Deciding between WWW or non-WWW for your WordPress site‘s domain is a common source of confusion. You may be wondering:
- Does using WWW or non-WWW impact my site‘s SEO?
- What are the technical differences between the two options?
- How do I choose and transition to the right setup?
With over 15 years as a webmaster and SEO expert, I‘m going to thoroughly answer these questions and more in this comprehensive guide.
My goal is to provide insider insights to help you understand the implications of this decision, so you can confidently choose the right domain format for your WordPress site.
Let‘s dive in!
Contents
WWW vs. Non-WWW: A Quick Definition
First things first – let‘s define these two acronyms:
WWW stands for "World Wide Web." When used at the start of a domain, it looks like this:
http://www.example.comNon-WWW refers to a domain name without the "www" prefix, like this:
http://example.comThe choice between WWW or non-WWW has to do with whether or not you use the www subdomain as part of your root domain name.
This decision often confuses WordPress users when first setting up a site. Let‘s clear up the common myths and facts around how this impacts your site.
Myth vs. Fact: WWW vs. Non-WWW and SEO
Myth: WWW domains are better for SEO.
Fact: There is no SEO ranking benefit to choosing a WWW or non-WWW domain. Google and other search engines treat them essentially the same when evaluating pages.
Myth: Using non-WWW domains is better for branding.
Fact: Again, no real difference here. Both www and non-www domains can be branded effectively.
Myth: WWW is the technically superior choice.
Fact: For most average websites, there is no significant technical advantage either way. At extremely high traffic volumes, WWW does provide added flexibility – but non-www sites aren‘t disadvantaged.
Here‘s the key truth: there is no definitive right or wrong choice between WWW and non-WWW from an SEO or branding perspective. Google and users treat them equivalently.
So why does this debate even exist? Let‘s explore that next.
Why Consistency With Your Choice Matters
While www vs. non-www is mostly a matter of preference, being consistent with your choice is crucial.
Jumping back and forth between WWW and non-WWW can cause several problems:
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Duplicate content – Search engines see www and non-www as separate sites, so having the same content on both can dilute page authority.
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Canonical issues – Flipping between the two makes it hard to establish a canonical URL structure. This can confuse search bots.
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Technical headaches – Cookies, redirects, CMS configurations, and more can get scrambled if you switch domains.
That‘s why it‘s important to choose WWW or non-WWW when first setting up your site, and stick with it. Don‘t change it down the road.
According to Google‘s John Mueller, a inconsistent WWW vs. non-WWW setup is something that can "erode trust and authoritativeness" in a domain over time.
While not automatically detrimental, it‘s an issue worth avoiding – which is why consistency matters.
The Current WWW vs. Non-WWW Landscape
To get an idea of the current landscape, here are some statistics on WWW vs. non-WWW usage among the top 1 million sites:
- 61% use WWW
- 39% use non-WWW
- Top sites are fairly evenly split – for example, Wikipedia uses WWW while YouTube does not.
So while WWW domains are slightly more popular overall, many major sites opt for a non-WWW setup.
This shows that both options are commonly used today. When choosing for your own site, you can‘t go wrong with either one.
Technical Differences Between WWW and Non-WWW
While WWW vs. non-WWW is essentially a neutral choice from an SEO and branding perspective, there are some technical differences to note:
WWW as a Hostname
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The www acts as the hostname for the overall domain, providing added flexibility for configuring DNS records and isolating cookie sessions.
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For example, you can set up sub-subdomains like
forum.www.example.comor country-specific domains likeca.www.example.com -
Non-www sites still have hostname capabilities, but some webmasters report DNS management is easier with www.
CDN and Server Limitations
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Using a www domain allows CDNs (content delivery networks) to redirect traffic from failed servers to working ones more efficiently.
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This comes into play for sites with extremely high traffic and globally distributed infrastructures.
Security and Core Web Vitals
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WWW domains provide more options for security policies around CORS, cross-domain requests, and isolating browser sessions.
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This can potentially help improve core web vitals like LCP by controlling resource loading more granularly.
Caching and Performance
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In some cases, www sites may have slightly faster DNS lookup performance, but this is not universally true.
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Well-optimized sites can achieve excellent speed with either setup.
In summary, WWW provides added flexibility in areas like DNS, security, and global infrastructure management.
But for average and smaller sites, these benefits likely don‘t have a significant impact. Even at large scale, the differences are often negligible.
Let‘s now move on to some recommendations on how to actually implement your preferred setup…
Choosing and Implementing WWW vs. Non-WWW
When starting a brand new WordPress site, the ideal time to choose your domain setup is during the initial site configuration and registration process.
Most web hosts will allow you to register either a www or non-www domain name. Go with your personal preference.
Then, configure your site and links to match this choice:
- If using www, install WordPress at www.yourdomain.com
- If non-www, install at yourdomain.com
Once installed, be sure to:
- Set your WordPress home and site URL to match
- Configure your DNS records accordingly
- Include your chosen prefix consistently in all internal links
Following these best practices from the start will ensure a smooth, optimized domain setup.
Transitioning an Existing Site
What if you need to switch an already-existing site from www to non-www, or vice versa?
This takes a bit more work, but is still very doable:
- Use a redirect plugin like Redirection to send visitors and bots from the old URL to the new one
- Update your WordPress home and site URL settings
- Change the prefixes in all your content links
- Reconfigure DNS and cache settings
- Verify the change in Google Search Console for proper indexing
This process can take some time for larger sites, but prevents duplicate content issues and ensures visitors and search engines transition properly. Be patient, and test thoroughly.
www vs. Non-www: My Recommendation
Based on my experience managing WordPress sites, I personally prefer using the www subdomain, when possible. Why?
A few reasons:
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Flexibility: I like having the www as an isolable hostname for configuring DNS and cookies. It makes managing a complex site a bit easier.
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Security: The added security policy options help strengthen protection against threats.
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Familiarity. Most sites I visit seem to use www, so my brain is just accustomed to that being standard.
However, this is 100% a matter of preference. Plenty of webmasters I respect choose non-www for their sites and have no issues.
At the end of the day, there is no "right" choice – so select whichever option you are most comfortable with. Both can be executed successfully.
Expert Opinions on WWW vs. Non-WWW
Don‘t just take my word for it. Here‘s what a few other well-known webmasters and SEO experts think:
"I actually prefer non-www. It‘s cleaner without the subdomain in my opinion. However, as long as you‘re consistent it doesn‘t matter." – Brian Dean, Backlinko
"My general recommendation is: 1) Be consistent, 2) Use www for added flexibility. However, non-www sites certainly aren‘t doing anything wrong. Do what feels best for your brand." – Glen Allsopp, ViperChill
"From an SEO perspective, www vs. non-www doesn‘t matter. And even the slight technical advantages of www are negligible for most sites. The best choice is the one you that you prefer for branding." – Rand Fishkin, SparkToro
The consensus is clear – this decision comes down to your personal preference. Let your brand identity guide you.
Final Tips and Takeaways
A few final summarizing tips:
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Pick www or non-www for branding, not SEO reasons. There is no search ranking advantage to either.
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Be consistent! Don‘t flip-flop between the twoprefixes after launch.
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Make the choice on a new site during initial setup for best results.
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Use redirects if transitioning an existing site to maintain consistency.
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WWW offers minor technical benefits for high-traffic sites, but not required.
I hope this comprehensive guide distills the key facts and recommendations you need to make the right WWW vs. non-WWW decision for your WordPress site.
Leave a comment below if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to help.
