Why does my website in Webflow automatically add an extra "www" when viewed in a browser?

Published on
September 22, 2023

When your website in Webflow automatically adds an extra "www" when viewed in a browser, it is likely caused by a misconfiguration in your DNS settings. This can lead to duplicate content issues and negatively impact your website's SEO. Here are a few possible reasons why this might be happening:

  1. DNS record setup: Check your DNS records to ensure that you have properly set up the www (CNAME) record for your domain. Make sure that it points to the correct location.

  2. Incorrect domain settings: In your Webflow project settings, verify that your default domain is set correctly. This ensures that when someone visits your website without any prefix (www), it still resolves to the correct URL.

  3. SSL certificate issue: If you have an SSL certificate installed on your website, it might be causing the automatic addition of "www." This can happen if the SSL certificate has been issued for the www version of your domain. Ensure that your SSL certificate is configured correctly for both www and non-www versions of your domain.

To fix the issue and prevent the automatic addition of "www," follow these steps:

  1. Check your DNS settings: Confirm that the CNAME record for the www version of your domain is correctly configured. If it is not, update the record to point to the correct location.

  2. Adjust Webflow project settings: Go to your Webflow project settings and ensure that the default domain is set correctly without any prefix (www). Save the changes.

  3. Update SSL certificate: If you have an SSL certificate, make sure it is configured properly for both www and non-www versions of your domain. If needed, generate a new certificate that covers both versions.

  4. Implement 301 redirects: To ensure that only one version of your website is indexed by search engines and prevent duplicate content issues, set up 301 redirects. Redirect traffic from one version (with or without www) to the preferred version.

By following these steps, you should be able to fix the issue of your website in Webflow automatically adding an extra "www" when viewed in a browser. Remember to test your website after making these changes to confirm that it is working as expected.

Additional questions:

  1. How do I set up a custom domain in Webflow?
  2. Why is it important to configure SSL certificates correctly for SEO?
  3. How can I optimize my Webflow website for search engines?