HTTPS is “secure HTTP”. Though using HTTPS isn’t a must for forums, but recommended. Forum members when they try to log in using a password if the site isn’t over an HTTPS, the browser throws a warning to the user.
On top of that, Google has HTTPS as an SEO ranking factor.
There are few reasons for making a XenForo site over an HTTPS.
How to HTTPS a XenForo forum?
We will implement a XenForo forum over an HTTPS in 2 steps.
- The first step is to purchase an SSL Certificate. Here is my complete guide on my other blog IMTips on how to purchase and setup httpS: SSL For a Domain.
- The second step is to change every occurrence in XenForo from HTTP to HTTPS. Here is the complete to help you switch an existing XenForo setup to secure SSL (HTTPS).