To solve the problem of redirecting Cloudflare from HTTPS to HTTP, which is generally not recommended due to significant security and SEO disadvantages, here are the detailed steps. While technically feasible, understand that this action weakens your site’s security posture and can negatively impact user trust and search engine rankings.

👉 Skip the hassle and get the ready to use 100% working script (Link in the comments section of the YouTube Video) (Latest test 31/05/2025)

Check more on: How to Bypass Cloudflare Turnstile & Cloudflare WAF – Reddit, How to Bypass Cloudflare Turnstile, Cloudflare WAF & reCAPTCHA v3 – Medium, How to Bypass Cloudflare Turnstile, WAF & reCAPTCHA v3 – LinkedIn Article

Table of Contents

Method 1: Using Cloudflare Page Rules Not Recommended

Access Cloudflare Dashboard: Log in to your Cloudflare account.
Navigate to Page Rules: Select your domain, then go to the “Rules” section, and click on “Page Rules.”
Create a New Page Rule: Click “Create Page Rule.”
Define the URL Pattern:
- In the “If the URL matches” field, enter https://*yourdomain.com/* replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain. This captures all HTTPS requests for your domain.
Add Settings:
- Click “Add a Setting.”
- Select “Forwarding URL” from the dropdown.
- Choose “301 – Permanent Redirect.”
- Enter the destination URL as http://$1$2 if you used *yourdomain.com/* pattern or http://yourdomain.com/$2 if you used yourdomain.com/* pattern. The $1 and $2 capture parts of the original URL.
  - Important Note on Wildcards: If your original pattern was https://www.example.com/*, your destination would be http://www.example.com/$1. If it was https://example.com/*, it would be http://example.com/$1. For patterns like https://*example.com/*, use http://$1example.com/$2.
Save and Deploy: Click “Save and Deploy.”
- Caution: This will force all HTTPS traffic to HTTP. Be extremely cautious and ensure you understand the ramifications.

Method 2: Disable Always Use HTTPS Still Not Recommended

Navigate to SSL/TLS: Select your domain, then go to the “SSL/TLS” section.
Edge Certificates: Click on “Edge Certificates.”
Toggle Off “Always Use HTTPS”: Find the “Always Use HTTPS” toggle and switch it to “Off.”
- Warning: This setting specifically prevents Cloudflare from automatically redirecting HTTP to HTTPS at the edge. It won’t force HTTPS to HTTP, but it stops Cloudflare from enforcing HTTPS. If your origin server still serves HTTPS, users might still access it via HTTPS. To truly revert, you’d likely need to configure your origin server as well, which is an even greater security risk.

The Ill-Advised Path: Why Downgrading from HTTPS to HTTP is a Grave Misstep

While this guide outlines the technical steps to achieve such a backward transition for informational purposes, it is imperative to understand that this action carries significant, detrimental consequences.

As a professional in the digital space, it is my duty to vehemently discourage this path, providing alternatives and explaining why upholding modern security standards is not merely a preference but a necessity, both from a practical and an ethical standpoint.

The Imperative of HTTPS: A Foundation of Trust and Security

The shift from HTTP to HTTPS has been one of the most significant advancements in web security over the past decade.

HTTPS, underpinned by TLS/SSL protocols, encrypts the communication between a user’s browser and the web server, safeguarding sensitive data from eavesdropping, tampering, and forgery.

Downgrading to HTTP strips away this fundamental layer of protection, leaving users vulnerable and eroding the credibility of your digital presence.

Understanding the Core Differences: HTTP vs. HTTPS

At its heart, the distinction between HTTP and HTTPS lies in the security layer.

HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol transmits data in plain text, making it highly susceptible to interception.

Imagine sending a postcard through the mail – anyone can read it.

HTTPS Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure adds a layer of encryption via SSL/TLS Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security, which is like sending that same postcard sealed in an encrypted, tamper-proof envelope.

