Fixing Mixed Content Error in WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide

September 26, 2024
fixing-mixed-content-error-in-wordpress

Introduction: 

When a website attempts to load secure (HTTPS) and non-secure (HTTP) material at the exact same time, WordPress generates a mixed material error. Users might get security alerts as a result, and the SEO and overall functionality of your website could be impacted as a result. Resolving this issue is crucial to maintaining your online presence and providing a safe browsing experience.

Finding precisely what elements are causing the issue and upgrading them to load safely are the first steps in fixing the mixed content error. Images, programs, and stylesheets that still communicate via HTTP are common origins of these issues. You may improve the security of your website and properly Fixing mixed content error in WordPress by using a methodical approach.

We will show you how to find and Fix mixed content error in WordPress in this step-by-step tutorial, protecting the safety and functionality of your website.

What does WordPress call a mixed content error?

When resources on the WordPress server load both HTTPS-secured and HTTP-non-secure assets, a mixed content error occurs. This occurs frequently when an SSL certificate is installed but not updated across all URLs. Browser alerts are brought about by this inconsistency, which could turn away visitors.

What Happens to Website When Mixed Content Error Occurs?

One typical safety precaution for WordPress websites is to enable HTTPS/SSL. You may create a secure connection between your website and visitors by encrypting data and installing a WordPress SSL certificate.

Free SSL certificates are included with many web hosting packages, such as Hostinger's. As an alternative, you can purchase and install a secure connection certificate from an independent vendor.

Regretfully, even with a working SSL certification, WordPress mixed content warnings could still appear. They appear if an HTTPS website loads HTTP initiatives using an absolute path. A directory or file exact location is indicated by a complete path. As an instance, consider this:

  • http://domainname.com/featured-image.jpg

How to Identify the Mixed Content Error in WordPress?

Using the address bar on the computer's browser to identify a mixed content problem in WordPress is the simplest method.

Depending on your internet browser's settings, the URL of your website could have a broken padlock icon and a Not secure warning with the words, "Your connection to this website is not totally secure."

You can determine what files are loaded through the HTTP connection by using the Developer tools in the browser that comes with Google Chrome. Select on the three horizontal dots located on Chrome's top menu bar, then select More tools <0x7E> Developer tools to have access to it. As an alternative, hit Cmd+Option+I for macOS and Ctrl+Shift+I for Windows and Linux.

To view all of the WordPress material on the website that has been reported as insecure, open the Console page in the Developer Tools.

Fixing mixed content error in WordPress:

The SSL Insecure Content Fixer plugin is the most simple approach to Fix mixed content error in WordPress. You can select the level of error correction that best fits the necessities of your website from the options provided by this plugin. Installing the plugin in the WordPress admin area must occur first.

To modify the plugin's settings after installation, go to the Settings » SSL Insecure Content webpage from the WordPress admin sidebar. Several levels have been provided by this plugin to address mixed content warnings. We'll go through each one, what it does, and which is best for everyone.

  • Simple
  • For all new users, this is the most rapid and most suggested level. It can instantly Fixing mixed content error in WordPress with stylesheets, scripts, and media library images.

  • Content:
  • You should try the Content setting when the WordPress mixed content warning is not resolved by the Simple level. All of Simple's features will be utilized, in addition to checks for changes within WordPress text widgets and content.

  • Widgets:
  • This level contains all of the enhancements made in the Content level, along with an extra fix for the materials that are loaded into the homepage's WordPress widgets.

  • Capture:
  • This technique replaces all URLs with HTTPS and records every element on every page of your online presence, from the header to the footer. It is slow and may have an impact on how effectively your WordPress website functions.

  • Capture All:
  • You may attempt this setting when none of the aforementioned levels resolve WordPress' mixed content alerts. It tries to correct everything, which could cause the website to operate in an unexpected way. It will also be the most damaging to output.

    You can navigate down the page to the "Fixes to particular plugins and themes" section after choosing a content repair level.

    You may select the boxes here if you use any of the most popular WordPress themes or plugins that are listed in this part of the page. This will guarantee that there are no insecure content warnings on the content that these plugins allow. Next, you can activate the 'Only fix content referring to this WordPress site' setting when any links and resources on your website have been placed on other websites.

