Why Your Domain Can Work While www Doesn't

You type:

example.com

It works.

Then you type:

and the website disappears.

This is usually a DNS configuration issue.

The Root Domain and www Are Different Hostnames

These are separate DNS names:

You can configure them to point to the same application, but DNS needs to know where each one should go.

Common Setup

For example:

@ → A record → server IP www → CNAME → example.com

The exact configuration depends on your DNS provider.

Don't Forget SSL

Both hostnames also need to be covered by your SSL configuration.

A website may load over HTTPS on one hostname while the other produces a certificate warning if it isn't configured correctly.

Test Both

Whenever you connect a custom domain, test:

Also check the HTTP versions if your application should redirect them to HTTPS.

DNS Propagation Can Take Time

After changing DNS, different resolvers may temporarily return old information because of caching.

Don't assume a single computer's result represents the entire internet.

Keep One Canonical Domain

Choose whether your application should primarily use:

example.com

or:

Then redirect the other version.

Hostwares supports custom domain configuration, DNS verification, and SSL setup as part of its platform.

A domain is not one address. Check every hostname your users can enter.