How To Redirect HTTP To HTTPS On Apache Servers?

Check SSL Certificate Installation

Before setting up the redirection, check if your SSL certificate is installed and set up correctly. Verify the certificate's validity and expiration date. Make sure the certificate is set up in your Apache server settings.

openssl s_client -connect yourdomain.com:443 -servername yourdomain.com

Edit Apache Configuration Files

You can set up HTTP to HTTPS redirection using two methods: the .htaccess file or the virtual host configuration.

Use .htaccess File

1. Open or create a .htaccess file in your website's root directory.
2. Add these rewrite rules to the file:

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

This code tells Apache to redirect all HTTP requests to HTTPS.

Update Virtual Host Configuration

1. Find your Apache configuration file. It's often at /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf or /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf.
2. Add a virtual host for HTTP (port 80) that redirects to HTTPS:

<VirtualHost *:80>
   ServerName yourdomain.com
   Redirect permanent / https://yourdomain.com/
</VirtualHost>

3. Set up a virtual host for HTTPS (port 443):

<VirtualHost *:443>
   ServerName yourdomain.com
   DocumentRoot /path/to/your/website
   SSLEngine On
   # Other SSL settings
</VirtualHost>

Test the Redirection

After making changes, restart Apache with this command:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

or

sudo service httpd restart

Test the redirection by accessing your website using HTTP. Your browser should redirect to HTTPS. You can use browser developer tools to check the server's response and confirm the 301 (permanent) redirect.