Website basics
Choose a consistent www or apex website address
The www and apex versions are distinct hostnames. Choose the public address, then verify both connection setup and URL redirection.
On this page
Choose the address you publish
Use an address consistent with existing materials and hosting support. Do not choose www on the assumption that the label alone improves search ranking.
Configure both endpoints
Check DNS, hosting registration, and certificates for each hostname. An HTTPS redirect source needs a working HTTPS connection before it can return the redirect.
Preserve the destination page
Redirect an article to its corresponding article, not indiscriminately to the homepage. Verify paths and any meaningful query parameters.
Align the other signals
Use the chosen address in internal links, canonical annotations, and the sitemap. Test representative deep links for loops or errors. A correct configuration does not imply that search results update immediately.
Select the image to enlarge.
- Choose the public hostname you will use in links.
- Check DNS, hosting, and HTTPS for the source and destination hosts.
- Preserve the relevant path and route to the corresponding page.
Separate the preferred name from accepted entry points
Choosing one public hostname does not prevent visitors from using the other through older material or direct typing. Decide how that entry should behave.
The preferred name can be the one used in navigation and printed material, while the other directs visitors to corresponding pages. That role assignment makes the configuration easier to review.
Do not test only the homepage. Existing article links and contact pages can be entry points in their own right.
Example: standardize on the apex
Suppose a site previously mixed www and apex links and will now publish the apex consistently. First establish how the hosting service handles both names.
Before removing a hostname from any configuration, determine how its connection and redirect will continue to work. Then test representative homepage, article, and contact URLs through the www entry.
If every article arrives at the homepage, a working connection still leaves the visitor searching again. Preserve the intended page relationship.
Align internal links and sitemap entries with the preferred name so routine navigation does not depend on unnecessary redirects.
Record entry and arrival pairs
| Entry | Expected result |
|---|---|
| Alternate homepage | Preferred homepage |
| Alternate article | Corresponding article |
| Alternate contact or other subpage | Same-purpose destination |
| Already-preferred page | Direct display without a redirect loop |
Review the final URL and displayed content together. The correct hostname with the wrong page is not the intended outcome.
Where meaningful query parameters exist, verify their handling against the site's requirements as well. Keep the change limited to the address convention rather than silently changing page behavior.
Search results may take time to reflect a new preference, but public links and redirects can be tested independently now. That separates the configuration you can verify directly from later external indexing behavior.