HTTPS
HTTP over TLS, encrypting traffic between browser and server; a lightweight Google ranking signal since 2014 and a baseline expectation…
Technical
Mixed content
Insecure http subresources loaded by an https page; browsers block active mixed content and may upgrade or block passive content.
In full
Active mixed content (scripts, iframes, stylesheets, XHR) is blocked outright by modern browsers, which can break rendering and therefore indexing of JavaScript-dependent content. Passive mixed content such as images may be auto-upgraded or blocked depending on browser policy. A Content-Security-Policy `upgrade-insecure-requests` directive is the usual blanket fix while hard-coded http URLs are cleaned up.
Example
A legacy analytics script loaded over http is blocked, so a client-rendered product grid never populates for crawlers.
Related terms
HSTS
A response header instructing browsers to only contact a host over HTTPS for a set period, eliminating the initial insecure request.
JavaScript rendering
The execution of a page's client-side JavaScript by a search engine so that content and links generated at runtime become indexable.
Third-party scripts
Externally hosted JavaScript such as analytics, tag managers, consent tools, chat widgets and ad code, which are a leading cause of poor…
Page experience
Google's umbrella term for signals about how users perceive interacting with a page, including Core Web Vitals, HTTPS and absence of…