Use Really Simple Security for a Controlled WordPress HTTPS Change

Really Simple SSL is now named Really Simple Security. Its HTTPS tools can help a WordPress migration, but installing the plugin does not make a site completely secure or determine whether Google ranks it.

Prepare before installing or enabling HTTPS

Back up the database, configuration and redirect rules, and keep a recovery route. Confirm that the actual public HTTPS endpoint has a valid certificate. Check whether the hosting panel, CDN or another plugin already manages certificates and redirects; overlapping automation can cause loops or conflicting renewals.

Install the intended plugin

Use the official Really Simple Security listing, confirm its publisher and current WordPress/PHP requirements, and review the installed version’s onboarding. Old Settings > SSL screenshots are not a promise of the current menu layout.

Enable only the controls you need

• Certificates: generation is environment-dependent. Do not assume the plugin can install a certificate on every hosting service or should replace panel-managed renewal.
• Redirects: choose the appropriate supported method for Apache/Nginx/proxy deployment. Back up .htaccess before allowing changes and test for loops.
• Mixed content: check the actual resource URLs and server support. Rewriting an HTTP URL to HTTPS cannot make an unsupported external endpoint work.
• Other security modules: review login, firewall and hardening settings separately. Do not turn on every option merely to improve a progress score.

Verify the migration

Test logged-in and logged-out pages, media, forms, checkout if applicable and administrator access. Check public redirects, canonical URLs, resources and certificate validation. Monitor renewal and maintain normal updates/access controls.

Do not enable long-lived HSTS/preload without understanding all affected names and recovery consequences. A plugin’s status message is not an independent audit, and the old fastest/lightweight or all-plan SSL claims were not verified here.

Reference: official current feature and installation documentation.

Reviewed October 15, 2026. No plugin was installed, benchmarked or given new permissions on a customer site.