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WWW vs Non-WWW Checker

Verify WWW vs non-WWW canonical consistency and redirect behavior for SEO.

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Free WWW vs Non-WWW Checker - Verify Canonical Consistency & Redirects

Use our free WWW vs Non-WWW Checker to verify whether your website’s www and non-www versions are consistent for SEO. This tool tests both versions of your domain, checks which version becomes the final destination after redirects, and attempts to detect the canonical URL signal. You’ll get a simple score, a clear result (Good / Needs Fix / Problem), and actionable recommendations to avoid duplicate URLs, split ranking signals, and indexing confusion. It’s ideal for new websites, migrations, HTTPS upgrades, or anytime you change hosting, CDN settings, or rewrite rules.

What is WWW vs Non-WWW?

A domain can often be accessed in two common forms: the “www” hostname (example: www.example.com) and the “non-www” or “root” hostname (example: example.com). Technically, these are two different hostnames. Search engines can crawl and index both if they are accessible, which can accidentally create duplicate versions of the same website. The goal in SEO is to choose one preferred version and enforce consistency across redirects, canonical tags, and internal links.

Why WWW vs Non-WWW Consistency Matters for SEO

When both www and non-www versions are available without clear consolidation signals, you risk splitting authority and confusing crawlers. Even if the content is the same, search engines may treat the two hostnames as separate URLs. This can cause duplication, inconsistent indexing, and diluted link equity. It can also create issues in analytics and tracking, because traffic might appear under two hosts. Choosing a preferred version and making sure the other version redirects properly is a foundational technical SEO step.

What This Tool Checks

The WWW vs Non-WWW Checker tests your domain in both forms and evaluates canonical consistency signals. It focuses on practical, high-impact checks you can fix quickly.

  • Redirect behavior: Whether the www and non-www versions redirect to a single preferred final host
  • Final URL hostname: Whether both versions resolve to the same hostname after redirects
  • HTTPS preference: Whether the final destination uses HTTPS consistently
  • Canonical tag consistency: Whether pages expose a rel=canonical tag and whether it points to the preferred version
  • Basic health: HTTP response codes and redirect counts to catch misconfigurations

How to Use the WWW vs Non-WWW Checker

You can run a check in seconds and immediately see whether your domain configuration is SEO-friendly.

  • Enter your domain name (example.com). Do not include paths like /about or query parameters.
  • Run the test. The tool checks both non-www and www variants, starting with HTTPS whenever possible.
  • Review the score and label. “Good” typically means both versions end on the same final hostname and canonical signals are consistent.
  • Check the final URLs and canonical values. If they differ, your site may be serving duplicate hostnames.
  • Apply the recommendations to fix redirects, canonical tags, and internal link consistency.

How Canonical Tags Help (and Why They Must Match)

A canonical tag (<link rel="canonical" href="...">) tells search engines which version of a page should be considered the primary version. If your www version canonicalizes to the non-www version (or vice versa), you are giving a consolidation hint. However, canonicals must be consistent. If the non-www page canonical points to non-www while the www page canonical points to www, you’re sending mixed signals. That can lead to unpredictable indexing, or search engines choosing a different canonical than you intended.

Redirects: The Strongest Consistency Signal

While canonical tags are important, 301 redirects are typically the strongest signal to consolidate www and non-www into one version. If you decide non-www is preferred, then www should 301 redirect to non-www for every page, not only the homepage. The same applies if you prefer www. The checker helps you verify the homepage behavior quickly, and you should apply the same logic site-wide in your server, CDN, or application routing.

WWW vs Non-WWW: Which One Should You Choose?

From an SEO perspective, there is no universal “better” choice. You should choose the version that best matches your existing links, branding, and infrastructure. Many brands prefer non-www because it is shorter and cleaner. Some prefer www because it can be easier to configure in certain DNS or CDN setups and is sometimes used for cookie scoping or legacy reasons. The key is not which one you choose, but that you commit to one version and enforce it everywhere.

Common Problems This Tool Helps You Catch

Even professional websites can accidentally break canonical consistency after migrations, CDN changes, or SSL updates. Here are common issues the tool highlights.

  • Both www and non-www versions return 200 OK without redirecting (duplicate hostnames)
  • WWW redirects to non-www but canonical tags still point to www (mixed signals)
  • Non-www redirects to www but internal links still use non-www (inconsistent linking)
  • One version ends on HTTP while the other ends on HTTPS (security + SEO inconsistency)
  • Too many redirects (redirect chains) which slows crawling and wastes crawl budget

How This Helps Users and Search Engines

Users benefit from consistency because bookmarks, sharing, and navigation all land on the same version without surprises. Search engines benefit because they can consolidate signals like backlinks, relevance, and internal linking into one canonical host. When your canonical host is stable, indexing becomes cleaner, rankings are more predictable, and you reduce technical issues that hold back performance.

Best Practices for a Clean Setup

After you pick a preferred version (WWW or non-WWW), use these best practices to keep your setup stable.

  • Force a single host with 301 redirects site-wide (not just the homepage)
  • Force HTTPS and redirect HTTP → HTTPS for the preferred host
  • Ensure canonical tags point to the preferred host consistently
  • Keep internal links consistent (menus, sitemaps, hreflang, Open Graph URLs, structured data)
  • Update Search Console properties (verify both if needed, but monitor the preferred one as primary)
  • Avoid redirect chains by redirecting directly to the final destination in one hop

Pro Tip

If you recently switched hosting, enabled Cloudflare/CDN, or changed your .htaccess rules, re-check your WWW vs Non-WWW setup. These changes can silently undo your preferred host rule. Also remember that canonical consistency is site-wide—ensure your sitemap URLs, internal links, Open Graph tags, and structured data all use the same preferred host.

FAQ

Is the WWW vs Non-WWW Checker free to use?
Yes. It’s free and works instantly without registration.
What’s the difference between www and non-www?
They are two different hostnames. www.example.com and example.com can behave differently unless you redirect and canonicalize properly.
Which is better for SEO: www or non-www?
Neither is inherently better. The best choice is the one you enforce consistently with redirects, canonicals, and internal links.
Why should I use a 301 redirect between them?
A 301 redirect consolidates signals and prevents duplicate hostnames from being indexed separately.
Do I still need canonical tags if I have redirects?
Yes. Canonicals add an additional consolidation signal and help prevent edge-case duplication from parameters or alternate URLs.
What if my homepage redirects correctly but other pages do not?
That’s a common issue. You should enforce the preferred host rule site-wide so every URL redirects consistently.
Why does the tool show “canonical not found” sometimes?
Some pages do not output a canonical tag, or the site blocks fetch requests. Adding schema and canonical tags improves clarity.
What is a redirect chain and why is it bad?
A redirect chain is multiple hops before reaching the final page. It slows down crawling and can reduce efficiency. Prefer one direct redirect.
Does HTTPS matter for canonical consistency?
Yes. You should force HTTPS and use HTTPS URLs in canonicals and internal links for security and consistency.
Will fixing WWW vs Non-WWW improve rankings?
It can help by consolidating signals and reducing duplication. It’s a foundational technical fix that supports stronger SEO performance over time.
Can CDN or Cloudflare affect my WWW redirects?
Yes. CDN settings can override origin redirects or introduce extra hops. Always re-test after enabling or changing CDN rules.

Related tools

Pro tip: pair this tool with Domain Authority Checker and Domain Age Checker for a faster SEO workflow.