# HTTPS Redirect: Push Old HTTP Requests to the Secure Version

> Learn why HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects matter and how to keep one clean public version of every page.

Canonical: https://softwareontheweb.com/tools/launch-readiness-checker/https-redirect

Even if HTTPS works, users and bots may still hit the old HTTP version.

A redirect closes that gap and keeps one canonical destination.

## What It Is

An HTTPS redirect sends requests from `http://` URLs to the matching `https://` URLs, ideally with a permanent 301 response.

```text
HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Location: https://example.com/
```

## Why It Matters

- It keeps users on the secure version.
- It reduces duplicate URL paths between HTTP and HTTPS.
- It aligns incoming links, canonicals, and analytics with one destination.

## Best Practices

1. Redirect every HTTP request to the equivalent HTTPS URL.
2. Keep the chain short, ideally one hop.
3. Use permanent redirects for canonical moves.

## Common Mistakes

- Leaving HTTP pages live without a redirect.
- Redirecting HTTP to an unrelated page.
- Creating redirect loops or multi-hop chains.

## Quick Checklist

- HTTP version redirects to HTTPS.
- One clean hop.
- Final destination resolves correctly.

## Final Takeaway

HTTPS adoption is incomplete until the insecure version consistently points away.

## Related
- [Home](https://softwareontheweb.com/)
- [Topics](https://softwareontheweb.com/topics)