Force HTTPS Using Really Simple SSL WordPress Plugin

Rachel B.
  • Updated
Follow

Customers and readers expect any website, be it an e-commerce platform or small personal blog, to offer a secure connection. When a secure connection to a website is established, the visitor's web browser will display a padlock and the URL in the address bar will include "https://".

However, just having an SSL certificate installed is not enough if someone can still reach your site with an unsecured connection. To ensure all connections to your site are secure, you'll need to force the use of HTTPS. This is often done manually by creating an .htaccess redirect and manually updating all of the links and media on the site to use HTTPS, or a plugin can be used to simplify the process.

Here we cover the steps to install the Really Simple SSL plugin in WordPress and use it to force the use of HTTPS.

Related Articles

Log into WordPress Dashboard
Install a WordPress Plugin
Force HTTPS in .htaccess
Enable/Renew AutoSSL
Full and Partial Backups in cPanel

Install Really Simple SSL

CAUTION: Due to the nature of the changes made by this plugin, it is highly recommended to create a backup before proceeding.

  1. Log into the WordPress dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins>Add New
    WPPluginsAddNew.PNG
  3. Enter Really Simple SSL in the search bar
    WPPluginSearch.PNG
  4. Click the Install Now button next to the Really Simple SSL plugin
    WPPluginInstallReallySimpleSSL.PNG
  5. Click the Activate button
    WPPluginActivateReallySimpleSSL.PNG

Configure Really Simple SSL

  1. Confirm your website has a working SSL installed on it by visiting https://domain.com in your web browser
    REPLACE: domain.com with your domain name.
  2. Review the information in the plugin notification at the top of your dashboard and click the Activate SSL button when ready to proceed
    ReallySimpleSSLActivateSSL.PNGNOTE: Clicking this button may log you out of the dashboard. This is normal and you will need to log back in to proceed with the set up.
  3. You will be redirected to the Really Simple SSL settings page, from which you should review recommended settings and make changes as needed
    CAUTION: Be sure to review the related documentation or consult with your web developer before changing any of these settings, as some changes may result in your site becoming inaccessible.
  4. For improved performance, click the toggle next to Enable 301 .htaccess redirect under the Settings section then click the Save button
    ReallySimpleSSLhtaccessredirect.PNG

Related articles

Powered by Zendesk