If you’re running a website on cPanel hosting, securing your connection with HTTPS is one of the easiest yet most important steps you can take. HTTPS not only protects your visitors’ data with encryption, but also boosts SEO rankings and avoids “Not Secure” browser warnings.
The best way to force HTTPS on every page of your site is by updating your .htaccess file and you can do this directly from your cPanel dashboard, without needing advanced technical skills.
In this article, you’ll learn exactly how to do it safely, step by step.

Why Force HTTPS?

Even if you’ve installed an SSL certificate, your website may still be accessible through both http:// and https://. That’s a problem because:

• Users may land on the non-secure version

• You might face SEO duplication issues

• Login forms or contact pages may send data without encryption

By forcing HTTPS, you ensure all visitors are automatically redirected to the secure version of your site no matter what URL they use.

Step-by-Step: How to Force HTTPS via .htaccess in cPanel

Step 1: Log In to cPanel

Start by accessing your hosting account and logging into cPanel. The URL typically looks like:

https://yourdomain.com/cpanel

Use the credentials provided by your hosting provider.

Step 2: Open File Manager

Once inside cPanel:

1. Scroll to the Files section
   

2. Click on File Manager

This opens a browser-based file editor for your entire website.

Step 3: Show Hidden Files (if needed)

By default, .htaccess is a hidden file. To view it:

• Click Settings in the top-right corner of File Manager
  

• Check “Show Hidden Files (dotfiles)”
  
  

• Click Save

Now you should see .htaccess in the public_html/ directory (or your domain’s root folder).

Step 4: Backup Your Existing .htaccess

Before making any changes:

• Right-click the .htaccess file

• Click Download to save a local backup

This ensures you can recover your website in case something goes wrong.

Step 5: Edit the .htaccess File

Now, right-click .htaccess and choose Edit.

A new tab will open with a plain-text editor. Scroll to the top and insert the following code:

Explanation:

• RewriteEngine On: Enables URL rewriting

• RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off: Checks if the request is not using HTTPS

• RewriteRule: Redirects all requests to HTTPS using a 301 (permanent) redirect

Make sure this goes above the WordPress permalink block if you have one.

Step 6: Save and Test

Click Save Changes at the top-right of the editor.

Then open your website in a new browser window and try typing:

You should be redirected automatically to:

https://yourdomain.com

Test multiple internal pages as well to confirm everything is loading securely.

Common Issues (and How to Fix Them)

Additional Tip: Check SSL Certificate First

For HTTPS to work, you must already have a valid SSL certificate installed.

To check:

• In cPanel, go to SSL/TLS Status

• Look for green padlocks next to your domain

If your domain doesn’t have an SSL installed, use AutoSSL or ask your host to enable Let’s Encrypt SSL (usually free).

Final Thoughts

Forcing HTTPS isn’t just a nice-to-have it’s a must-do for website security, SEO, and trust.
Thanks to cPanel’s File Manager and a few lines of .htaccess code, you can redirect all traffic to HTTPS in under 5 minutes. Just remember to back up before editing, and your site will be secure, professional, and fully optimized for modern browsers.