How can I prevent visitors from seeing the default Webflow 404 page when they enter my website without the "www." prefix?
TL;DR
- Add A records for your root domain (
yourdomain.com) pointing to 75.2.70.75 and 99.83.190.102 in your DNS settings. - In Webflow Hosting settings, add both
yourdomain.comandwww.yourdomain.com, then setwww.yourdomain.comas the default domain.
When users visit your domain without the "www." prefix (e.g., yourdomain.com) and see a Webflow 404 page, this usually means the root domain isn’t pointed or connected correctly.
1. Check DNS Settings for Root Domain
- Go to your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains).
- Locate your DNS or Zone File Settings.
- Ensure you’ve added A records that point the root domain (
yourdomain.com) to: - 75.2.70.75
- 99.83.190.102
- These A records are required for Webflow to recognize traffic to the non-www root domain.
2. Set up Domain in Webflow Hosting Settings
- Go to Project Settings > Hosting in your Webflow project.
- Under Custom Domains, make sure both:
www.yourdomain.comandyourdomain.com
are added.- If not, click Add a custom domain and input the missing one.
3. Set Default Domain to "www"
- In the Custom Domains section, click the "Make default" star icon next to www.yourdomain.com.
- This makes all traffic — including
yourdomain.com— redirect to thewww.version.
4. Wait for DNS Propagation
- DNS changes may take a few minutes to several hours to propagate fully.
- Use a DNS lookup tool (e.g., whatsmydns.net) to check if your A records are resolving correctly.
5. SSL and Redirect Settings
- In Webflow Hosting Settings, ensure SSL is enabled.
- Webflow will automatically handle 301 redirects from root to www once both versions are added and www is set as default.
Summary
To prevent Webflow’s 404 error for the non-www version, set proper A records for the root domain, add both domain versions in Webflow, and set the www version as default. This ensures all traffic is properly routed and eliminates 404 errors.