www in URLs: Is It Still Necessary?
The Evolution of 'www' in URLs: Is it Still Necessary?
Typically, when accessing a website, users input a portion of the URL into their browser and are successfully directed to the intended destination. However, a common question arises: can the 'www' subdomain now be safely omitted from web addresses?
The necessity of including 'www' in URLs has become a point of discussion as web technologies have evolved. Understanding the historical context and current practices is key to answering this question.
The Historical Role of 'www'
Initially, the 'www' subdomain served a practical purpose. It distinguished web servers from other types of servers on the internet. This separation was crucial in the early days of the web.
The 'www' designation allowed network administrators to direct traffic specifically to the web server, rather than potentially misrouting it to a mail server or FTP server. It provided a clear indication of the service being requested.
Modern Web Server Configurations
Today, most web servers are configured to handle requests regardless of whether 'www' is included or not. This is achieved through techniques like domain forwarding and virtual hosting.
Domain forwarding automatically redirects users from one URL (e.g., example.com) to another (e.g., www.example.com or vice versa). This ensures a consistent user experience.
Virtual hosting allows a single server to host multiple websites, each identified by a different domain name. The server intelligently routes requests to the correct website.
Current Best Practices
While omitting 'www' often works, it's generally considered best practice to choose one version (with or without 'www') and consistently redirect the other to it. This helps with SEO and avoids potential issues with cookies.
Search engines prefer a consistent URL structure. Using redirects ensures that all link equity is directed to a single, canonical URL.
Furthermore, consistent URL usage can prevent issues related to cookie handling, as cookies are often domain-specific. Inconsistent URLs can lead to unexpected behavior.
Source of Information
This discussion originates from a question posed and answered within the SuperUser community, a segment of Stack Exchange. Stack Exchange is a network of question-and-answer websites driven by its users.
The Inquiry Regarding 'www' in URLs
A SuperUser user, Celeritas, has posed a question concerning the relevance of including 'www' in website addresses. The core of the inquiry centers on whether its presence still holds significance in contemporary web browsing.
Specifically, Celeritas asks if there's any practical advantage or discernible difference when accessing websites like 'www.facebook.com' or 'www.cbc.ca' with or without the 'www' prefix.
The question explores whether the 'www' subdomain is now redundant and can be safely excluded from URLs without causing any functional issues.
Historical Context of 'www'
Originally, the 'www' subdomain was employed to distinguish web servers from other types of servers on the internet. It served as a convention to identify the machine hosting the website's files.
In the early days of the web, a single server often handled multiple services, such as email (mail.), FTP (ftp.), and the web (www.). This differentiation was crucial for routing requests correctly.
Modern URL Handling and Redirection
Today, most websites are configured to handle requests with or without the 'www' prefix. This is typically achieved through server-side redirection.
If a user enters a URL without 'www', the server is often set up to automatically redirect them to the 'www' version, or vice versa. This ensures a consistent user experience and avoids duplicate content issues for SEO.
Impact on SEO
From a Search Engine Optimization perspective, consistency is key. Search engines prefer a single, canonical URL for each page.
- Using redirection ensures that all traffic, regardless of whether 'www' is included, points to the preferred version.
- Without proper redirection, search engines might index both the 'www' and non-'www' versions as separate entities, potentially diluting ranking signals.
User Experience Considerations
For the average user, omitting 'www' generally doesn't cause any problems. Most modern browsers automatically append it if it's missing.
However, relying on browser auto-completion isn't always reliable. Explicitly including 'www' (or not) ensures the URL resolves as intended, particularly when sharing links.
Conclusion: Does 'www' Still Matter?
While not strictly necessary for functionality, the 'www' subdomain still plays a role in maintaining URL consistency and optimizing for search engines.
Whether to include it or not is largely a matter of preference and server configuration, but ensuring proper redirection is crucial for a seamless user experience and effective SEO.
The Significance of 'www' in Website URLs
A contributor to SuperUser, Synetech, provides insight into this question.
Generally, the 'www' prefix isn't essential, but there are instances where it is.
This isn't a browser-related issue; rather, it pertains to the functionality of the web server. The web server, potentially comprised of multiple computers, receives requests for web pages and delivers the corresponding data.
A URL contains various components, including the web server's name or address.
Server Infrastructure
Many organizations host multiple services beyond just a web server. These can include FTP servers, database servers, and mail servers.
These services may reside on the same machine as the web server or on separate ones.
Historically, a prefix was often used to distinguish between these services for clarity and consistency.
For example, Acme Industries might register the domain 'acme.org' and then configure different computers to host each of its services.
Users would then access these services by entering the appropriate host name:
Redirection and Port Usage
Why does accessing a site without 'www' often still work? Most web servers are configured to accept various URLs and redirect them appropriately.
For user convenience, organizations typically set up their web server to handle connections to the hostname on port 80 – the standard “web port” – or redirect the request to the correct server if the web server is located on a different machine.
Service or machine differentiation can also be achieved through port numbers, but this requires explicitly including the port in the URL, offering no real advantage over using prefixes.
The Role of Schemes
URL schemes can also serve this differentiating function:
Schemes function effectively and can be automated by software, such as browsers adding 'http://' or email clients adding 'pop://'.
However, official schemes don't exist for every server type, and creating new ones isn't ideal due to the need for software support.
Current Trends
The necessity of including 'www' is diminishing, but it isn't universally obsolete.
Some websites still require it to maintain organizational structure.
In most cases, omitting the 'www' portion of a website's URL is perfectly acceptable and convenient.
However, it’s still possible to encounter websites that necessitate its inclusion.
Do you have additional insights to share? Please contribute in the comments section.
For further discussion and answers from other technical experts, visit the complete thread here.