HTTP:
- Unencrypted: Data is sent in plain text.
- Vulnerable: Easily intercepted, modified, or spied upon.
- No Authentication: No verification of the server’s identity.
- Browser Warnings: Modern browsers flag HTTP sites as “Not Secure.”
- SEO Penalty: Google actively penalizes HTTP sites in search rankings.
- Common Port: Port 80.
HTTPS:
- Encrypted: Data is scrambled and secured.
- Secure: Protects against eavesdropping, data tampering, and man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Authenticated: Verifies the identity of the server.
- Browser Indicators: Displays a padlock icon and “Secure” in the address bar.
- SEO Advantage: Google prioritizes HTTPS sites.
- Common Port: Port 443.
- Data: As of early 2024, over 95% of all page loads in Chrome are over HTTPS, according to Google’s own transparency report. This clearly indicates the overwhelming industry adoption and user expectation.

The Role of SSL/TLS Certificates

An SSL/TLS certificate is the linchpin of HTTPS. Website has

It’s a small data file that digitally binds a cryptographic key to an organization’s details.

When installed on a web server, it activates the padlock and the https protocol and allows secure connections from a web server to a browser. Without it, HTTPS simply doesn’t exist.

Downgrading means effectively discarding the security provided by these certificates.

The Grave Security Ramifications of Reverting to HTTP

The decision to downgrade to HTTP is a severe security misstep that exposes your users and your data to a multitude of threats.

It is a decision that undermines the very fabric of secure online interaction.

Data Interception and Eavesdropping

When data travels over HTTP, it is in plain text.

This means that anyone with access to the network path between the user and your server – be it an ISP, a government agency, or a malicious actor on a public Wi-Fi network – can intercept and read all communications.

This includes sensitive information such as login credentials, personal details, credit card numbers, and private messages.

Example: If a user logs into an HTTP site, their username and password can be captured by a simple packet sniffer. In contrast, on an HTTPS site, the same credentials would be encrypted, appearing as unintelligible characters to an eavesdropper.
Statistic: According to a report by Verizon, web application attacks are a significant vector for breaches, with unencrypted data transfer being a critical vulnerability.

Man-in-the-Middle MitM Attacks

MitM attacks are particularly insidious because an attacker positions themselves between the user and the server, intercepting and potentially altering communications without either party being aware.

With HTTP, the lack of authentication allows an attacker to impersonate either side, redirecting traffic, injecting malicious content like phishing forms or malware, or censoring information. Cloudflare access bypass

How it works: An attacker can create a rogue Wi-Fi hotspot or compromise a router to intercept traffic. Since HTTP has no integrity check, they can modify content before it reaches the user, leading to anything from defacing a webpage to injecting ransomware.
Consequence: Users could unknowingly download malware, have their accounts compromised, or be tricked into revealing personal information to an imposter.

Loss of Data Integrity and Authenticity

HTTPS ensures that the data sent from the server is precisely what the user receives, without any alterations.

It also verifies that the server the user is connecting to is indeed the legitimate server of the website. HTTP offers no such guarantees.

Data Tampering: An attacker could inject unwanted advertisements, malicious scripts, or even misleading information directly into your website’s content as it travels to the user.
Phishing and Impersonation: Without server authentication, it becomes easier for malicious actors to set up fake websites that mimic yours, tricking users into believing they are interacting with your legitimate service. HTTPS certificates, issued by trusted Certificate Authorities, provide a verifiable chain of trust.

SEO and Browser Implications: The Price of Negligence

Beyond security, downgrading to HTTP incurs significant penalties from search engines and modern web browsers, directly impacting your visibility, traffic, and user experience.

Google’s HTTPS Prioritization

Google has been a vocal advocate for “HTTPS Everywhere.” In 2014, they announced that HTTPS would be a lightweight ranking signal.

Over time, this signal has grown in importance, and more recently, Chrome started marking HTTP pages as “Not Secure.”

Ranking Signal: While not the strongest signal, HTTPS provides a measurable boost in search rankings. Reverting to HTTP means forfeiting this advantage and potentially seeing a decline in organic search visibility, as Google aims to provide secure search results.
User Experience Ranking: Google’s algorithms increasingly consider user experience, and a “Not Secure” warning is a definite negative signal. This could lead to lower click-through rates CTR from search results.
Data: Studies by various SEO tools e.g., Ahrefs, Moz consistently show a strong correlation between higher rankings and HTTPS adoption, with the majority of top-ranking pages being secured with SSL.

Browser Warnings and User Distrust

Modern web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge have taken aggressive stances against insecure HTTP sites.

