Title: Changing permalinks from https:// to http://
Last modified: May 1, 2026

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# Changing permalinks from https:// to http://

 *  [rot](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rottiorg/)
 * (@rottiorg)
 * [1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/changing-permalinks-from-https-to-http/)
 * When I created my completely non-commercial web site, my web host offered SSL
   certificates for free, so I used `https://` for the web site. Now the web host
   wants to charge me for the certificate, so I want to go to `http://`.
 * Under “Settings->General” it uses `http://`. But under “Permalinks,” it uses `
   https://`. How do I change the permalinks to use `http://`?
 * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Fchanging-permalinks-from-https-to-http%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US)
   to see the link]_

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/)
 * (@threadi)
 * [1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/changing-permalinks-from-https-to-http/#post-18896634)
 * Take a look at the URL your browser displays when you access the Permalinks page
   in the admin panel. If that URL includes `https://`, WordPress will automatically
   use `https://` for all URLs. You need to access the page without `https://` for
   this to change. The setting under General > Settings is the only place where 
   you can change the URLs for all your visitors.
 * Keep in mind that without an SSL certificate, you could make your visitors feel
   uneasy about their data, and you’ll also face disadvantages in search engine 
   rankings compared to other websites that prioritize sites secured with SSL. I
   would recommend using an SSL certificate. If your hosting provider no longer 
   offers this for free, you can always switch providers.
 *  Moderator [Yui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fierevere/)
 * (@fierevere)
 * 永子
 * [1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/changing-permalinks-from-https-to-http/#post-18896638)
 * Its advised to do full search and replace in the database
 * `https://yourhost`
 * to
 * `http://yourhost`
 * You can use plugin like this one [https://wordpress.org/plugins/better-search-replace/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/better-search-replace/)
   
   Make sure to backup database dump before you proceed.However, you often can use
   free SSL certificates, like LetsEncrypt, most shared hosts are supporting it.
   For VPS/dedicated you can install scripts that will install and update certificates,
   like certbot or acme.sh
 * PS: If you have used HSTS headers, then your visitors are bound to forcibly use
   https:// , cant switch back unless everyone will do “Forget about this site” 
   in their browser. So you have to obtain SSL certificate and install it somehow,
   WordPress permalinks is not a major issue in that case.
    -  This reply was modified 1 month ago by [Yui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fierevere/).
 *  [alexfv](https://wordpress.org/support/users/alexfv/)
 * (@alexfv)
 * [3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/changing-permalinks-from-https-to-http/#post-18909670)
 * [@fierevere](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fierevere/) search-replace handles
   the body content URLs. The specific symptom you describe (General set to http,
   Permalinks page showing https) usually means there’s a `WP_HOME` and/or `WP_SITEURL`
   constant hard-coded in `wp-config.php`. Those constants take precedence over 
   the database and over Settings > General. The Permalinks page renders URLs through`
   home_url()`, which honors those constants, so the two screens end up disagreeing.
 * Open `wp-config.php` and look for:
 * `define('WP_HOME', 'https://...'); define('WP_SITEURL', 'https://...');`
 * If they’re there, swap them to http or delete the lines so General becomes the
   source of truth again.
 * Worth checking before you flip back: if anything ever sent an HSTS header on 
   the https response (most free-SSL setups turn this on), browsers that already
   loaded the site on https will refuse to load it over http for as long as `max-
   age` lasts. No way to clear that remotely. You’d have to keep the https response
   alive long enough to serve `max-age=0`, wait for browsers to re-cache, then switch.
 * If this is mainly about avoiding the renewal fee, LetsEncrypt via your host (
   cPanel/Plesk one-click on most shared hosts) or Cloudflare’s free tier in front
   of the site usually solves it without the rest.
 *  Moderator [Yui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fierevere/)
 * (@fierevere)
 * 永子
 * [3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/changing-permalinks-from-https-to-http/#post-18909673)
 * When you create posts. URLs are saved by address you use to access site (editor),
   it is always recommended to run search-replace to make URLs and image links consistant,
   despite settings one may use in wp-config.php (btw its fully optional to define
   WP_SITEURL in wp-config.php and its not the default, default is wp_option.siteurl)

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

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## Tags

 * [permalinks](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/permalinks/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 4 replies
 * 4 participants
 * Last reply from: [Yui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fierevere/)
 * Last activity: [3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/changing-permalinks-from-https-to-http/#post-18909673)
 * Status: not resolved

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