    By doing this, the plugin doesn't attempt to switch such links to HTTPS. Let's now move down to the area marked "HTTPS detection." You can select how your online presence will be inspected for HTTPS content here.

    Using a regular WordPress function is the standard solution and is suitable for the majority of websites. Other helpful options when it comes to utilizing a Nginx web server, Cloudflare CDN, and more can be found below that.

    Go ahead and choose the strategy that, given your specific arrangement, you think matches your website. Last but not least, remember to save your changes by clicking the "Save Changes" button. This is one of the easy strategy for Fixing mixed content error in WordPress.

    Now that the insecure material problems on your site should be resolved, go check it out. Before doing so, verify that you have cleared the cache in WordPress. When the mixed content error in the WordPress platform is still present, you must navigate back to the plugin's environments page and modify the fix levels.

    How to Update Links to Fix the WordPress Mixed Content Error:

    A WordPress database and file may have some URLs hard-coded when an HTTPS/SSL plugin is unable to Fixing mixed content errors in WordPress in question. In this instance, you have to utilize HTTPS to replace every URL.

    Remove the unsafe links manually when there are just a few. Utilize search-and-replace plugins to modify all of the insecure hyperlinks in your database tables when there are numerous of them.

    To use the Better Search Replace plugin to execute mass upgrades in your website's WordPress database, follow these steps:

    Better Search Replace may be installed and enabled from the WordPress plugin directory. From your admin dashboard, click to Tools > Better Search Replacement. Enter the address of your HTTP website in the Search for form, and then add the HTTPS variation in the Replace with area.

    Which tables to update is determined by the Select tables field. To select all of the tables, press Ctrl after you click on each entry. Keep other settings exactly as they are. This is exactly how the form should appear:

    To begin updating, select Run Search/Replace. Only the plugin's findings will be displayed because the dry run mode is on. Make sure these are in fact HTTP URLs. Restart the search and replacement process after turning off the dry run mode.

    Fixing mixed content error in WordPress using the.htaccess file?

    Finally, you can use the.htaccess file to force an encrypted HTTPS connection in order to Fix mixed content error in WordPress.

    This file sets up different features for web pages hosted on Apache and other web servers. Enforcing WordPress by redirecting users from unsafe connections via HTTP to HTTPS is one of its primary roles.

    All of the essential WordPress files are stored in the.htaccess file, which you can create and locate in the root directory of your online presence.

    Nevertheless, an FTP client such as FileZilla is another option. Here's how to do it: Open hPanel and navigate to Files > File Manager. To view the files unique to that web page, select Yourdomain.com's Access files.

    The.htaccess file can be found by double-clicking the public_html folder. Recall that in the event that there isn't one, anyone can make one.

    To edit the file, click right on it and choose Edit. Copy and paste the one that follows the code fragment at the file's bottom.

    • Open code in a new window
    • EnlighterJS 3 Syntax Highlighter
    • RewriteEngine On
    • RewriteCond %<0x7D>HTTPS<0x7D>!=on
    • RewriteRule ^(.*) $ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301,NE]
    • Header always sets Content-Security-Policy "upgrade-insecure-requests."
    • RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %<0x7D>HTTPS!=on RewriteRule ^(.*) $ https://%{HTTP_HOST}% {REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301,NE] Header always sets Content-Security-Policy "upgrade-insecure-requests."
    • RewriteEngine On
    • RewriteCond %<0x7D>HTTPS<0x7D>!=on
    • RewriteRule ^(.*) $ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301,NE]
    • Header always sets Content-Security-Policy "upgrade-insecure-requests."

    When the Fixing mixed content error in WordPress, select Save and refresh your WordPress website. Users that arrive at your website via a vulnerable HTTP link will be transferred to a secured HTTPS connection when the process is successful.

    Conclusion:

    In conclusion, Fixing mixed content error in WordPress is essential for ensuring a secure and seamless browsing experience for your users. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively identify and fix these issues, boosting your site’s performance and enhancing user trust.

    Additionally, consider using a premium WordPress theme bundle that prioritizes security and responsiveness. These themes often come with built-in features to help prevent mixed content errors, making your website maintenance easier. Investing in a quality theme not only simplifies your setup but also improves your site’s overall appearance and functionality.

    Take the necessary steps today to fix mixed content errors and elevate your WordPress website to new heights!