Help needed planning the steps to move from HTTP to HTTPS using a WordPress site

Help
1

I’ve been researching and learning the steps to successfully move a site from HTTP to HTTPS using Let’s Encrypt, and I want to make sure I’m not missing an steps.

My current setup is an Ubuntu server with Apache already hosting a site using HTTP.

This is what I got thus far:

  1. Add DNS alias in the DNS manager for www.example.com.
  2. Install Let’s Encrypt and get certificate for example.com and www.example.com
  3. Make sure that during the installation Let’s Encrypt adds 301 redirect to VirtualHost file on Apache.
    RewriteEngine on
    RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =example.com [OR]
    RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =www.example.com
    RewriteRule ^ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
  4. Add a cron schedule to renew SSL certifications
  5. On WordPress General settings change “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)” from http://example.com to https://example.com.
  6. On the WordPress database use search and replace to change all posts internal links to https://example.com
  7. Update Google Analytics site Property Settings “Default URL” from http:// to https://
  8. Update Bing Webmaster tools. Though, don’t know how. Help in this area will be appreciated.

Am I missing an step or anything else I need to do?
Are the steps in the correct order?
Can I have the site running with SSL without changing the internal links inside of posts for a few days until all the other changes are working correctly?

2

You should be able to add SSL without forcing SSL for as many days as you need.
So I would skip step 3 for now.
And on step 5, can you just say example.com (without specifying http or https)?
If so, maybe step 6 can also be just example.com.

3

Thanks for the input, but I think that step 5 will not work the way you’re suggesting, unless I’m understanding it wrong.

I just read WordPress documentation https://codex.wordpress.org/Changing_The_Site_URL with a note that reads:

“Note: Both settings should include the http:// part and should not have a slash “/” at the end.”

Which I assume it’s the same for HTTPS. What do you think?

4

I don’t PressWords so I can’t say for sure.
But I would still try just "example.com"
If that “breaks” anything, then go back to “http://example.com”

5

I’ll give it a try, but overall is the checklist solid to move from HTTP to HTTPS?

6

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