How to get your Google Sites website to work without the www
Update - you can now read all of my Google Sites SEO tips and information in my Google Sites SEO Guide
If you’ve tried to connect your domain to a Google Site, you might have noticed a frustrating limitation: Google Sites requires a subdomain (like www.yourdomain.com) to work.
If someone types just yourdomain.com (the "naked" domain) into their browser, they’ll often see an error page.
In this guide, I’ll explain why this happens and how to fix it so your visitors always find your site, whether they type the "www" or not.
A naked domain (also called a "root" or "apex" domain) is simply your domain name without the "www" in front of it.
Naked Domain: googlesites.dev
Subdomain: www.googlesites.dev
Google Sites is built on a framework that requires that "www" (or another prefix like "portal" or "shop") to point to their servers. To make the naked version work, we have to "forward" it to the www version.
Most modern domain registrars (like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains/Squarespace) have a built-in feature called Domain Forwarding or Redirects.
Log in to your domain registrar.
Find the "Forwarding" or "Redirect" settings for your domain.
Set up a redirect from yourdomain.com to https://www.yourdomain.com.
Choose "Permanent (301)" as the redirect type. This is the best choice for SEO.
Enable "Forward Path" and "SSL" if your provider offers those options.
If your domain registrar doesn't support "HTTPS forwarding" (meaning the redirect only works if someone types http:// but not https://), you may need a specialized service.
These services provide you with an IP address (an A Record) that handles the "handshake" between the naked domain and the www version.
Recommended Services:
Redirect.pizza: Very easy to use and has a generous free tier for single websites.
NakedSSL: Another solid option for managing redirects with automated SSL certificates.
WWWizer: A simple, long-standing service (point your A Record to 174.129.25.170).
If you are using Google Sites through a Google Workspace account (for business), Google provides a built-in way to handle this in your Admin Console.
Go to Admin Console > Account > Domains > Manage Domains.
Click Set up a naked domain redirect.
Enter your domain details and follow the prompts to update your DNS settings.
Search engines like Google prefer a "Canonical URL." This is just a fancy way of saying they want to know which version of your site is the "real" one.
By redirecting your naked domain to your www address, you ensure:
Link Equity: All "backlinks" to your site are counted together, rather than being split between two versions.
User Experience: Visitors don't hit a "404 Not Found" error.
Security: Proper forwarding ensures your SSL certificate (the little padlock icon) works correctly for everyone.
If you want more detail on SEO for Google Sites check out my Google Sites SEO Guide.
I know that messing around with DNS records and A-records can feel a bit daunting. If you’d rather have an expert handle the connection for you, I’m here to help.
I offer Google Sites Support to get your domain connected, your SEO sorted, and your site looking professional.