At this point in the movie, the use of HTTPS protocol is fully extended on many websites, but there are those who still don’t know difference between HTTP and HTTPS.
And not only is it good for Internet users to know this difference while browsing, but if you have a website, it is essential that you know what these protocols are and which of these protocols is most suitable for your website.
Regardless of your case, in this article you will learn the differences between HTTP and HTTPS, and in case you are a website owner, I will explain which one you should use and how to do it in the simplest way. .
What will you find here?
Differences between HTTP and HTTPS
In order to see the differences between both protocols, we will see what each one consists of.
what is http
HTTP stands for «Hypertext Transfer Protocol»or what is the same in our language «HyperText Transfer Protocol», which is the protocol used to transfer information on the Internet.
When a web page is accessed from a browser, it sends a request to the server that hosts it and the server sends the data, resulting in the web page being displayed in the browser.
Although the first version of this protocol saw the light of day in 1991, the currently most used version was published only in 1999.
When You are registering a domain and create a new website, HTTP is the default protocol used.
What is HTTPS?
HTTPS is a secure variant of the HTTPS protocol («S» stands for «Sure‘, or ‘Secure’ if you don’t know Shakespeare) and is used for the same purpose as HTTP, but is responsible for encrypting data ie. it adds an extra layer of security that the original protocol does not have.
This protocol first appeared in 1992, but only a few years ago it became popular worldwide and is used by more and more websites.
This is mainly because browsers like Chrome or Firefox have started showing users who have visited websites using the HTTP protocol a warning that the website they are visiting is not secure.
HTTP vs. HTTPS, which is better?
If you are still in doubt which of these two protocols is better, I will tell you bluntly: HTTPS.
As an internet user, you want every time you need to enter information on a website to be encrypted to prevent someone from stealing your information.
And as a website owner, you care about the users who visit your website Trust when you leave your information in itand moreover also have the confidence that this data is secure and will not be intercepted by anyone, along with the legal problems that this may cause.
Additionally, as I mentioned before, major browsers notify users when they visit a website that runs on the HTTP protocol. Imagine someone lands on your website and a clearly visible message pops up saying that your website is not secure.
Bad deal, right?
You may lose traffic if people who don’t know exactly how it works go to your website and find a message of this nature.
But beyond that, and in accordance with all this, other things being equal, Google gives higher priority to websites that work under the HTTPS protocolbecause they always want the best for their users.
What does that mean?
Well, other things being equal, a website using HTTPS has more positioning options than one using HTTP. Obviously, many other SEO-level factors influence the ranking of one website over another, but this is something else.
How can I tell if a website uses HTTP or HTTPS?
It is very easy to tell whether a website uses one protocol or another. You just need to look at the address bar of the browser, which, by the way, can differ from browser to browser.
For example, This websitewhich uses HTTPS looks like this in Chrome:
As you can see, «https://» is not displayed. If you click on the lock, the following information appears:
If we go to Firefox, the address looks like this:
In this case, «https://» is displayed and when the padlock is clicked, a Chrome-like message appears.
On the other hand, if we open a website that uses HTTP instead of HTTPS, Chrome looks like this:
And when we click on the text «Not safe» we get the following message:
And in Firefox it would look like this and it would show a similar message when the crossed lock is clicked:
As you can see, any user can easily see that a website uses the HTTP protocol and is therefore not a secure website.
How can I use HTTPS instead of HTTP on my website?
Now that you know the benefits that the HTTPS protocol offers, you will hope that your website will use it if it is still HTTP.
To do this, you need to install it SSL certificate and make some adjustments on the web.
Some time ago I published an article explaining all the steps to follow. In order not to repeat myself in this article, I recommend that you read it. It reads as follows:
Switch your WordPress to HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt.
You’ll find it’s easy if you follow all the steps, and best of all, it’s free thanks to Let’s encrypt.
Conclusion on HTTP and HTTPS
Good, Well, you already know the differences between HTTPS and HTTPSSo if you have a website that is not yet secure, switch it to HTTPS as soon as possible.
Not only do they protect all the data your users provide, but they also have an advantage over other websites that still operate on an insecure protocol.
Today it is very easy and most importantly free, because before, yes or yes, you had to pay for an SSL certificate until Let’s Encrypt came along.
