📋 Table of Contents
One of the most common questions website owners ask is: "Should I use www or non-www?" And often right after: "Does my SSL certificate cover both?" This guide covers every angle — technical differences, SEO impact, setting up redirects, and choosing the right SSL certificate.
1. What Are www and non-www?
www (World Wide Web) is a subdomain added before your domain name, like www.example.com. In the early days of the internet, www was standard practice to differentiate web services from FTP, mail, and other services.
Non-www (Apex Domain / Naked Domain) is the bare domain without any subdomain prefix, like example.com. It's also called the root domain, apex domain, or naked domain.
Key Point: Technically,
www.example.com and example.com are different URLs. Without proper redirects, a server treats them as separate websites, causing duplicate content issues that harm SEO.
Technical Differences
| Aspect | www (www.example.com) | Non-www (example.com) |
|---|---|---|
| DNS Record Type | Supports CNAME (flexible) | A Record only (points to IP) |
| CDN / Load Balancer | Better support via CNAME | Some CDNs have limitations |
| Cookie Scope | Isolated from apex domain | Sent to all subdomains |
| URL Length | 4 extra characters | Shorter, easier to remember |
| Brand Perception | Traditional | Clean and modern |
2. www vs non-www SEO Comparison
Google has officially confirmed there is no SEO advantage between www and non-www. Both are treated equally for ranking purposes, provided canonical URLs are set correctly.
However, SEO problems arise when there's no redirect between the two versions:
- Duplicate Content: Google finds identical content at two URLs and doesn't know which is authoritative
- Split Link Equity: Some backlinks point to www, others to non-www, diluting link juice
- Wasted Crawl Budget: Google crawls both versions unnecessarily
SEO Summary: www and non-www are equal for SEO. The critical requirement is redirecting one version to the other and setting a clear canonical URL.
3. Which Should You Choose?
There's no universally right or wrong answer, but these factors help you decide:
Choose non-www if...
- You want a shorter, cleaner, more memorable URL
- Your site is small to medium and doesn't need complex CDN setup
- You prefer a modern, professional brand appearance
- Simplicity is a priority
Choose www if...
- You need DNS flexibility (CNAME support for CDN providers)
- You have multiple subdomains requiring separate cookie scopes
- You're running an enterprise with complex load balancing
- Your CDN requires CNAME records at the root level
⚠️ Warning: If your site already has significant traffic, think carefully before switching. While 301 redirects pass link equity, it can take 2-4 weeks for Google to fully reindex the new URLs.
4. Setting Up 301 Redirect in DirectAdmin
AsiaGB Hosting uses DirectAdmin as its control panel. Here are two ways to set up redirects:
Method 1: Via DirectAdmin Domain Setup
- Log in to your DirectAdmin panel
- Navigate to Domain Setup
- Click on your domain name
- In the Redirect section, select
301and enter the target URL - Save the settings
Method 2: Via SSL/HTTPS Settings
- In DirectAdmin, go to SSL Certificates
- Enable Force SSL or Force HTTPS
- Select whether to redirect to www or non-www
Recommended: Use the .htaccess method for maximum flexibility, especially when you need to combine HTTP→HTTPS and www→non-www redirects in a single rule.
5. Redirect via .htaccess
The most popular approach is editing the .htaccess file at your domain root via File Manager in DirectAdmin.
Redirect www to non-www (with Force HTTPS)
RewriteEngine On
# Force HTTPS + non-www
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.example\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^ https://example.com%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]Redirect non-www to www (with Force HTTPS)
RewriteEngine On
# Force HTTPS + www
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\. [NC]
RewriteRule ^ https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]
⚠️ Important: Replace
example.com with your actual domain. Always test the redirect before going live — a misconfigured rule can make your site inaccessible.
