Why Google Sites Doesn’t Work With Non-WWW (Naked) Domains – And How to Fix It Permanently
Why Google Sites Doesn’t Work With Non-WWW (Naked) Domains – And How to Fix It Permanently
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~Ayush Yadav
11/04/2025
Most people ask me "Why my site not working without the www?"
One of the most common and frustrating issues website owners face—especially those using Google Sites for custom domains—is the problem of non-www or “naked domain” redirection.
If you’ve ever tried accessing your Google Site using just example.com (without the www), you probably noticed it doesn’t load, while www.example.com works just fine.
But why is that?
Let’s break it down in plain terms, and more importantly—let’s solve it.
The Problem: Google Sites Doesn’t Handle Naked Domains
The Problem: Google Sites Doesn’t Handle Naked Domains
When you connect a custom domain to Google Sites, it requires you to use a www prefix. So if your site is www.example.com, anyone trying to visit just example.com will either see an error, a domain registrar, or nothing at all.
Unlike many hosting platforms, Google Sites doesn’t offer a built-in way to automatically redirect naked domains (example.com) to their www-version (www.example.com).
This breaks user experience, and it’s bad for:
SEO: Search engines may treat example.com and www.example.com as two separate sites.
Branding: People don’t always type www., and those visits might get lost.
Professionalism: A site that doesn’t open on both versions looks incomplete.
So what’s the fix?
Here’s where Redirect.pizza comes in. It’s a professional-grade redirection service that lets you create clean, permanent 301 redirects from your naked domain to your www domain (or vice versa, if you prefer).
This means:
example.com → www.example.com
https://example.com → https://www.example.com (s included)
http://example.com → http://www.example.com (s excluded)
And everything in between—all seamlessly redirected.
301 redirect is key here—it tells search engines this is a permanent move, and all SEO value should be passed to the new URL. That way, you keep your rankings intact.
How to Set It Up:
How to Set It Up:
Go to Redirect.pizza using this link this is my referral link—appreciate the support!
Choose the “From” domain as your naked domain like example.com
Choose the “To” domain as your www version www.example.com
Set the redirect type to 301 Permanent Redirect.
Update your domain’s DNS settings as they guide you—it usually involves pointing your A record to their servers.(redirect.pizza will give you steps to do that so don't worry)
It takes just a few minutes, and once it's done, you’ll never have to worry about users forgetting to type www. again.
Final Thoughts:
Final Thoughts:
As someone who’s been in the website and SEO game for decades, I can tell you this—small technical tweaks like this make a big impact over time. Every visitor who finds your site easily is a potential customer, client, or reader you don’t lose.
Google Sites is a powerful, free tool—but like any tool, it has limitations. The naked domain issue is one of them. Thankfully, with services like Redirect.pizza, you can fill that gap professionally.
Don’t let technical quirks get in the way of your online presence.
If you're building your site with Sleekr and want to make sure it's set up the right way from day one, feel free to reach out—we’re here to help.
Want help with setup or need a done-for-you service for your site or redirect?
👉 Get in touch with Sleekr — we’ll take care of the tech, so you can focus on growing your brand.
✉︎email- contact@sleekr.in
✆ phone- 9541599024
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