Imagine the situation where a user visits your website and the browser displays a warning sign that the connection is insecure. Within the spur of a moment, the visitor will close the website and move on. For your business, this can be a major setback and could incur huge losses. Regardless of how good your website and the marketing efforts are, it can all go in vain with this warning. It will also be impossible to gain the trust of the audience if the website has a security loophole.
Mixed Content Errors in WordPress are the major culprits of forcing browsers to display such warning signs. Let’s understand more about what the mixed content error is and how to fix it easily.
What is Mixed Content Error in WordPress
Mixed Content Error occurs when the website data is loaded on both HTTP and HTTPS Connection. It can also be due to incorrect configuration of HTTPS/SSL settings. Modern and popular browsers like Google chrome display a “Not Secure” warning to all pages that uses HTTP protocol.
It is thus recommended to transition to HTTPS to avoid such warnings that degrade the user experience. You can enable the HTTPS Protocol on your webserver by installing the SSL certificate. The encryption technology allows securing a connection between the web server and the user’s browser. Besides, it also improves website performance and helps you climb the ladder of SEO ranking.
The SSL certificate is so effective that the best WordPress hosting companies are offering it for free in their package. However, you need not worry even if your host does provide free SSL solutions. SSL can be added for free in WordPress with Let’s Encrypt which is an open certificate authority.
You can if the SSL Settings are configured properly on the website. A green padlock icon along with the term “Secure” will appear next to the website’s URL on the address bar. This will give assurance to the users that they need not be concerned about the page they are viewing.
On the contrary, if the SSL is not implemented correctly on the website it will be marked by an info sign. Alternatively, a broken padlock may also appear on the address bar indicating that an insecure connection. You would be wondering why it happens even when the website uses SSL. It’s because some content or pages are still being served through the non-HTTPS URLs. Identifying such content using the Inspect tool is essential so it can be edited or fixed.
The details of the Mixed content item will be displayed with the Mixed Content Error warning in the Console. The error can be fixed manually if there is only one item by editing the post, page or theme file. On the other hand, if the items are dynamically added by WordPress or stored in the database, it will be difficult to fix them manually.
However, the good news is that there are ways to fix the mixed content error easily in WordPress. Let’s understand how to get it done effortlessly.
Fixing Mixed Content Warning in WordPress
To begin with, the SSL Insecure Content Fixer plugin needs to be installed and activated. To learn how to install a WordPress Plugin, check out this guide. After successful activation, you will be required to configure the plugin settings by following the path: Settings> SSL insecure content page.
There are 5 different levels of fixing that you need to choose from according to your requirements. Let’s discuss each one of them in detail to understand which is best for you.
Simple
For beginner users, this is the ideal level as it is the fastest method with the least impact on the website’s performance. It fixes the mixed content errors in WordPress for scripts, stylesheets, media, and images loaded by plugin Image widget.
Content
The next level is “Content” which possesses all the features of “Simple” plus checks for fixes in the page content and text widgets. In case, the “Simple” level doesn’t automatically fix the errors, this level can be used.
Widgets
The “Widgets” level fixes resources loaded in all WordPress widgets on the website. It is done in addition to the fixes carried out in the “Content” level.
Capture
Right from the header to footer, the “capture” level replaces all URLs with HTTPS. However, you need to keep in mind that it could have an impact on the website’s performance as it is slower.
Capture All
If none of the above works for your website, you can go ahead with the “Capture All” level. It captures and fixes everything that results in the error on the website. Having said that, this level affects the website’s performance negatively. Once the level has been selected, scroll down to the HTTPS detection section. Here, you can select how WordPress should detect the pages loaded via HTTPS. The default option “standard WordPress function” is the recommended setting as it works for most websites.
Depending upon the particular setup of your website you can select the one that will be most suited and useful. In the end, ensure to store the settings by clicking on the “Save Changes” button. Now clear your WordPress Cache and check the website to see if the mixed content issues are fixed. In case if the error still appears, you can readjust the fix levels on the plugin settings page.
Conclusion
To ensure the credibility of the website, fixing the mixed content errors is essential. Make your website secure with these tips and tell us which level did you find useful.