How to Fix Mixed Content Warnings on HTTPS Website?

In the current digital environment, keeping your website secure is essential for both protecting user information and upholding your company’s reputable standing. The SSL mixed content error is a prevalent issue that might compromise its security.

This error happens when resources loaded via HTTP are included in a website that is provided over HTTPS, jeopardizing the page’s overall security.

Even worse, users can see your website as insecure and immediately choose to return from the current site to visit another website.

This article outlines mixed content, often known as unsecured content, the causes and how to resolve mixed content alerts on your HTTPS website.

What Is SSL Mixed Content Error?

Browsers render web pages using one of two protocols: HTTP or HTTPS.

A website that uses HTTP is significantly less secure than one that follows the HTTPS protocol. Because of encryption, HTTPS-enabled websites secure data integrity, confidentiality, and authentication.

Mixed content refers to websites that load both HTTPS and HTTP content on the same page. Most websites that experience mixed content issues load external resources through the HTTP domain, including images, videos, stylesheets, and scripts.

Also Read: WHAT IS SSL, TLS & HTTPS? [Explanation to Difference]

In other words, TLS, also called SSL, encrypts Internet traffic, making web browsing secure. Because the URL for TLS-encrypted websites starts with “https://” rather than “http://,” users can quickly identify these sites. However, there are scenarios when an HTTPS website might include some parts that load via the HTTP protocol in plaintext.

While the initial request was made securely over HTTPS protocol, the page is being shown simultaneously using HTTP and HTTPS resources; that’s why it’s called mixed content, sometimes known as “HTTP over HTTPS.”

Any data provided insecurely can be read, potentially disclosing sensitive information, and manipulated by an attacker, making this type of webpage hazardous.

The major web browsers will display warnings regarding this information to alert users that the page they are accessing contains insecure resources. These alerts could make your website visitors mistrust the security of the connection between your website and their computer.

By setting your website only to deliver secure content, you could prevent this problem from occurring.

What Leads to Mixed Content Warnings?

When you forcefully reroute your website from HTTP to HTTPS, mixed content warnings typically pop up.

Here are some additional examples of situations that could call for a warning as well:

• When linking to resources like CSS and JavaScript in the site’s code, web developers will occasionally utilize absolute paths (http://domain/style.css) rather than relative paths (/style.css).

• HTTP is being used instead of HTTPS by the embedded video scripts that you use.

• You are utilizing external scripts in HTTP versions. (Font Awesome, jQuery, hosted, etc.)

• Hard-coded URLs for images point to HTTP at http://domain.com/image.png.

• Paths that are absolute rather than relative static files, such as media files or JavaScript.

How to Fix Mixed Content Warnings in Chrome?

Let’s discuss using Google Chrome to fix mixed content loading on an HTTPS website.

Step 1: Access your website

Finding mixed or insecure content alerts when visiting your website could seem apparent.

Firstly, you should ensure that your secure HTTPS connection loads secure content by checking your website for mixed or insecure information. If your website contains mixed content, Google Chrome will notify users.

First, select the URL you intend to check to see Chrome’s mixed content warnings. Next, utilize a right-click to select “Inspect Element” by scrolling down. Once that’s done, select the Console tab. Warnings will be displayed by the browser when it detects mixed content.

The mixed content warnings will appear in red if the mixed content is potentially hazardous. They are allowing cybercriminals to take total control of your entire website.

Online Tools: To assess for mixed material on your website, use internet-based tools such as SSL Checker or Why No Padlock.

Step 2: Check the URLs on Your Site

Checking your site’s URLs is another reliable method, besides looking through the source code of the complete website, to find any dangerous content—even if it is connected via HTTPS—on your website.

Even if you know that your site has an active SSL certificate, if you notice that any of your site’s URLs are HTTP instead of HTTPS, you can be sure there’s an issue with some mixed material not loading correctly for site users.

The recommended practice is to maintain a list of all the pages on your website that load unsecured or mixed content. This will assist you in maintaining organization as you address any warnings you encounter.

Step 3: Modify the URLs

Alter the file and deploy it after changing the URL from http:// to https://, and save the source file if your website displays the same on HTTP and HTTPS connections.

After that, check the website to verify that the mixed content error has been resolved and that a secure HTTPS connection is being used to view it.

Step 4: Compare and Analyze HTTP and HTTPS Web Pages

After you’ve confirmed that mixed content is loading on your HTTPS website, you should compare the secure HTTPS page to your insecure HTTP page (using the same URL for both).

You can go to the following stage if the web pages are the same as those over HTTP and HTTPS. You can proceed, as Google Chrome is not blocking any content now.

However, you should take one of the following actions if a warning appears or if the content is not displayed over the HTTP connection:

Get rid of the resource completely (such as a video, image, etc., that isn’t working over HTTP);

If the content is available, include it from another host; otherwise, download it and host it directly on your website.

Step 5: Verify and Carryout

Browser Testing: Test the browser console for any persistent mixed content warnings when you return to your website after making modifications.

Online tools: To ensure every issue is fixed, rescan your website with tools like Why No Padlock.

Streamline Future Updates

Constant Monitoring: Use monitoring tools or services like SiteLock to monitor for potential issues with mixed content on your website.

Regular Reviews: Audit your website often to ensure newly added content complies with HTTPS regulations.

Wrap Up!

Resolving SSL mixed content concerns is necessary to keep your website secure and trustworthy. The above steps will help you ensure that all the resources on your website load securely, increasing user confidence, boosting search engine optimization, and protecting user data.