How to Redirect a Domain to the Non-WWW Version Using .htaccess

If you want visitors to always access your website without the www prefix, you can configure a permanent redirect in the .htaccess file.

For example:

https://www.yourdomain.com

will automatically redirect to:

https://yourdomain.com

This helps maintain a consistent URL structure and can improve SEO by preventing duplicate content issues.

Before You Begin

The .htaccess file is typically located in your website’s root directory:

public_html

If the file does not exist, you can create it manually.

Important: Before editing .htaccess, create a backup of the file in case you need to restore the previous configuration.

Redirect WWW to Non-WWW

Add the following rules to your .htaccess file:

# Redirect www to non-www

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://%1/$1 [R=301,L]

How It Works

• RewriteEngine On enables URL rewriting.
• RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.*)$ [NC] checks whether the requested hostname starts with www.
• RewriteRule redirects the visitor to the same URL without the www prefix.
• R=301 creates a permanent redirect.

Redirect WWW to Non-WWW with HTTPS

If your website uses an SSL certificate, it is recommended to redirect visitors directly to the secure HTTPS version:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%1/$1 [R=301,L]

Example:

https://www.yourdomain.com/page

becomes:

https://yourdomain.com/page

Testing the Redirect

After saving the .htaccess file:

1. Open your website using the WWW version.
2. Verify that the browser automatically redirects to the non-WWW address.
3. Check several pages and subpages to ensure the redirect works correctly throughout the website.

Common Issues

If the redirect does not work:

• Verify that the .htaccess file is located in the correct directory.
• Check for conflicting redirect rules.
• Clear your browser cache before testing again.
• Ensure that URL rewriting is enabled on the server.

Summary

To force visitors to use the non-WWW version of your website, add the following rule to the .htaccess file located in your website’s root directory:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://%1/$1 [R=301,L]

If your website uses SSL, replace http:// with https:// to ensure visitors are redirected to the secure version of the site.