WWW Redirect Checker

Check if the redirect between www and non-www versions of your site is configured to prevent duplicates

Check Results

This only checks www redirect. For a comprehensive analysis, use the full page check.

You can also audit your entire site. Duplicate titles and descriptions, orphan pages, broken links between sections, and other site-wide issues can only be found with a full site audit.

If you don't have an SEO specialist, we can help fix the errors found.

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Why WWW Redirect Is Needed

A domain with www (www.example.com) and without www (example.com) are technically two different hosts. If both are accessible without a redirect, search engines index them as two separate sites with identical content. This leads to page duplication, link equity dilution, and lower search rankings. Setting up a 301 redirect from one version to the other solves this problem.

www or non-www: Which to Choose

From an SEO perspective, there's no difference between www.example.com and example.com. What matters is choosing one and setting up the redirect. Consider the following:

  • Non-www — shorter, easier to remember, more convenient to type. Suitable for most sites
  • With www — allows using a CNAME record for the root domain, simplifying CDN setup. Also enables setting separate cookies for subdomains
  • Key point — consistency. All internal links, canonical tags, sitemap.xml, and robots.txt should use the chosen version

Content Duplication and Link Equity

When the site is accessible at both addresses, search engines treat them as separate pages. External links split between www and non-www versions, reducing each one's authority. A canonical tag helps indicate the preferred version, but a 301 redirect is a more reliable solution as it physically redirects all requests and passes 100% of link equity.

How to Set Up WWW Redirect

  • Nginx (non-www → www)server { listen 80; server_name example.com; return 301 https://www.example.com$request_uri; }
  • Nginx (www → non-www)server { listen 80; server_name www.example.com; return 301 https://example.com$request_uri; }
  • Apache (.htaccess, www → non-www)RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.+)$ [NC] RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%1/$1 [R=301,L]
  • DNS — ensure DNS records are configured for both versions (www and non-www) so the redirect can work

Frequently Asked Questions

Does choosing www or non-www affect Google rankings?
No, the choice between www and non-www doesn't affect rankings. For Google, both versions are equivalent. What matters is choosing one and setting up a 301 redirect from the alternative version. This consolidates link equity and prevents content duplication in the index.
Is a canonical tag sufficient instead of a www redirect?
A canonical tag is a hint for search engines, not a directive. Search engines may ignore it, especially if external links point to both versions. A 301 redirect is a hard rule: the server redirects all requests to the chosen version. It's recommended to use both: 301 redirect as the primary solution and canonical tag as an additional signal.
What to do if the site is already indexed with both versions?
Set up a 301 redirect from the unwanted version to the preferred one. Update sitemap.xml with only canonical URLs. In Google Search Console, add both site versions and specify the preferred domain. Over time, search engines will re-index pages and remove duplicates from search results. The process may take from a few weeks to a few months.

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