How to Remove 'www' from a Website URL Using .htaccess

Do you want to remove the 'www' from your website's address to make it more user-friendly and consistent? This article will guide you through the process of removing 'www' from your website URLs by using a .htaccess file and 301 redirection. Following these steps will not only simplify your website's URL structure but also improve your SEO rankings.

Understanding the .htaccess File

.htaccess is a configuration file used in web hosting to manage certain aspects of an Apache web server. It can be used to handle URL redirection, enable gzip compression, enforce HTTPS, and more. By using .htaccess, you can make changes to your website's behavior without needing to modify your server's main configuration file.

Why Remove 'www' from Your Website URL?

Removing 'www' from your website URL can provide several benefits:

Consistency: A consistent URL structure is essential for user experience and SEO. Having the 'www' in both versions of your URL can confuse search engines and lead to duplicate content issues.SEO Benefits: Search engines prefer a single URL for a website to avoid thin site algorithm penalties and crawling issues. Removing 'www' can help consolidating your domain authority.User Experience: A simpler URL is easier for users to remember and type, reducing bounced traffic due to navigation errors.

Step-by-Step Guide to Remove 'www' Using .htaccess

To remove 'www' from your website URL, you can use the following .htaccess code:

# Check if the request does not contain RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^[A-Z]{3,9}  HTTP/1.1RewriteRule ^$ /1 [L,R301]# Redirect any requests that start with 'www.' to the non-'www' versionRewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.(.*)$ [NC]RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://%1/$1 [R301,L]

This code is divided into two parts. The first part checks if the request does not contain '' and redirects it to the correct URL. The second part ensures that any URL that starts with 'www.' is redirected to the non-'www' version of the URL.

Open your .htaccess file. If you don't have one, create a new text file named '.htaccess' located in the root directory of your the provided code and paste it into the .htaccess file. Save the file.Test your website thoroughly to ensure that all URLs are directing correctly. If any issues arise, you may need to tweak the code or check for conflicts with other .htaccess rules.

Double-Checking Your Redirections

After implementing the .htaccess code, it's essential to double-check your website's redirects to ensure everything is working as expected:

Use Google Search Console: Check if Google is crawling and indexing both 'www' and non-'www' versions of your URLs. Use Search Console's Sitemaps and URL Inspection tools to see the current status of your redirects.Use Browser Developer Tools: Open your website in a browser and use the developer tools to inspect the HTTP headers. This will help you verify that redirects are occurring as expected.Check for 404 Errors: Ensure there are no 404 errors due to broken redirects. Use your web server error log or an error tracking tool to identify and resolve any issues.

Additional Tips

Here are some additional tips to consider when working with .htaccess files:

Backup Your Files: Before making any changes to your .htaccess file, always create a backup of the original file. This ensures you can revert to the previous version if something goes wrong.Use .htaccess Editor Plugins: If you're using a website builder or CMS, look for plugins that can help you manage .htaccess files without editing the code directly. This can be especially useful for beginners.Consult the Documentation: If you encounter any issues, consult the server documentation or seek assistance from your hosting provider. They can provide specific guidance based on your hosting environment.

By following the guidelines provided in this article, you can successfully remove 'www' from your website URL and improve both user experience and SEO performance. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out to the web development community or your hosting provider.