (by clicking links or redirects, etc.), it’s been shown that that referral data is lost. Traffic from HTTPS to HTTP usually ends up getting lumped together with “direct traffic.” HTTPS to HTTPS is counted as referral data. By using an SSL, Google Analytics will provide you with more accurate data.

inputhost makes it easier than ever to secure your websites with an SSL, we hope that the Force HTTPS Redirect will encourage users to take advantage of the opportunity to secure their websites and data.

As always if you are unsure of any procedures in this article contact the inputhost support team here.

Back