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Domain & DNS2 min read
With www or without? How redirects work
Why you need to pick one main version of your address, and how we make sure the site works whatever the visitor types.
Technically, yourcompany.com and www.yourcompany.com are two different addresses. So that you don't end up with two “different sites” holding the same content, one is chosen as the main version and the other redirects to it automatically.
Which one to pick
- Without
www(yourcompany.com) — shorter, more modern, easier to say and type. Our recommendation in most cases. - With
www(www.yourcompany.com) — worth keeping if thewwwaddress has been on your leaflets, vans and business cards for years.
The decision isn't permanent — it can be changed later. A change can briefly shuffle your search rankings though, so it's better to choose at the start.
What we set up
- Both versions of the address will work.
- The secondary version permanently redirects to the main one (a 301 redirect, which search engines understand correctly).
- Unsecured
http://always redirects to securehttps://. - Search engines get a clear signal about which version is canonical — no duplicate content issues.
For the visitor all of this is invisible. They type whatever they like and always land on the right, secure address.