How to Force HTTPS For Your Website by Using .htaccess

How to Force HTTPS For Your Website by Using .htaccess

Visitors can view your website through HTTP and HTTPS when you install an SSL certificate. However, the latter is preferable because it protects and secures your site’s data. We suggest that all sites that use SSL certificate follow these measures to ensure to have website traffic protected. While Hostinger allows consumers to change this setting with a single click, you can alternatively force HTTPS connection using the.htaccess file. 

What Is HTTPS?

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the shorthand for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It’s an internet protocol that assures that all data transmitted between the user’s computer and the website is both complete and secure. When visiting any website, an internet user expects privacy and security. HTTPS consists of three primary security components. Data integrity, encryption, and authentication are the terms for this. Data integrity ensures that data is either transferred or moved in a seamless and complete manner. Unregistered access to sent or incoming data is prevented through encryption. In other words, you cannot trace or copy a user’s movements on the site or between sites. Finally, we can describe authentication as a security measure designed to keep users safe from attacks by people or organizations. As a result, HTTPS provides a secure online experience for the user.

.htaccess file

What Is .htaccess?

Htaccess (.htaccess) file is used in order to make modifications to website settings. You can encrypt a folder and then provide authorization with the help of the htaccess file. One of the benefits of this file application is that it allows you to generate an.htaccess file for your own website without having to know any code. You can use the htaccess file to create SEO-friendly content, set folder permission restrictions, filter spam, and do a variety of other things, such as file encryption.

How to Force It For HTTPS?

The transfer should only be sent in encrypted form in order to maintain security. To convert the HTTP connection to HTTPS, adjustments to the.htaccess file are a requirement. Browsers like Chrome and Firefox may flag sites lacking SSL certificates as “not secure”, which then would harm the site’s reputation. The SSL certificate encrypts the connection between the website and the client, making it impossible for third parties to listen. This ensures the security of user information. So, how do you use.htaccess to force HTTPS? You can carry out this procedure in three different ways, each with its own set of goals. The first is to redirect all traffic to HTTPS, the second is to redirect HTTPS via a single domain, and the last is to redirect HTTPS to only one folder.

Directing traffic to HTTPS

Redirect All Traffic to HTTPS

301 redirects are one of the operations that can be performed from the website’s.htaccess file, and this htaccess redirect is a permanent redirect. This allows all traffic for redirection through HTTPS. It is necessary to use the file manager to access the “.htaccess” file in the “public html” folder. When the file does not exist, it is necessary to enable showing hidden files. In this file, there is a “RewriteEngine On” line, and the following codes should be added under it.

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond: %{HTTPS} !=on

RewriteRule: ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301,NE]

Header always set Content-Security-Policy “upgrade-insecure-requests;”

Redirect HTTPS via a Single Domain

You can perform this process for a single domain name because all incoming links to the site are directed to HTTPS. It is sufficient to place the following lines in the.htaccess file, especially if people with multiple domains will redirect HTTPS to a single domain name with this redirect.

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond: %{SERVER_PORT} 80

RewriteRule: ^(.*)$ https://www.example.com/$1 [R=301,L,NE]

Header always set Content-Security-Policy “upgrade-insecure-requests;”

Redirect HTTPS to Only One Folder

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Aside from domain names, it is possible to redirect to something specific. It is sufficient to make changes to the.htaccess file for this process. It is possible to redirect to a single file or to multiple files at once. To accomplish this, add the following codes to the.htaccess file.

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond: %{HTTPS} off

RewriteRule: ^(folder1|folder2|folder3) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

Conclusion

In this article, overall, we have discussed what HTTP, HTTPS, and htaccess are and what people use them for. Most importantly, we learn how to use .htaccess to force https. We’ve listed a number of operations that you can easily perform from your computer using specific codes. You can easily keep your encryption, identity protection, and data integrity together with these. Because the internet is such a massive area, so we require protection. “How to Use Force?” By redirecting from the title, you can learn how to protect yourself thanks to force HTTPS.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is critical to understand why you are performing this operation. Do you want a single domain or do you want to redirect all traffic to it? The most common thing to do, however, is to navigate to the “rewrite engine on” file. Please ask “how to force?” for this and then look at the title.

You must select the 301 coded permanent type for this. Redirect to engine on, and then you can use it right away.

You should type chrome://net-internals/ in the address bar. Then you need to enable chrome support. You must choose to use persistent HTTPS by finding HSTS in the menu.

To use HTTPS without an SSL certificate, replace HTTP with HTTPS in the address bar. This way, HTTPS can be used without an SSL certificate.

Using HTTPS instead of HTTP is a protocol that uses an SSL certificate to protect your privacy between your computer and websites.

Fatih Karadeniz

Posts: 56

Hi my name is Fatih Karadeniz. I graduated from English Language and Literature Department and I have developed an interest in researching and writing about SEO and Digital Marketing related topics.

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