Fix Mixed Content and Move a WordPress Site Fully to HTTPS
GOMAX ULTIMATE 5.69.0 makes moving a WordPress site fully onto HTTPS much easier: it scans several key pages at once for insecure http:// resources, audits your database for own-domain http:// URLs still stored in post c
GOMAX ULTIMATE 5.69.0 makes moving a WordPress site fully onto HTTPS much easier: it scans several key pages at once for insecure http:// resources, audits your database for own-domain http:// URLs still stored in post content, meta and options, and safely rewrites the plain ones to https:// — deliberately skipping serialized data so nothing breaks. Mixed content is the usual reason a site with a valid certificate still shows a "not secure" warning; these tools find and clear it.
The HTTPS module used to check one page at a time. Now it looks across your site and into your database, where stale http:// links love to hide.
Key takeaways
Site-wide scan. Checks your home page, shop and most recent content in one pass and lists the worst offenders.
Database audit. Finds own-domain http:// URLs still sitting in post content, post meta and options.
Serialized-safe. Flags serialized values instead of blindly editing them, so complex settings never get corrupted.
Safe automatic fix. Rewrites plain own-domain http:// links to https:// in meta and options, dry-run by default.
Own domain only. It never touches external URLs, and everything runs on your own site.
Why the padlock still warns after installing SSL
Installing an SSL certificate and switching your site address to https:// is only half the job. If a page loads an image, script or stylesheet over http://, the browser flags the whole page as insecure — that's "mixed content". Those insecure references often come from old links saved inside post content, widget settings, theme options or plugin meta. Finding them by hand is tedious; this release finds them for you.
Scan across the site, then into the database
The site-wide scan fetches several important pages and reports how many insecure resources each one loads, worst first, separating your own domain (fixable) from external ones (which must be changed at the source). The database audit goes deeper, counting own-domain http:// URLs in your post content, post meta and options — and it flags any that are stored as serialized data.
A safe fix that respects serialized data
Rewriting URLs in the database is where careless tools cause damage: serialized values store the length of each string, so a naive find-and-replace corrupts them. GOMAX avoids that entirely. It rewrites only plain, non-serialized own-domain http:// links to https:// in your meta and options, and it reports the serialized ones separately so you can update them with a serialization-aware tool. Everything is dry-run by default, so you preview before anything changes.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my site say "not secure" even with an SSL certificate? Almost always mixed content: a page is loading at least one resource over http://. Browsers mark the whole page insecure until every resource is https://. The site-wide scan shows which pages and resources are the problem.
Is it safe to rewrite URLs in the database? Yes, the way GOMAX does it. It only changes plain, non-serialized values, and it skips serialized data (which can corrupt with a naive replace), reporting those separately. It's also dry-run by default so you can preview first.
Does it change external links? No. Only your own domain's http:// links are rewritten. External http:// resources are reported so you can update or remove them at the source.
What are serialized values and why are they skipped? Serialized data is how WordPress stores arrays and objects (common in widget and plugin settings). It embeds string lengths, so a plain replace breaks it. GOMAX flags these for a serialization-aware tool like WP-CLI instead of risking corruption.
Does anything leave my server? No. The scans fetch your own pages and read your own database; the fixes run locally. Nothing is sent to GOMAX or any third party.
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Originally published by Dev.to Security. Aggregated on AIWithGhost for educational purposes — full credit and traffic to the original publisher.