When both the HTTP and HTTPS versions of a URL lead to a page with a 200 (OK) status, it implies that the content can be accessed using both protocols.
Why is this important?
Security is the primary issue since the HTTP protocol is not encrypted, which could expose user data to potential risks. Additionally, search engines encountering identical pages under both protocols might lead to duplicate content concerns that can negatively affect a site’s search ranking.
What does the Optimization check?
The following condition will set off this Optimization: any internal link showing a 200 status for both the HTTP and HTTPS versions.
Examples that trigger this Optimization
The starting URL is http://example.com, thereby opting to review the HTTP version of the site. A given URL, such as http://example.com/page1, comes back with a 200 HTTP status. If https://example.com/page1 similarly reflects a 200 status, this Optimization is activated. The same applies if the HTTPS protocol was the starting point for the crawl.
How do you resolve this issue?
It is essential for URLs to be exclusive to a single address. If reachable via both HTTP and HTTPS, you have to establish one version as the 'canonical' and redirect the other to it for consistency. Going forward, prefer HTTPS for security and follow a meticulous HTTP to HTTPS migration strategy.
If the website is traditionally served over HTTP and an immediate switch to HTTPS is not viable, consider implementing redirection rules from HTTPS to HTTP.
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