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HTTPS is a security protocol for Internet communication that sends information in an encrypted form between two devices. This protocol uses the HTTP protocol as the main protocol for Internet communication. Still, it ensures the security of the communication by using the TLS (Transport Layer Security) security protocol to encrypt the information sent.

In a general sense, protocol refers to a set of rules and regulations or methods of interaction and communication between two objects or devices. In computer science and computer networks, protocol refers to a set of rules and methods used for communication and interaction between two devices or networks. These rules and methods include data format, message structure, error detection method, and other communication details.

For example, the HTTP protocol (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) transfers information from the web server to the browser and vice versa. SMTP protocol (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used to send and receive e-mail, and TCP/IP protocol (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is used for communication in Internet networks. Each protocol is defined in a precise and specific way, and the devices that want to communicate with each other must use the same protocol to be able to communicate with each other.

HTTPS Security Protocol

In HTTPS communications, the information exchanged between the browser and the web server, including passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information, is encrypted. This means that any unwanted access to this information by unauthorized persons is impossible.

To use HTTPS, a website must use an SSL/TLS certificate issued by an SSL/TLS Certificate Authority (CA) to prove its identity. This SSL/TLS certificate includes information such as website domain name, organization name, and more. It is checked by the user’s browser to ensure that the connection with the desired website is a secure connection.

Nowadays, the use of HTTPS for web communication has become very common. Many websites use the HTTPS protocol with TLS to communicate securely with their users. This is very important because of increasing security and reducing the risk of theft of sensitive user information. Also, some web browsers such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox mark websites that do not use HTTPS as “untrusted.” And encourage users to use websites that support HTTPS.

Differences between HTTPS and HTTP Protocols

HTTPS protocol (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a more secure and encrypted version of the HTTP protocol. Actually, HTTPS uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) to encrypt communication. This makes the information sent between the server and the browser encrypted and secure.

In the HTTP protocol, the server and browser communication is done without encryption. Thus, there is the possibility of third parties accessing the transmitted information. This means that the information transferred between the server and the browser is accessible to third parties, such as hackers and spies. But in the HTTPS protocol, the information is encrypted, and using a strong encryption algorithm, the security of the connection between the server and the browser is ensured.

For example, if the HTTPS protocol is used on an online shopping site, credit card information and other personal information you enter during the purchase process will be transmitted encrypted. And the possibility of accessing this information by third parties on the Internet is reduced.

Therefore, the main difference between the HTTPS and HTTP protocols is in the security of communication and data encryption. Of course, in terms of function and communication structure, the two protocols have many similarities and use similar rules for communication between server and browser.

The Necessity of Using the HTTPS Protocol

The use of HTTPS is required for sites that receive sensitive information from users. Sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card information, and other personal information you enter during the purchase and payment process must be transmitted in encrypted form. In this way, third parties cannot easily access this information.

Using HTTPS for sites that receive sensitive information indicates that the site uses security methods to protect user information. Also, using HTTPS on sites that do not receive sensitive information allows users to access the Internet with better speed and performance.

Currently, many web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari, support sites that use the HTTPS protocol by default. Besides, some sites that use the HTTP protocol do not rank well in Internet search engines. This can lead to decreased site visits and traffic. Therefore, using the HTTPS protocol is definitely a must for sites that receive sensitive information. And it’s even recommended for sites that don’t receive sensitive information.

How Search Engines Access Encrypted Web Pages

Search engines can access web pages encrypted with the HTTPS protocol. But they cannot read the content of these pages and therefore cannot display them in the search results.

In a web page with HTTPS protocol, the communication between the user’s browser and the web server is encrypted. So that third parties cannot access the information sent during this communication. In fact, search engines can access these pages and receive encrypted information, but they cannot display them to users.

In other words, search engines may look for information such as page titles, meta descriptions, keywords, and internal links on HTTPS pages. But they cannot read these pages’ detailed content and other information. Therefore, for HTTPS pages to appear in search results, their content must be publicly available so that search engines can read and identify them. For this purpose, methods such as using a sitemap and submitting it to search engines or adding HTTPS pages to the robots.txt file can be used.

Map site

A sitemap is a file containing a list of a site’s web pages and informs search engines what pages are on the site and what links exist between them. This file is created as XML or HTML and sent to search engines. This way, they can easily access website pages and display them in search results.

A sitemap is automatically generated by some WordPress SEO plugins and other content management systems, but it can also be created manually. To make a sitemap, you need to put the list of website pages in an XML or HTML file in a structured and orderly manner. This file should then be placed directly in the site’s domain, or its link should be placed in the site’s robots.txt file.

A sitemap provides useful information to search engines, such as when pages were last updated, the priority of each page compared to other pages, and the content of pages. This information helps search engines find the pages of the site easily. This feature helps to improve the process of identifying and indexing web pages in search results. Also, a sitemap directly provides users with useful information about the structure of the site and its content.

ROBOTS.TXT file

The robots.txt file is a text file placed at the root of the site’s domain. This file allows search engines to check the site’s content and influence how the site’s pages are accessed. In other words, robots.txt tells search engines which parts of the site to recognize and which parts to ignore.

The robots.txt file is used to control how search engines access site pages. In this file, the paths that search engines are allowed to access and also the paths that should be protected from the access of search engines are specified. This file is designed based on the Standard for Robot Exclusion (SRE) protocol, and search engines always check this file first when scanning the site and then accessing the site pages.

The structure and function of the robots.txt file

The structure of the robots.txt file is very simple. Each line of this file contains two parts: User-agent and Disallow. In the User-agent section, the name of the search engine or web crawler that must be allowed to access the site pages is specified. In the Disallow section, the paths that should be protected from access by the search engine are specified. For example, suppose you want to prevent the Google search engine from accessing pages that contain user account information. In that case, you can put the paths that contain this information in the Disallow section of the robots.txt file.

To create a robots.txt file, you must first create a text file called robots.txt and place it in the root of the site’s domain. Then, using the User-agent section, you can specify the name of the search engine or web crawler that should be allowed to access the site’s pages. In the Disallow section, you can specify the paths that should be protected from access by the search engine. For this file to work properly, you must make sure that the search engines’ names are correct and that the paths to be protected from access are specified correctly. Also, it should be noted that the robots.txt file is only a guide for search engines and is not guaranteed to completely prevent search engines from accessing the pages specified in this file.