“Not Secure” Label: Chrome, which commands over 60% of the global browser market share, prominently displays a “Not Secure” warning in the address bar for all HTTP pages. This is a bright red flag for users, especially those who are privacy-conscious.
Blocked Features: Many advanced browser features, particularly those related to location services, push notifications, and even service workers which are crucial for progressive web apps, require a secure HTTPS context. Downgrading would render these features unusable.
Loss of Trust: Users are increasingly aware of online security. Seeing a “Not Secure” warning immediately erodes trust in your website. They may abandon their visit, hesitate to make purchases, or be less likely to share information. This directly impacts conversion rates and brand reputation.
Impact on Conversion: For e-commerce sites, a lack of HTTPS can plummet conversion rates. A survey by GlobalSign found that 84% of users would abandon a purchase if data was sent over an insecure connection.

Impact on Referral Data and Analytics

When a user clicks from an HTTPS site to an HTTP site, the referral data in analytics tools like Google Analytics can be lost or obscured.

This is because most browsers, for security reasons, strip the referrer header when navigating from a secure to an insecure origin.

Inaccurate Insights: This can lead to inaccurate analytics data, making it difficult to understand where your traffic is coming from, evaluate marketing campaigns, and optimize user journeys.
Marketing Blind Spots: Without reliable referral data, your marketing team might struggle to attribute conversions and optimize their spending effectively.

Performance Considerations: The Surprising Edge of HTTPS

While intuitively one might assume encryption adds overhead and slows down a website, modern HTTPS implementations, particularly with Cloudflare’s optimization, often offer performance advantages over HTTP.

HTTP/2 and HTTP/3: The Speed Demons

HTTP/2 and its successor, HTTP/3, are advanced protocols designed to significantly improve web performance. Cloudflare proxy server address

They offer features like multiplexing sending multiple requests and responses simultaneously over a single connection, header compression, and server push sending resources to the client before they are requested.

Requirement: Critically, both HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 are almost universally implemented over TLS/SSL. While HTTP/2 technically supports cleartext, all major browsers only support it over TLS. HTTP/3 requires TLS.
Performance Boost: By reverting to HTTP, you forgo the performance benefits of HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, trapping your site in the older, slower HTTP/1.1 protocol. This means slower page load times, higher latency, and a less responsive user experience.
Cloudflare’s Role: Cloudflare actively leverages HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 to optimize traffic, providing faster content delivery. By disabling HTTPS, you’re essentially disabling these performance optimizations at Cloudflare’s edge.

Caching and CDN Effectiveness

Cloudflare, as a Content Delivery Network CDN, relies heavily on caching to deliver content quickly.

While caching works for HTTP, the integration with modern protocols like HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 via HTTPS enhances its efficiency.

Furthermore, some advanced caching features or optimizations might be tied to secure connections.

SSL Offloading: Cloudflare performs SSL offloading, where it handles the encryption/decryption at its edge servers. This reduces the processing load on your origin server, leading to better performance. Downgrading effectively negates this benefit.

The Ethical Imperative: Responsible Digital Citizenship

Beyond the technical and business implications, there is an ethical dimension to maintaining HTTPS.

As a responsible digital entity, you have a duty to protect your users and contribute to a more secure internet.

Protecting User Privacy

In an era of increasing data breaches and privacy concerns, providing a secure browsing experience is a fundamental ethical obligation.

Users entrust their data to websites, and failing to encrypt that data is a breach of that trust.

Reverting to HTTP signals a disregard for user privacy and security.

GDPR, CCPA, and Other Regulations: While not directly mandated by these regulations, failing to protect data in transit can be viewed as a lapse in reasonable security measures, potentially exposing you to legal liabilities. These regulations emphasize data protection by design and default, and HTTPS is a cornerstone of this principle.

Contributing to a Safer Web Ecosystem

Every website that adopts and maintains HTTPS contributes to a stronger, more secure internet ecosystem. Ip blocking

Conversely, every website that reverts to HTTP weakens it, making it easier for malicious actors to exploit vulnerabilities and erode overall trust in online interactions.

Collective Responsibility: As web professionals, we have a collective responsibility to advocate for and implement best security practices. Downgrading is a step in the wrong direction, undermining the efforts of the wider internet community to build a safer digital space.

