Title: SSL and HTTPS:// questions with naked url
Last modified: January 19, 2017

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# SSL and HTTPS:// questions with naked url

 *  [3rdschulz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/3rdschulz/)
 * (@3rdschulz)
 * [9 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/ssl-and-https-questions-with-naked-url/)
 * Hello everyone,
    Problem: I am new here and have no knowledge of coding or web
   development beyond basic HTML. I am currently working on a personal WordPress
   site. When my naked url is typed (eg. mysite.com) the https:// version does not
   always load. However, when I type in https:// with my site name, it works fine
   with no problems. I am using “Let’s Encrypt” and I have the twenty seventeen 
   theme.
 * What I have tried: Inside WordPress, I ensured that my domain and website were
   configured to https:// in the settings when I installed WordPress, and again 
   after I installed. I searched the wordpress codex and read about https and ssl
   with no luck.
 * My questions:
    1.Is it possible to have an https:// site only? I don’t even need
   an http version, or is there always a http version also?
 * 2.I found “force” SSL plugins for wordpress, but these plugins redirect. Will
   these plugins affect SEO or other things?
 * 3. Besides redirect plugins, is there another way when someone types in my url
   it will load the ssl?
 * 4. Is there anyway to use Let’s Encrypt with a free CDN to speed up my site, 
   such as CloudFlare?

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/)
 * (@macmanx)
 * [9 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/ssl-and-https-questions-with-naked-url/#post-8675184)
 * 1. Yes, very possible. See item 3. 😉
 * 2. If the plugin is done properly, it will issue a permanent redirect, which 
   is what you want as far as search engines go. (This means that the search engine
   will discard the old URL and replace it with the one it’s permanently redirected
   to.)
 * 3. If you have saved the WordPress and Site Addresses as https:// at Settings
   > General in your site’s Dashboard, that should be enough to force it. If not,
   you may need to add this to your .htaccess file:
 *     ```
       RewriteCond %{HTTP:X-Forwarded-Proto} !https
       RewriteRule .* https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R,L]
       ```
   
 * 4. Let’s Encrypt is a certificate authority, not a CDN. You should have no problems
   using a CDN on a site with a certificate from Let’s Encrypt.
    -  This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/).
 *  Thread Starter [3rdschulz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/3rdschulz/)
 * (@3rdschulz)
 * [9 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/ssl-and-https-questions-with-naked-url/#post-8684917)
 * Hi James,
    Thanks for taking the time to reply and provide information. I have
   some follow up’s questions below.
 * 1. I am currently forcing it to HTTPS with a plugin, which works but provides
   a 301 permanent re-direct. Is this what I want?
 * 2. If I paste this code into my htacsess file, will it eliminate the http version
   of my site? Do I still need to do this with the 301 redirect in effect?
 * 3. I see from the strategy above I am directing google and people to the https
   version. However, I am curious, is there always a http version and a https version
   of the same website?
 *  Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/)
 * (@macmanx)
 * [9 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/ssl-and-https-questions-with-naked-url/#post-8686271)
 * 1. Yes, a 301 permanent redirect is exactly what you want.
 * 2. Your site is all one site, so nothing will be eliminated. It will force visits
   to the HTTP protocol to be permanently redirected to the HTTPS protocol. You 
   should use either the plugin or the .htaccess method, but not both.
 * 3. Your site is all one site, but it can operate under two protocols: HTTP and/
   or HTTPS. In this case, you are forcing visits to the HTTP protocol to use HTTPS
   instead.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘SSL and HTTPS:// questions with naked url’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 3 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/)
 * Last activity: [9 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/ssl-and-https-questions-with-naked-url/#post-8686271)
 * Status: not resolved

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