How do I move a website from HTTP to HTTPS for Google Search?

Definition: An HTTP to HTTPS migration changes existing website URLs to their HTTPS versions. It involves mapping old URLs to their destinations, redirecting requests, updating page signals and monitoring Google's processing of the new URLs.

Key facts

• As of October 2026, Google's site move guide treats HTTP to HTTPS as a move with URL changes and says processing happens per URL.
• Google's redirect documentation recommends permanent server-side redirects when changing a page's URL in search results, including HTTP status codes 301 and 308.
• Google's canonical URL documentation says it prefers HTTPS over equivalent HTTP pages, with exceptions including invalid certificates and conflicting page signals. A canonical URL is the preferred representative of duplicate or very similar pages.

What needs preparing before the switch?

Google's site move guide calls for configuring TLS certificates, the certificates required for HTTPS, on the server. It also calls for verifying both HTTP and HTTPS site variants in Search Console, Google's service for monitoring search presence, including the applicable www and non-www variants. Ownership verification must continue to work after the move.

The same guide recommends making site changes separately. A protocol migration can precede a redesign or a change of content management system. Development-only crawling blocks in robots.txt, the file containing crawler rules, and noindex rules that prevent indexing need removing when the move starts.

How are URLs and page signals mapped?

A URL mapping pairs each old address with its new destination. Google's mapping instructions identify sitemaps, server logs and the content management system as sources for the old URL inventory. The inventory includes embedded resources such as images, videos, JavaScript and CSS files.

The same instructions call for updating internal links and preparing a sitemap containing the new URLs. Multilingual sites also need updated hreflang annotations, which identify language or regional page alternatives.

A self-referencing canonical link points to the page's own preferred URL. Google's canonical guidance recommends placing it in the HTML head. Its HTTPS example is:

<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/dresses/green-dresses" />

The same guidance identifies an HTTPS page's canonical link pointing back to HTTP as a conflicting signal.

How should redirects work?

A redirect sends a request for an old URL to its replacement. Google's redirect guide treats permanent redirects as a signal that the target should become canonical. The implementation depends on the hosting environment; its PHP example sets these response headers:

HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Location: https://www.example.com/newurl

Google's site move instructions recommend redirecting directly to the final destination and retaining redirects for as long as possible, generally at least one year. Redirecting many unrelated old pages to the homepage can result in a soft 404, Google's treatment of a URL as effectively missing. Consolidated content can redirect to its corresponding consolidated page.

How is the migration monitored?

Google's monitoring instructions call for tracking both old and new URLs in Search Console and reviewing server access and error logs. Logs show Googlebot requests and unexpected HTTP errors. Search Console reports show changes in indexed URL counts, search impressions and clicks.

The same guide calls for submitting the new sitemap in Search Console and testing redirects with URL Inspection, Search Console's individual URL diagnostic tool, or command-line tools and scripts for larger URL sets. Google describes a few weeks for most pages on a small to medium site to move, with larger sites taking longer; search visibility can fluctuate during processing.

Related terms

• HTTP redirects
• Canonical URL
• XML sitemap
• Server log analysis

FAQ

Do I need Search Console's Change of Address tool?

For an HTTP to HTTPS move, you do not need it. Google's site move guide reserves that step for moves between domains or subdomains.

Can I leave internal links pointing to HTTP?

Google's canonical guidance calls for linking internally to the canonical URL. It also warns against including HTTP versions in sitemaps or language annotations when the preferred versions use HTTPS.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "How to move a site", updated 20 August 2026
2. Google Search Central, "Redirects and Google Search", updated 14 April 2026
3. Google Search Central, "How to specify a canonical URL with rel="canonical" and other methods", updated 10 July 2026

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