Alternative and Recommended Solutions: Embracing Security

Instead of contemplating a downgrade to HTTP, the focus should always be on strengthening your HTTPS implementation and addressing any underlying issues that might lead one to consider such a detrimental step.

Ensure Proper HTTPS Configuration

The vast majority of issues attributed to HTTPS e.g., mixed content warnings, certificate errors are due to improper configuration, not inherent flaws in the protocol itself.

Mixed Content Fixes: The most common issue is mixed content, where an HTTPS page loads insecure HTTP resources images, scripts, stylesheets. Cloudflare offers an “Automatic HTTPS Rewrites” feature which can often fix this automatically. Alternatively, manually update all hardcoded http:// links to https:// or protocol-relative // links.
Valid Certificates: Ensure your SSL/TLS certificate is valid, up-to-date, and correctly installed. Cloudflare’s Universal SSL provides a free, easy-to-use certificate for most users.
HSTS HTTP Strict Transport Security: Implement HSTS to instruct browsers to always connect to your site over HTTPS, even if a user types http://. This protects against SSL stripping attacks and ensures future visits are secure. Cloudflare offers an HSTS setting under SSL/TLS > Edge Certificates.
Origin Server Configuration: Ensure your origin server your hosting provider is correctly configured to serve content over HTTPS and redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS. Cloudflare handles the edge, but your origin must also be secure.

Prioritize Security and User Experience

The “cost” of HTTPS which is often free with services like Cloudflare or Let’s Encrypt is negligible compared to the potential losses from security breaches, SEO penalties, and user distrust.

Investing in a secure website is an investment in your brand’s future.

Education: Educate your team and stakeholders on the critical importance of HTTPS. Make it a non-negotiable aspect of your web development and operations.
Regular Audits: Periodically audit your website for security vulnerabilities and ensure your HTTPS implementation is robust and free of errors. Tools like SSL Labs’ SSL Server Test can provide comprehensive reports.

Conclusion: A Firm Stance Against Regression

The notion of reverting a website from HTTPS to HTTP is not merely a technical configuration choice. it is a profound ethical and strategic misjudgment.

It signals a retreat from modern security standards, a disregard for user privacy, and a willingness to compromise your site’s visibility and reputation.

As guardians of digital integrity, our commitment must always be towards enhancing security, fostering trust, and contributing to a safer, more robust internet.

The path forward is unequivocally towards more secure, encrypted connections, not a perilous journey back to the vulnerabilities of the past. Embrace HTTPS. it is the only responsible choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main disadvantages of switching from HTTPS to HTTP?

The main disadvantages include significant security risks data interception, man-in-the-middle attacks, negative SEO impact Google ranking penalty, browser “Not Secure” warnings which erode user trust, loss of modern performance features like HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, and the inability to use advanced browser APIs. Cloudflare as proxy

Why would someone consider switching from HTTPS to HTTP?

While highly discouraged, some might consider it due to perceived complexity in fixing mixed content issues, legacy system incompatibilities with HTTPS, or a misunderstanding of its importance, believing it slows down their site or is an unnecessary cost though HTTPS is often free now.

Can Cloudflare force a website from HTTPS to HTTP?

Yes, technically Cloudflare can be configured via Page Rules to redirect HTTPS traffic to HTTP.

However, this is a dangerous configuration and Cloudflare’s default settings and recommendations are strongly in favor of “Always Use HTTPS.”

Is it true that Google penalizes HTTP websites in search rankings?

Yes, Google officially announced in 2014 that HTTPS is a lightweight ranking signal.

While not a primary factor, it contributes to overall site quality and user experience, and sites without HTTPS are increasingly disadvantaged.

What are “mixed content” warnings and how do they relate to HTTPS?

Mixed content warnings occur when an HTTPS page attempts to load insecure HTTP resources like images, scripts, or stylesheets. Browsers block or warn about these to prevent security vulnerabilities, even on an otherwise secure page.

This is a common issue when migrating from HTTP to HTTPS, but easily fixable.

What is the “Always Use HTTPS” setting in Cloudflare?

“Always Use HTTPS” is a Cloudflare SSL/TLS setting that automatically redirects all incoming HTTP requests for your domain to HTTPS.

This ensures that users always access your site over a secure connection when routed through Cloudflare.

