HTTPS to HTTP Redirect

TL;DR

Yes, a web server can be configured to automatically redirect HTTPS connections with an invalid certificate to HTTP. However, this is generally not recommended for security reasons. This guide explains how it’s done (for testing or specific legacy scenarios) and why you should avoid it in production.

Why You Shouldn’t Do This

Redirecting from HTTPS to HTTP defeats the purpose of encryption. It exposes sensitive data transmitted between your users and your server. Only do this for temporary debugging, internal testing, or very specific situations where security isn’t a concern.

How to Redirect (Apache)

1. Edit Your Virtual Host Configuration: Open the configuration file for your website’s virtual host in Apache. This is usually located in /etc/apache2/sites-available/ or similar, depending on your distribution.
2. Add a Redirect Rule: Within the <VirtualHost *:443> block (the HTTPS configuration), add a redirect rule. This will catch connections to port 443 and send them to HTTP (port 80).

<VirtualHost *:443>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    # ... other configuration ...
    Redirect permanent / http://yourdomain.com/
</VirtualHost>

sudo systemctl restart apache2

How to Redirect (Nginx)

1. Edit Your Server Block Configuration: Open the server block configuration file for your website in Nginx. This is typically found in /etc/nginx/sites-available/ or similar.
2. Add a Redirect Rule: Within the server { listen 443; ... } block (the HTTPS configuration), add a redirect rule.

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name yourdomain.com;
    # ... other configuration ...
    return 301 http://yourdomain.com$request_uri;
}

sudo systemctl restart nginx

How to Redirect (IIS – Internet Information Services)

1. Open IIS Manager: Launch the IIS Manager application.
2. Navigate to Your Website: Select your website in the Connections pane.
3. HTTP Redirect Feature: Double-click “HTTP Redirect” in the Features View.
4. Configure the Redirect:
   • Check the “Redirect requests to this destination” box.
   • Enter http://yourdomain.com as the redirect destination.
   • Select a redirect type (301 Permanent is recommended for testing).

Important Considerations

• Certificate Issues: If you’re getting invalid certificate errors, fix the underlying certificate problem instead of redirecting. Renew your certificate, ensure it’s correctly installed, and verify that your server is configured to use it properly.
• Mixed Content: Redirecting won’t solve mixed content issues (HTTPS page loading HTTP resources). You need to update all links on your website to use HTTPS.
• Security Risks: Again, redirecting from HTTPS to HTTP significantly weakens security and should be avoided in production environments.