Setting Https WordPress On Nginx
Setting Up An SSL Certificate
In order to enable HTTPS on your WordPress site, you first need to add an SSL certificate. An SSL certificate is basically a digital record that authenticates the identity of a web server and the site using it. It helps protect user data and adds an extra layer of security for the site against malicious attacks. There are several different types of certificate, such as WildCard, Domain Validated and Organization Validated, but typically the most appropriate type would be a WildCard as it covers your entire domain, including subdomains.
Once you’ve chosen a certificate, you’ll need to purchase it and install it on your server. Depending on the provider, it could be automatically installed when purchased or you may need to manually install it. For more detailed instructions, please refer to your provider’s documentation.
Configuring Nginx
Once you’ve installed your SSL certificate, it’s time to configure Nginx. Nginx is an open source web server used for serving web pages and applications on the web. It’s quite fast and often used in conjunction with Apache for additional scalability and performance. In this instance, we’ll be using it to configure our server for serving HTTPS requests.
First, you’ll need to create an Nginx virtual host. This is essentially a block of configuration that defines the settings for a specific domain or subdomain. To do this, you’ll need to open up your Nginx configuration file and add something like the following:
server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example.com;
index index.html index.htm;
}
Once you’ve added this, you can then add the following configuration for HTTPS:
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name www.example.com;
ssl_certificate /path/to/certificate.crt;
ssl_certificate_key /path/to/private.key;
root /var/www/example.com;
index index.html index.htm;
}
The first block of configuration will ensure that all incoming requests over port 80 are directed to your server. The second block specifically authorizes HTTPS requests by enabling SSL and providing paths to the certificate and key files.
Configuring HTTPS on WordPress
Now that you have successfully configured Nginx for HTTPS, you need to configure your WordPress site to use HTTPS. The easiest way to do this is to use a WordPress plugin such as Really Simple SSL, which will automatically detect if you have an SSL certificate installed and redirect all requests to HTTPS. Alternatively, you can also set this up manually, by going to Settings > General in your WordPress admin and changing the ‘WordPress Address (URL)’ and ‘Site Address (URL)’ from HTTP to HTTPS.
Another way to do this is to edit your website’s .htaccess file (if you’re running Apache). Here, you can add a few lines of rewrite rules that will enable the redirect to HTTPS. For example, you can add something like the following:
# redirect HTTPS requests
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI}
Verifying Your SSL Certificate
Once you’ve set up your WordPress site to use HTTPS, the next step is to verify that the SSL certificate is correctly installed. You can do this by using a tool such as DigiCert’s Certificate Inspector. This will check your site for any issues or errors in the certificate’s configuration. It’s also a good idea to periodically check your certificate to make sure it’s still valid.
Testing and Troubleshooting
Once you’ve verified your SSL certificate, it’s time to test your HTTPS setup. This is done by visiting your site in a browser with the HTTPS protocol enabled. If everything is working correctly, you should see the site’s URL in the address bar prefixed with ‘https://’, and the padlock icon should be visible in front of it.
If something is not working as expected, it might be necessary to further troubleshoot your setup. This can be done using your web server’s error logs, which are likely available in your control panel. Additionally, you can use tools such as SSLlabs to check if your certificate is correctly configured.
Migrating to HTTPS
Depending on your site, it might be necessary to make other changes when migrating to HTTPS, such as updating your database or redirecting old HTTP URLs. If you’re using a WordPress site, you can use a plugin such as Really Simple SSL to help you with these tasks. Additionally, make sure to update any external links to your site to use HTTPS, as well as any other references such as social accounts.
Conclusion
Setting up HTTPS on WordPress is not difficult, but it still requires some technical knowledge. Keep in mind that when migrating to HTTPS, it’s important to keep track of any changes made, such as database updates, to preserve data consistency. And remember to test everything after the migration is completed to make sure everything is working as expected.
Thank you for reading this article. If you found it helpful, please feel free to share it with your friends and colleagues. And if you would like to read more about setting up HTTPS on Nginx, please check out our other articles.
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