The importance of having an SSL certificate for the services and websites on your server cannot be overlooked. One of the most common support requests we have is: once an SSL security certificate is installed for the website (automatic and free generation), how to redirect the traffic, from the http version (insecure) to the « "safe" or HTTPS of the URL?
How does HTTPS redirection work?
In the Domains interface in the cPanel (Home >> Domains), there is an option to enable Force HTTPS redirection from non-secure version (HTTP) to secure version (HTTPS) with a simple switch. This information is stored in the account's user data files (/var/cpanel/userdata) and redirection is built into the domain's vhost configuration.
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All domains with valid SSL certificates can have redirection enabled. Aliases (historically called domain parking) will inherit the redirection status of their parent domain. A manual .htaccess redirect, plugin, or Apache configuration update will no longer be required. Now, an end user can toggle a switch to redirect visitors to the secure version of their sites!
Why is forcing HTTPS a good thing?
Having SSL on your website enables the lock icon on the left side of your browser's URL bar.
This informs your site's users that the site is protected and that data transferred back and forth between the end user and the site is encrypted. There are several additional benefits (besides security) that having an SSL on your site provides.
HTTPS for WordPress:
If you are a WordPress user, Google announced that websites using HTTPS would receive a slight ranking factor boost in searches using their engine. Additionally, the newer HTTP/2 protocol has been shown to perform faster than standard HTTP, but requires HTTPS due to browser support.
Depending on the platform where you developed your website, there could be alternative or complementary methods to enable automatic HTTPS redirection. For example, to configure WordPress or PrestaShop with HTTPS you could do it directly from the configuration of these CMS.
At AtlanticaDigital we will be happy to help you resolve this or any other question you may have related to your website. Do not hesitate to write to us through any of our customer service channels.
