If you have a secure certificate (SSL) on your website, you can automatically redirect visitors to the secured (HTTPS) version of your website to make sure their information is protected.

How you redirect traffic depends on the type of hosting you have.

Linux & cPanel #

Linux-based accounts use .htaccess files to handle redirection.

If you need to create a .htaccess file, you can use your control panel’s file manager (Web & Classic / cPanel).

Using the following code in your .htaccess file automatically redirects visitors to the HTTPS version of your site:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

If you have an existing .htaccess file:

• Do not duplicate RewriteEngine On.
• Make sure the lines beginning RewriteCond and RewriteRule immediately follow the already-existing RewriteEngine On.

Windows & Plesk #

Windows-based accounts use web.config files to handle redirection.

If you need to create a web.config file, you can use your control panel’s file manager (Web & Classic / Plesk).

Using the following code in your web.config file automatically redirects visitors to the HTTPS version of your site:

<configuration>
<system.webServer>
<rewrite>
  <rules>
	<rule name="HTTP to HTTPS redirect" stopProcessing="true"> 
	<match url="(.*)" /> 
	<conditions> 
		<add input="{HTTPS}" pattern="off" ignoreCase="true" />
	</conditions> 
	<action type="Redirect" redirectType="Permanent" url="https://{HTTP_HOST}/{R:1}" />
</rule>  
  </rules>
</rewrite>
</system.webServer>
</configuration>

If you have an existing web.config file:

• Ensure you have sections (i.e. opening and closing tags) for:
  • system.webServer (which contains rewrite)
  • rewrite (which contains rules)
  • rules (which contains one or more rule sections)

  Insert any of those sections that do not exist.

• Insert the entire rule section, including match, conditions, and action, inside the rules section.

  You’re inserting the rule (without an ‘s’) inside the rules (with an ‘s’) section.