{"id":2069,"date":"2026-05-06T18:57:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T15:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allinonewpsettings.com\/blog\/?p=2069"},"modified":"2026-08-02T12:09:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T12:09:22","slug":"how-to-redirect-www-to-non-www-in-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allinonewpsettings.com\/blog\/how-to-redirect-www-to-non-www-in-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Redirect WWW to Non-WWW in WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"

A site can choose the apex hostname while still failing for visitors who enter WWW. The alternate host needs working DNS and TLS before a redirect can run.<\/p>\n

Prepare both entry points, make WordPress and its integrations emit the apex, and keep one direct WWW-to-HTTPS-apex compatibility rule.<\/p>\n

\nTable of contents<\/strong><\/p>\n
    \n
  1. What it means<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. A realistic WordPress example<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Why it matters and when to use it<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. A straightforward route for beginners<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. The advanced route<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Risks, common mistakes, backup, and rollback<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. How AIOWS helps: AIOWS Redirect Manager<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Related AIOWS articles<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Conclusion and recommended route<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Official sources<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    What it means<\/h2>\n

    A WWW-to-non-WWW redirect changes only the hostname while preserving the requested path and query. The WWW host must resolve, present a valid certificate, and reach the redirect layer.<\/p>\n

    Canonical tags, sitemaps, internal links, cookies, and callbacks should use the chosen apex host directly.<\/p>\n

    A realistic WordPress example<\/h2>\n

    The WordPress URLs use the apex, but the WWW CDN alias and certificate were never configured. HTTPS requests to WWW fail during TLS, before WordPress can redirect them.<\/p>\n

    Adding the alias and certificate makes the alternate entry valid; a single host-specific rule can then send it to the apex.<\/p>\n

    Why it matters and when to use it<\/h2>\n

    Consistent hostnames reduce redirect chains and disagreements in cookies, caches, analytics, and search metadata. The alternate host remains necessary for old links and typed addresses.<\/p>\n

    Use this redirect after the apex has been chosen as the stable canonical hostname.<\/p>\n

    A straightforward route for beginners<\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Verify DNS and valid certificates for WWW and the apex.<\/li>\n
    2. Set the WordPress home and site URLs to the HTTPS apex.<\/li>\n
    3. Identify existing CDN, server, and WordPress host redirects.<\/li>\n
    4. Create one exact rule from WWW to the matching apex URL.<\/li>\n
    5. Preserve the path and query string.<\/li>\n
    6. Test HTTP and HTTPS, deep pages, login, forms, and media.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The advanced route<\/h2>\n

      Audit cookie domains, OAuth and payment callbacks, webhooks, sitemaps, canonicals, analytics filters, and cache keys. Update first-party producers so normal traffic no longer depends on the redirect.<\/p>\n

      Restrict the rule to the owned WWW hostname to prevent open redirects. Trace all host-and-scheme combinations and confirm that no reverse apex-to-WWW policy or extra HTTPS hop remains.<\/p>\n

      Risks, common mistakes, backup, and rollback<\/h2>\n

      Missing WWW TLS cannot be repaired after the handshake. Broad host conditions may accept attacker-controlled names, while competing canonical rules can loop.<\/p>\n

      Save DNS, certificate, WordPress URL, and redirect settings. Restore the previous host policy as one unit if login, callbacks, or cookies regress.<\/p>\n

      \n

      How AIOWS helps:<\/p>\n

      AIOWS Redirect Manager<\/h2>\n

      AIOWS Redirect Manager can hold the WordPress-side compatibility rule that sends requests from the WWW hostname to the apex domain. Keeping that exact host mapping visible makes its destination and status straightforward to review.<\/p>\n

      Create an exact host-specific rule only after both names pass TLS. Test direct responses without an administrator cookie and verify path and query preservation.<\/p>\n

      Redirect Manager cannot create DNS records, issue the WWW certificate, or update external callbacks. Those dependencies must be aligned separately with the apex hostname.<\/p>\n

      Explore AIOWS Redirect Manager<\/a>Compare AIOWS plans<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n

      Related AIOWS articles<\/h2>\n