> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.omics.ai/products/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.omics.ai/products/publisher/data-sources/connectors/connecting-to-https.md).

# Connecting to HTTPS

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is an extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). It uses encryption for secure communication over a computer network.

[Publisher](https://github.com/DNAstack/dnastack-product-docs/blob/main/docs/publisher/data-sources/connectors/broken-reference/README.md) can connect to data accessible through public HTTPS URLs. This connection type enables you to aggregate files from multiple web locations into a single data source.

## Configuration Process

### Initial Setup

From the Publisher interface, select "Data Sources" in the navigation bar and click "Connect Data Source". Choose "HTTPS" from the available connectors.

### URL Configuration

Enter your file URLs in the input field using these formatting rules:

* Add one URL per line
* Lines starting with '#' are treated as comments and ignored
* Empty lines are ignored
* Lines starting with '@' reference external URL list files, which Publisher will retrieve and process using the same formatting rules

{% hint style="info" %}
Publisher fetches the metadata of the files by sending <mark style="color:orange;">`HEAD`</mark> requests and analyzing the response. This can result in overloading the target server depending on how the server handles <mark style="color:orange;">`HEAD`</mark> requests. Check with the administrator of the target server if you suspect this will cause any issues.
{% endhint %}

### Update Settings

Choose how frequently Publisher checks for changes to your HTTPS resources:

* Select a schedule (daily, hourly, etc.)
* Option to configure scheduling later

### Finalizing Setup

1. Provide a descriptive name for your data source
2. Optionally create and share a collection from this data source


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