Why four addresses are a problem
Technically, one site answers at four addresses: http and https, each with and without www. If all four serve the page directly, search engines see duplicates. Links that people place to your site get divided between versions, and in analytics the same visit can look different depending on the entry point.
A common picture: a dental clinic prints the www address on business cards, puts the non-www one in its Instagram bio, and a partner directory links to the http version. That is three doors into one page. The fix is simple: pick one main address and send everything else to it.
www or non-www: which to pick
For SEO there is no difference; consistency is what matters. If your site has ranked with www for years and others link to it, there is no reason to change. For a new project, most people choose non-www because it is shorter on a signboard, in stories and in a profile description. The protocol is not really a choice anymore: the main version should be https.
How the redirect should behave
The three non-main addresses should reach the main one in a single step, with a permanent 301 redirect, and the page path must be preserved. If the main address is https without www, the map looks like this:
- http://www.example.uz/services/ → https://example.uz/services/
- http://example.uz/services/ → https://example.uz/services/
- https://www.example.uz/services/ → https://example.uz/services/
Two common mistakes
The first is sending every address to the home page. A visitor who clicked a link to a specific service lands on a generic page and often leaves.
The second is a chain: the server first forces https, then removes www, so the request makes two hops. It works, but the extra step slows page loading, especially on mobile internet in the regions. Write the rules so that every variant goes straight to the final address.
Where to configure it, and the SSL question
In nginx, the usual approach is a separate server block for all non-main variants with return 301. In Apache, a condition in .htaccess does the job: if the request came over http or the host starts with www, send it to the https non-www address. Save a copy of the file before editing. In WordPress, Bitrix and site builders, the main domain is set in the settings, but forcing https is more reliable at server or hosting level, and many providers have a dedicated switch in the control panel.
The certificate must cover both names. If SSL was issued only for the non-www address, a visitor opening https://www sees a browser warning before any redirect happens, and many simply close the tab. Free Let's Encrypt certificates can include both names. Also check auto-renewal: an expired certificate breaks every variant at once.
What else should point to the main address
The redirect is only half the job. If your own site links to a non-main address, every click creates an unnecessary hop. Go through this list:
- canonical tags on pages
- URLs in sitemap.xml and the Sitemap line in robots.txt
- internal links in the menu, body text and footer
- properties in Google Search Console and Yandex Webmaster
- links in Instagram, your Telegram channel, map listings, OLX and marketplace profiles
- return URLs in Click and Payme settings, Telegram bots and mailings, if they contain your site address
How to test the result
Open all four variants of the home page and one inner page. Each non-main address should return a single 301 and then a 200 on the main address. Check the codes in a header-checking tool, not just a browser, because browsers cache redirects and can mislead you. In Search Console, a domain-level property is the most convenient since it combines all variants.
If you are changing the main address on a site that is already indexed, treat it as a small migration: it takes time for addresses to switch in search results, so watch your traffic. If you would like this reviewed together with other technical settings, markdev does SEO optimisation in Uzbekistan. Describe your task and we will look at how your site opens today.
FAQ
Is www or non-www better for SEO?
There is no difference. Choose one and use it everywhere: in redirects, canonicals, the sitemap and profiles. If your site has worked with www for a long time, you do not need to switch.
Why not redirect everything to the home page?
A visitor who clicked a link to a specific page expects to see that page. Redirecting to the home page loses both the visitor and the value of the link. The page path should be preserved.
Does the www version need a certificate if it only redirects?
Yes. The browser checks the certificate before the redirect runs. If the certificate does not cover the www name, the visitor sees a security warning.
How many redirects in a chain are acceptable?
Ideally one. A two-step chain usually works but slows loading and complicates testing. Set the rules so every non-main address goes straight to the final one.
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