No Www

No www means using the root domain without the www prefix, such as example.com instead of www.example.com.

Beginner3 min readUpdated 2026-07-26Reviewed by Lucía Marín

Key takeaways

No www is not a ranking factor; consistency is what matters.
Always use 301 redirects to consolidate your chosen version.
Update internal links, sitemaps, and canonical tags to match.
Set the preferred domain in Google Search Console.
Avoid mixing www and non-www URLs across your site.

Choosing between www and no www is a common technical SEO decision that affects how search engines crawl and index your site.

Example

A blog at example.com uses the non-www version. All internal links point to example.com/page. The www version (www.example.com) is set up with a 301 redirect to example.com. This ensures search engines only index the non-www version.

When should I use this?

When you want a shorter, cleaner URL for branding or sharing.
When you don't need the technical benefits of www (e.g., separate cookie domain, CDN flexibility).
When you are starting a new site and can choose one version from the beginning.
When you are consolidating an existing site that has both versions live.

What it is not

Not a ranking factor: Google does not prefer www or no www.
Not a way to avoid duplicate content by itself: you still need redirects or canonical tags.
Not a substitute for proper URL structure: both versions must be handled consistently.
Not a fix for other SEO issues: it only addresses the www vs non-www choice.

Quick start

Choose your preferred version (www or no www).
Set up a 301 redirect from the non-preferred version to the preferred one in your server config (e.g., .htaccess for Apache, nginx.conf for Nginx).
Update your internal links to use only the preferred version.
Set the preferred domain in Google Search Console.
Use canonical tags on all pages pointing to the preferred version.
Verify that both versions redirect correctly using a tool like Redirect Checker.

Common mistakes

Letting both www and non-www versions resolve without a redirect.
Using different versions across internal links, sitemaps, canonicals, and backlinks.
Changing the preferred version without updating redirects and canonical tags everywhere.
Assuming the www/non-www choice itself improves rankings.

Next step

301 RedirectLearn how to set up a 301 redirect to consolidate your preferred domain version.

FAQ

What does no www mean?

No www means using the root domain without the www prefix, such as example.com instead of www.example.com. It is also called the naked or root domain.

Is www or no www better for SEO?

Neither is inherently better for SEO. The key is to choose one version and consistently use it with proper redirects and canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues.

How do I redirect www to no www?

You can set up a 301 redirect from the www version to the non-www version in your server configuration (e.g.,.htaccess for Apache, nginx config, or via your CMS).

Sources

Google Search Central — Explains consolidating duplicate URLs with canonicalization and redirects.
MDN Web Docs — Clear technical explanation of choosing a canonical www or non-www version and using 301 redirects.
Google Search Central — Official guidance on canonicalization and how search engines interpret preferred URLs.

Reviewed by Lucía Marín, Founding editor.