This is What Causes the WooCommerce Checkout Page to Keep Loading Only on HTTPS, But Work Fine on HTTP
As an ecommerce store owner, having a smooth and reliable checkout process is crucial for driving sales and conversions. However, one common issue that many WooCommerce users face is a checkout page that keeps loading endlessly when accessed via HTTPS, while functioning properly on regular HTTP.
This problem can be incredibly frustrating, as it not only disrupts the customer experience but also raises concerns about the security and trustworthiness of your online store. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the most common causes behind this WooCommerce checkout issue and provide you with practical steps to diagnose and resolve the problem.
Understanding the Problem: Mixed Content Errors
One of the primary reasons why the WooCommerce checkout page may load indefinitely on HTTPS, but work correctly on HTTP, is the presence of a "mixed content" error. This occurs when your website is served over a secure HTTPS connection, but it's attempting to load resources (such as images, scripts, or stylesheets) from an unsecure HTTP source.
Modern web browsers, in an effort to maintain the security and integrity of the encrypted HTTPS connection, will block these insecure resource requests, which can lead to the checkout page failing to load properly. This mixed content issue is a common problem for websites that have recently migrated from HTTP to HTTPS, as they may have overlooked certain resources that were not properly updated to use the secure protocol.
To identify if a mixed content error is the root cause of your WooCommerce checkout issue, you can use your browser's developer tools to inspect the network requests being made during the checkout process. Look for any resources that are being loaded from an "http://" URL instead of "https://". These insecure requests will likely be the culprit behind the endless loading on your HTTPS checkout page.
Resolving Mixed Content Errors
Once you've identified the mixed content errors, the next step is to resolve them. Here are the key strategies you can employ:
-
Locate and Update Insecure Resources: Systematically go through your website and update any hardcoded "http://" URLs to use the secure "https://" protocol. This may involve updating image sources, script and stylesheet references, and any other external resources that your site is loading.
-
Utilize the WordPress Mixed Content Fixer Plugin: The WordPress Mixed Content Fixer plugin is a valuable tool that can automatically scan your website and identify any mixed content issues. It then provides the option to easily replace the insecure URLs with their HTTPS counterparts, helping to resolve the problem with minimal manual effort.
-
Review and Update Plugin and Theme Settings: Some WordPress plugins and themes may have settings or configurations that still reference insecure HTTP resources. Carefully review the settings of any installed plugins and your active theme to ensure that all references to external resources are using HTTPS.
-
Implement a Content Security Policy (CSP): Adopting a Content Security Policy (CSP) can help prevent mixed content issues by explicitly defining the trusted sources from which your website is allowed to load resources. You can use a plugin like WordPress HTTPS (SSL) and HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to set up a CSP for your WooCommerce site.
By resolving any mixed content errors on your WooCommerce checkout page, you should be able to ensure that the page loads properly and securely over the HTTPS protocol.
Troubleshooting SSL/TLS Certificate Issues
Another common cause of the WooCommerce checkout loading problem on HTTPS, but not on HTTP, is an issue with the SSL/TLS certificate configured for your website. If the certificate is expired, misconfigured, or not properly installed, it can prevent the secure HTTPS connection from being established, leading to the checkout page failing to load.
To troubleshoot SSL/TLS certificate issues, start by checking the validity and configuration of your website's SSL/TLS certificate. You can use online tools like SSL Labs or SSL Certificate Checker to assess the status and health of your certificate.
If the certificate appears to be valid and properly configured, the next step is to ensure that it is being correctly installed and utilized by your WordPress/WooCommerce site. Here are some additional steps you can take:
-
Verify HTTPS Redirection: Ensure that your website is properly configured to redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS. This can be done through your web server's settings, a WordPress plugin like Really Simple SSL, or by modifying your site's .htaccess
file.
-
Check Plugin and Theme Compatibility: Some WordPress plugins or themes may interfere with the proper handling of the SSL/TLS certificate. Try temporarily disabling any recently installed plugins or switching to a default WordPress theme to see if that resolves the issue.
-
Deactivate and Reactivate WooCommerce: As a troubleshooting step, you can try deactivating and then reactivating the WooCommerce plugin. This can sometimes help reset any internal configurations that may be contributing to the checkout loading problem.
-
Regenerate the .htaccess File: If the above steps don't work, you can try regenerating the .htaccess
file, which is responsible for handling URL rewriting and other server-level configurations. You can do this by going to the WordPress dashboard, navigating to the Permalinks settings, and clicking the "Save Changes" button to force the .htaccess
file to be updated.
By addressing any SSL/TLS certificate issues, you can ensure that the secure HTTPS connection is properly established, allowing your WooCommerce checkout page to load correctly.
Resolving Plugin Conflicts
Another potential cause of the WooCommerce checkout loading problem on HTTPS, but not HTTP, is a conflict between your installed plugins and the secure HTTPS environment. Certain plugins, particularly those that handle payment gateways, caching, or security-related functionality, may not be properly configured to work with the HTTPS protocol, leading to issues with the checkout page.
To identify and resolve plugin conflicts, follow these steps:
-
Deactivate and Reactivate Plugins: Start by deactivating all your installed plugins, one by one, and testing the checkout page after each deactivation. This can help you identify if a specific plugin is the root cause of the issue.
-
Check Plugin Updates and Compatibility: Ensure that all your installed plugins, particularly those related to payment gateways, caching, and security, are up-to-date and compatible with the latest version of WooCommerce and WordPress. Outdated or incompatible plugins can often cause compatibility issues.
-
Review Plugin Settings and Configurations: Carefully review the settings and configurations of any plugins that interact with the checkout process, such as payment gateways, caching plugins, and security plugins. Make sure that these plugins are properly configured to work with the HTTPS protocol.
-
Try Disabling Caching and Optimization Plugins: Caching and optimization plugins, while beneficial for performance, can sometimes cause issues with the proper loading of dynamic content, like the WooCommerce checkout page. Try temporarily disabling any caching or optimization plugins to see if that resolves the problem.
-
Seek Plugin Support: If you've exhausted the above steps and are still experiencing issues, reach out to the support channels of the plugins you have installed. The plugin developers may be able to provide more specific guidance on resolving any compatibility problems with the HTTPS protocol.
By identifying and resolving any plugin conflicts, you can ensure that your WooCommerce checkout page loads correctly and securely over the HTTPS protocol.
Conclusion
The issue of a WooCommerce checkout page that keeps loading endlessly on HTTPS, but functions properly on HTTP, can be a frustrating problem to troubleshoot. However, by understanding the common causes, such as mixed content errors, SSL/TLS certificate issues, and plugin conflicts, you can systematically diagnose and resolve the problem.
Remember to use your browser's developer tools to identify any mixed content errors, update insecure resources to use HTTPS, and leverage tools like the WordPress Mixed Content Fixer plugin to automate the process. Additionally, ensure that your SSL/TLS certificate is valid and properly configured, and investigate any potential plugin conflicts that may be interfering with the secure HTTPS environment.
By following the steps outlined in this article, you can get your WooCommerce checkout page loading smoothly and securely on HTTPS, providing your customers with a seamless and trustworthy shopping experience. Flowpoint.ai can help you identify all the technical errors that are impacting your conversion rates and directly generate recommendations to fix them
Get a Free AI Website Audit
Automatically identify UX and content issues affecting your conversion rates with Flowpoint's comprehensive AI-driven website audit.