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How to Fix Redirection Plugin Changing HTTP to HTTPS Automatically

68 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Redirection

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If you've ever tried to create a redirect from an old HTTP URL only to find the Redirection plugin automatically changes it to HTTPS, you're not alone. This is a common point of confusion that can prevent your redirects from working as intended. This guide will explain why this happens and show you the correct way to set up these types of redirects.

Why Does This Happen?

By default, the Redirection plugin operates within the context of your current WordPress installation. If your site is currently running on HTTPS (which most modern sites are), the plugin will often assume that any URL you enter for a source or target should also use HTTPS. This behavior is designed to maintain consistency and security on your primary domain.

The issue arises when you need to redirect from an old URL that used a different protocol (HTTP) or a completely different domain. The plugin's automatic correction, while helpful in most cases, can break these specific redirects.

The Solution: Use the "URL and Server" Match Type

The key to successfully redirecting from an HTTP URL or a different domain is to change the Match setting for your redirect rule. Instead of using the default "URL only" match, you need to select "URL and server".

Here’s how to do it:

  1. In your WordPress admin, go to Tools → Redirection.
  2. Click Add New to create a redirect.
  3. In the Source URL field, enter the old path (e.g., /index/offer/).
  4. In the Match dropdown, select "URL and server".
  5. A new Server field will appear. In this field, enter the exact domain and protocol of the old URL you want to match (e.g., http://mydomain.com).
  6. In the Target URL field, enter the full destination URL (e.g., https://www.mydomain.com).
  7. Choose your desired redirect type (e.g., 301) and click Add Redirect.

This configuration tells the plugin to specifically look for requests coming to http://mydomain.com/index/offer/ and redirect them to your new target, preventing any automatic protocol changes from interfering.

Important Considerations

  • Bulk Changes: If you have a large number of redirects that were incorrectly changed (as seen in one user's case with 900+ redirects), the most efficient method is to export your redirects to a CSV file, use a spreadsheet editor to do a bulk find-and-replace (changing http:// to https:// in the target URLs), delete the old rules, and then re-import the corrected CSV file.
  • Regex Escaping: If your source URLs contain special characters like ? (common in query parameters), you may need to escape them with a backslash (?) in your regex patterns for the redirect to work correctly.

By understanding the "URL and server" match option, you can take full control over your redirects and ensure they work correctly, even when dealing with different protocols or domains.

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