Why Redirect to HTTPS
Once an SSL certificate is installed on your IIS website, visitors can still reach the insecure HTTP version unless you redirect them. A proper 301 redirect protects login pages, keeps search engine rankings consolidated on one address, and removes browser warnings for your customers.
Step 1: Install the URL Rewrite Module
URL Rewrite is a free Microsoft add-on for IIS. Download it using the Web Platform Installer or from the Microsoft IIS downloads page, run the installer, then close and reopen IIS Manager. You should now see a URL Rewrite icon when you select your site.
Step 2: Create the Redirect Rule
- In IIS Manager, select your website and open URL Rewrite.
- Click Add Rule and choose Blank rule under Inbound rules.
- Name the rule Redirect to HTTPS.
- Set Requested URL to Matches the Pattern and enter
(.*)as the pattern. - Under Conditions, click Add. Set the condition input to
{HTTPS}, choose Matches the Pattern, and enter^OFF$. - Under Action, choose Redirect. Set the redirect URL to
https://{HTTP_HOST}/{R:1}and the redirect type to Permanent 301. - Click Apply on the right side.
Step 3: Test
Browse to the plain HTTP address of your site. The browser should immediately move to the HTTPS address with a padlock. Test both the bare domain and the www version. Clear your browser cache if you tested redirects earlier, because browsers remember 301 responses.
Common Problems
- Redirect loop. This usually happens behind a proxy or load balancer. Contact support so we can adjust the rule to check forwarded headers.
- Rule missing after deployment. The rule lives in web.config, so make sure your deployment process does not overwrite it.
Our team can configure this for you. Open a ticket from app.techguru.co.in with your server details.