What is HTTP Strict Transport Security HSTS and why is it important for HTTPS?

HSTS HTTP Strict Transport Security is a security mechanism that forces browsers to only connect to a website over HTTPS, even if a user types http://. It helps protect against SSL stripping attacks and ensures all subsequent visits are secure. Cloudflare offers an HSTS setting. Cloudflare protection ddos

How does switching to HTTP impact user trust and conversion rates?

Switching to HTTP drastically erodes user trust, as modern browsers prominently display “Not Secure” warnings.

This leads to higher bounce rates, lower engagement, and significantly reduced conversion rates, especially for e-commerce or sites handling sensitive information.

Are there any performance benefits to using HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 with HTTPS?

Yes, both HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 significantly improve web performance through features like multiplexing, header compression, and server push.

They are almost exclusively implemented over TLS/SSL, meaning you lose these benefits if you revert to HTTP.

How can I fix mixed content issues on my Cloudflare-proxied site?

Cloudflare offers an “Automatic HTTPS Rewrites” feature under SSL/TLS > Edge Certificates which attempts to fix mixed content issues by rewriting http:// assets to https://. For persistent issues, you may need to manually update your website’s code to use https:// or protocol-relative // URLs for all resources.

What is SSL offloading and how does Cloudflare use it?

SSL offloading is a technique where a separate device or service like Cloudflare handles the encryption and decryption of SSL/TLS traffic, reducing the processing load on your origin server.

Cloudflare performs SSL offloading at its edge, which benefits performance.

Will reverting to HTTP make my website faster?

No, it is highly unlikely to make your website faster and will likely make it slower by preventing the use of modern, performance-enhancing protocols like HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, which rely on HTTPS.

Any perceived speed gain would be offset by severe security and SEO drawbacks.

What are the legal implications of not using HTTPS for sensitive data?

While not universally mandated for all data types, failing to use HTTPS for sensitive data e.g., financial, personal health information can be seen as a breach of “reasonable security measures” under data protection regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA, potentially leading to legal liabilities. Access cloudflare

Can I still use Cloudflare’s CDN and DDoS protection if I switch to HTTP?

Yes, Cloudflare’s CDN and DDoS protection services can still function with HTTP.

However, you will lose the security and performance benefits associated with their HTTPS optimizations and modern protocol support.

What is the difference between Flexible, Full, and Full Strict SSL modes in Cloudflare?

These modes determine how Cloudflare handles SSL between its edge and your origin server:

Flexible: Encrypts traffic from user to Cloudflare, but not from Cloudflare to your origin least secure.
Full: Encrypts traffic end-to-end, but doesn’t validate the origin server’s certificate medium security.
Full Strict: Encrypts traffic end-to-end and validates the origin server’s certificate most secure, recommended.

What should I do if my origin server doesn’t support HTTPS?

If your origin server doesn’t support HTTPS, you should strongly consider migrating to a hosting provider that does.

In the interim, Cloudflare’s Flexible SSL mode can provide some encryption between the user and Cloudflare, but the connection to your origin remains unencrypted, which is a significant vulnerability.

How does Cloudflare’s Universal SSL certificate work?

Cloudflare’s Universal SSL provides a free, shared SSL certificate that automatically covers your domain and subdomains.

It allows for encrypted connections between users and Cloudflare’s edge network, making it easy for almost any website to enable HTTPS.

What are the risks of using HTTP on public Wi-Fi networks?

On public Wi-Fi, HTTP connections are particularly vulnerable to eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Anyone on the same network can potentially intercept and read your unencrypted data, including login credentials and personal information.

What are the alternatives to reverting to HTTP if I’m facing problems?

The best alternatives are to properly configure HTTPS, fix mixed content issues, implement HSTS, ensure your origin server supports HTTPS, and leverage Cloudflare’s various SSL/TLS features. Bot ip

Seek expert help if you’re struggling with configuration.

How important is HTTPS for e-commerce websites?

HTTPS is absolutely critical for e-commerce websites.

Without it, customer payment information and personal data would be transmitted in plain text, making them susceptible to theft.

Furthermore, the “Not Secure” warning would almost certainly deter customers from making purchases, leading to severe business losses and legal liabilities.

Cloudflare https to http