Does your site work with “www” in front of the URL but breaks without it? This is a very common misconfiguration issue that is super easy to fix. If a website doesn’t load correctly when you don’t use “www” in the URL, it means that your DNS settings aren’t configured to redirect traffic from the naked domain (without www) to the “www” version of the site. All you need to do is set up a redirect rule in your DNS settings that will forward all traffic to the “www” version of your website.
This guide will provide step-by-step instructions on how to configure your DNS settings properly. Let’s get started!
WWW vs. non-WWW URLs: The difference
WWW stands for World Wide Web. While both URLs point to the same website, the “www” version specifically shows that it’s a web address. However, that isn’t really necessary today since both function the same for most websites. It most likely boils down to preference and/or your branding strategy.
Most domains automatically have the DNS settings properly set up, so both “www” and non-www URLs work as intended. However, sometimes, you will have to manually configure these settings.
Solution 1: Managing your DNS settings
Step 1: Access your DNS settings:
First, log in to your domain registrar. Once you are logged in, you can access your “domains” and then your specific domain’s “DNS settings.” The screenshots in this guide are from Squarespace, our recommended domain registrar.
Step 2: Check your “@” record:
Look for the “@” record (also called the root domain record). If you can’t find it, you can create an “A” record with the “@” symbol as the hostname. The IP address should point to your website. This can be found in your website’s hosting control panel.
Alternatively, if your preferred URL always starts with ” www, ” you can use a CNAME record to point “@” to “www.”
To do this, create a new CNAME record. The hostname should be “@”. The TTL should be default or 1 hour, and the Alias should be “www.”
Verify “www” record:
Now you can verify that it is set up properly by searching for your site without “www” and seeing if you get properly redirected to the “www” version. While it usually happens within minutes, it can take up to 72 hours for DNS settings to fully propagate.
If you have waited 72 hours and it is still not working properly, I would recommend contacting your DNS registrar to see if they can help pinpoint the problem.
Solution 2: Redirect with your hosting control panel
Login and access your .htaccess file:
First, you want to log in to your hosting control panel. Once you have signed in, navigate to your website’s file manager and locate the .htaccess file.
Edit the file:
Open the .htaccess file using a text editor and add the following code to redirect non-www to www:
Code:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^yourdomain\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.yourdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]
Code Explanation:
- RewriteEngine On: Enables the rewrite engine for URL rewrites.
- RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^yourdomain\.com$ [NC]: Checks if the accessed domain is “yourdomain.com” without “www.”
- RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.yourdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]: If the condition is met, it will redirect the user to “www.yourdomain.com” with a permanent 301 redirect.
Verify the 301 redirect
You can verify whether you set it up correctly by searching for your without “www” and seeing if you get properly redirected to the “www” version. The change should be made instantly, so if you notice that it is still not working, please make sure you clear your cache and try using a different device. If it still isn’t working, you can contact your hosting provider for direct support.
Are there SEO issues if my site doesn’t redirect from non-www to www?
There are no major SEO issues when you don’t redirect from “non-www” to “www” on your website. Search engines can have some problems, as it might appear you have duplicate content, even though the content is completely identical. The most important thing is to consistently use “www” or “non-www” across your entire site so that everything remains the same and your URLs are consistent.
Creating a URL redirection allows for both to work and is better for the overall user experience.
Conclusion:
Domain forwarding can seem tricky for beginners, but the solution is often easier than you originally thought. Now, you know how to redirect your domain with a CNAME record and a 301 redirect within your website hosting control panel.
If you are still experiencing problems and want help from an expert, contact us. Someone from our team will respond within 24 hours.
