https redirect iis

Y’all ever typed “http://” into your browser and—*bam!*—landed on “https://” before you could finish blinkin’? If you’re runnin’ a Windows server, that slick little hop is likely thanks to an https redirect iis rule workin’ behind the scenes like a digital butler in a cowboy hat. In plain ol’ English (with a lil’ Southern twang), it’s Internet Information Services (IIS) tellin’ every visitor: “We don’t do business through the old HTTP door—y’all come ‘round back to the secure HTTPS gate.” And in 2026, if you ain’t got one, your site’s lookin’ about as trustworthy as a $3 bill at a honky-tonk.

Alright, partner—let’s fire up that Windows Server. The cleanest way to handle an https redirect iis setup is through the URL Rewrite module. First, make sure you’ve got it installed (it’s free from Microsoft). Then, open IIS Manager, head to your site, and click “URL Rewrite.” Hit “Add Rule(s)…” and choose “Blank Rule.” Give it a name like “Force HTTPS,” then set the pattern to match all requests ((.*)). Under “Conditions,” add one: input {HTTPS}, pattern ^OFF$. Finally, in the action section, set it to “Redirect,” use https://{HTTP_HOST}{REQUEST_URI} as the URL, and pick “Permanent (301).” Save it—and just like that, you’ve got yourself a solid https redirect iis flow.

If you’re not a fan of GUIs, you can also edit the web.config file directly. Drop this snippet inside the <system.webServer> section:

<rewrite>
<rules>
<rule name="Redirect to HTTPS" stopProcessing="true">
<match url="(.*)" />
<conditions>
<add input="{HTTPS}" pattern="^OFF$" />
</conditions>
<action type="Redirect" url="https://{HTTP_HOST}{REQUEST_URI}" redirectType="Permanent" />
</rule>
</rules>
</rewrite>

This lil’ block checks if HTTPS is off—and if so, rewrites the whole URL to use HTTPS with a 301 redirect. No muss, no fuss. Just make sure the URL Rewrite module is installed, or IIS’ll throw a fit like a cat in a bathtub. And always test after deployin’—‘cause typos in XML love to hide like ticks in tall grass.

Hold up—redirectin’ ain’t enough if you ain’t actually servin’ HTTPS! First, you need an SSL certificate. You can get one from Let’s Encrypt (free), DigiCert, or even create a self-signed one for testing (though browsers’ll gripe about it). In IIS Manager, go to “Server Certificates,” import or request your cert, then bind it to your site under “Bindings” → “Add” → Type: https, Port: 443, and select your cert. Only *after* that should you set up your https redirect iis rule. Otherwise, you’re redirectin’ folks to a door that don’t exist—and nobody likes knockin’ on air.

Forcin’ HTTPS in IIS means two things: (1) serve content over HTTPS, and (2) catch every HTTP request and send it to HTTPS. We’ve covered the redirect—but don’t forget HSTS! Once your https redirect iis is rockin’, add an HTTP Strict Transport Security header to lock it in. In IIS Manager, go to “HTTP Response Headers,” add a new header: Name = Strict-Transport-Security, Value = max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains. This tells browsers: “Only ever connect via HTTPS for the next year.” It’s like puttin’ a deadbolt on top of your front door. And yeah—it pairs beautifully with your redirect.

Let’s keep it 100: Chrome slaps “Not Secure” on every HTTP form field. Firefox blocks geolocation and camera access. Google’s been usin’ HTTPS as a ranking signal since 2014—and by 2026, over 95% of web traffic is encrypted. If you don’t enforce an https redirect iis, you’re losin’ SEO juice, user trust, and modern web features. BuiltWith reports that sites without enforced HTTPS see 18–25% higher bounce rates. So yeah—it ain’t optional. It’s baseline hygiene for any self-respectin’ site owner runnin’ on Windows Server.

We’ve seen good admins cry over redirect loops, mixed-content warnings, and mysteriously broken APIs—all ‘cause of tiny oversights. One classic blunder? Forgetting that load balancers or reverse proxies (like Cloudflare) terminate SSL upstream, so IIS sees all traffic as HTTP. Fix: check {HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO} instead of {HTTPS}. Another oopsie? Not binding the SSL cert to the correct hostname—especially on multi-site servers. And don’t even get us started on forgetting to restart the app pool after config changes. Always test with curl -I http://yoursite.com to verify that 301 points cleanly to HTTPS. Assumptions are the enemy of uptime, y’all.

Back in the day, folks swore HTTPS was slow as molasses in January. But thanks to TLS 1.3, HTTP/2 (supported in IIS 10+), and modern CPUs, encrypted connections often *outperform* plain HTTP. Sites with a proper https redirect iis benefit from better caching, multiplexed streams, and reduced latency on repeat visits. Microsoft’s 2025 benchmarks showed IIS-hosted HTTPS sites loaded 10–14% faster than their HTTP counterparts. So no—your redirect ain’t draggin’ you down. If anything, it’s givin’ your site a nitro boost wrapped in a security blanket.

Don’t just assume it works—prove it. From PowerShell or CMD:
curl -I http://yoursite.com
You should see HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently and a Location: https://... header. Use online tools like SecurityHeaders.io to check for missing HSTS or mixed content. And if you’re behind Cloudflare, double-check that “Always Use HTTPS” isn’t fightin’ with your IIS rules. Conflict = chaos. Keep it clean, keep it consistent, keep it secure.

So there you have it—the full lowdown on settin’ up a bulletproof https redirect iis config. Whether you’re runnin’ a corporate intranet, a public e-commerce site, or a legacy .NET app, this setup keeps your users safe and your SEO strong. And if you’re feelin’ lost in the IIS Manager maze, remember: we’ve walked this road ourselves. Start fresh at Peternak Digital, dive into migration tactics in our Hosting section, or geek out on rule syntax with our companion guide: IIS Forward HTTP to HTTPS Rules. ‘Cause in the wild world of Windows web ops, the best armor is knowledge—and a properly configured redirect.

References

• https://www.iis.net/learn/extensions/url-rewrite-module
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/iis/manage/configuring-security/how-to-set-up-ssl-on-iis
• https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/security/encrypt-in-transit/why-https
• https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ssl/why-is-http-not-secure/