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Next month Google Search will integrate AMP pages. These are pages that are designed to work rapidly on mobile devices even when using a poor network connection.

Should I host these AMP pages on a HTTP or HTTPS URL?

We all know that Google is supposed to give minor ranking boosts for secure websites but then again, these pages are minimal and HTTPS uses a little more server-load than that of a HTTPS request. What are your thoughts?

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    Hopefully the support will not get behind AMP, its absolutely ridiculous removing some of the CSS3 features, its like going back to how websites looked in 2000. Think I'll just cater for those with 3G and 4G... ain't going backwards, pointless.
    – Simon Hayter
    Jan 25, 2016 at 18:50
  • I agree! I think Google have gone overboard with page speed. With 4G coverage in most major towns and cities now you wouldn't have thought that catering for persons with poor coverage would be a problem. I can understand it's use for platforms such as Facebook/Twitter where you can read a flattened down, easy to read and fast news article - but implementing this into Google's SERPS just seems unnecessary!
    – Liam McArthur
    Jan 25, 2016 at 18:53
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    Drastically limits JavaScript too which is absolutely stupid most mobile phones are more powerful that computers back in 2000. The only reason Google is behind the project is because only 'SELECTED' adnetworks will work, and only certain Analytics. No one should support this outrage of stupidity.
    – Simon Hayter
    Jan 25, 2016 at 19:03

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These are really two separate questions: if you're thinking of implementing AMP, that shouldn't affect your choice between HTTP and HTTPS in any way.

So you have two choices to make: "do you want to implement AMP?" (and it sounds like you do); and "do you want to go HTTPS?", for which I've written an answer here.

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  • I'm already implementing SSL anyway but it just seems unnecessary to secure a static HTML page that has no potential security problems or data that needs to be encrypted.
    – Liam McArthur
    Jan 25, 2016 at 18:52
  • @LiamMcArthur, you might be right. It depends on your application. If I ran a bank, I might want the AMP pages over HTTPS along with everything else, because why not? It conveys trust, doesn't slow things down much, and it's simpler to just have one protocol everywhere. But if there are no potential security problems then you could just leave it as HTTP. I think what's pertinent to this question is that AMP itself doesn't alter your decision: if you weren't going to serve your regular static HTML over HTTPS, then you don't need to do so for the AMP version.
    – Stephan
    Jan 25, 2016 at 20:32
  • I've had a read through that link. It's always nice to see a post from a big figure like Rand Fishkin. We're currently in the decision stage of moving our website over to HTTPS throughout the entire website. At the moment it's only secure during the checkout/account areas.
    – Liam McArthur
    Jan 26, 2016 at 14:29
  • @LiamMcArthur Keep in mind that HTTPS not only secures customer data, it also secures your site from being tampered with before it reaches your user.
    – Maximillian Laumeister ♦
    Jan 26, 2016 at 18:58
  • We've gone full HTTPS now anyway, so this question is redundant :)
    – Liam McArthur
    May 3, 2017 at 10:46
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AMP does not required HTTPS, unless you have to using form tag in your HTML(For example you are using ASP.NET Web Form).

So, About using HTTPS or HTTP with AMP, If you are using form tag in your HTML ,Your answer is Yes! You must host AMP pages on HTTPS URLs.

Otherwise your answer is No.

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