Testing Your Redirect with curl
# Test www redirect to non-www
curl -I http://www.example.com
# Expected output:
# HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
# Location: https://example.com/6. SSL Certificate Coverage for www and non-www
A common issue is purchasing SSL and then seeing "Not Secure" warnings on some URLs because the certificate doesn't cover both versions.
| SSL Type | Covers non-www | Covers www | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard DV (Single Domain) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Usually included | Most CAs auto-include www |
| Let's Encrypt | ✅ Yes | ✅ Specify manually | Must verify both domains |
| Wildcard SSL (*.example.com) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (www is subdomain) | *.example.com ≠ example.com |
| Wildcard + Root (SAN) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Full coverage, higher price |
| Multi-Domain (SAN) | ✅ Specify | ✅ Specify | List each domain explicitly |
Check Your SSL Coverage: Use AsiaGB's SSL Server Test or click the padlock in your browser → Certificate → Subject Alternative Names to see if both www and non-www are listed.
7. Wildcard SSL and www Support
Wildcard SSL like *.example.com covers all subdomains:
- www.example.com ✅
- shop.example.com ✅
- blog.example.com ✅
- mail.example.com ✅
- example.com ❌ (root/apex domain NOT covered)
⚠️ Common Misconception:
*.example.com does NOT cover example.com. If your site redirects to non-www but uses only a Wildcard SSL, visitors will see an SSL error on the non-www URL.
SSL Pricing at AsiaGB (Reference)
| SSL Type | Covers www + non-www | Price/Year |
|---|---|---|
| RapidSSL (DV) — includes www | ✅ Both | 1,000 THB |
| GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium | ✅ Both | 3,000 THB |
| RapidSSL Wildcard (*.domain + root) | ✅ Both + all subdomains | 5,000 THB |
8. Updating Google Search Console
After changing your URL preference, you need to inform Google:
Steps to Update Search Console
- Go to Google Search Console (search.google.com/search-console)
- Add a new Property for your chosen URL format (e.g.,
https://example.com/) - Verify ownership via DNS, HTML file, or Google Analytics
- Go to Sitemaps and submit your sitemap.xml
- Wait 1-2 weeks for Google to reindex the new URLs
💡 What to Update After Changing URL Preference
- 🔹 sitemap.xml — update all URLs to match your canonical choice
- 🔹 Canonical tags on every page (
<link rel="canonical">) - 🔹 og:url in Open Graph tags
- 🔹 JSON-LD @id and url fields
- 🔹 Internal links in content
- 🔹 Google Analytics — Property URL
- 🔹 Important backlinks — notify webmasters if possible (301 handles it automatically)
9. Post-Migration Checklist
| # | Task | Done? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | www redirects to non-www via 301 (or vice versa) | ☐ |
| 2 | HTTP redirects to HTTPS via 301 | ☐ |
| 3 | SSL covers both www and non-www | ☐ |
| 4 | Canonical tags updated on all pages | ☐ |
| 5 | sitemap.xml uses the chosen URL format | ☐ |
| 6 | Google Search Console property updated | ☐ |
| 7 | hreflang URLs updated (if multilingual) | ☐ |
| 8 | SSL Checker shows no errors | ☐ |
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Is www or non-www better for SEO?
Neither has an SEO advantage. Google treats both equally. The critical factor is consistency — redirect one version to the other and set a canonical URL to prevent duplicate content issues.
Does SSL cover both www and non-www?
It depends on the SSL type. Standard DV certificates usually include both. Wildcard SSL (*.example.com) covers www but NOT the root domain. For full coverage, use a SAN or Wildcard+Root certificate.
How do I set up a 301 redirect from www to non-www in DirectAdmin?
Edit your .htaccess file via DirectAdmin's File Manager and add RewriteRules to redirect www to non-www while simultaneously forcing HTTPS. This handles both redirects in a single server-side rule.
Will switching from www to non-www hurt my rankings?
A properly implemented 301 redirect passes link equity. Rankings may fluctuate briefly but typically recover within 1-4 weeks as Google reindexes the new canonical URLs.
What is a Wildcard SSL and does it cover www?
Wildcard SSL (*.example.com) covers all subdomains including www.example.com, but does NOT cover example.com (the root domain). For both, you need a Wildcard+Root or SAN certificate.
Do I need to update Google Search Console after changing www preference?
Yes. Add the new URL version as a Search Console property, verify ownership, and submit a fresh sitemap. This helps Google recognize the preferred domain faster.
Need SSL That Covers Both www and non-www?
AsiaGB offers a range of SSL certificates from basic DV to Wildcard. Easy setup via DirectAdmin, works with all modern browsers, 99% uptime guaranteed.
View All SSL Options