Domains & Setup
Forward WWW to Non-WWW Domains Using Google Domains
By Marnix Geerkens. Published 2020-09-24. Updated 2026-06-02.
If your GoHighLevel site lives at yourdomain.com and you want www.yourdomain.com to redirect there automatically, Google Domains handles this without Cloudflare or any third-party tool. You set up the root domain in GoHighLevel with an A record, then use Google Domains' subdomain forwarding feature to send all www traffic to the bare domain with a permanent 301 redirect and SSL enabled.
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Summary. This tutorial shows how to redirect the www version of a domain to the non-www root using Google Domains' built-in subdomain forwarding. After the root domain is already connected to GoHighLevel with an A record and linked to a funnel, you add a synthetic subdomain forward in Google Domains pointing www to the root domain. The result is that any visitor who types or follows a www link lands on the canonical non-www address.
What you will learn
- Connect a root domain to GoHighLevel using an A record in Google Domains
- Use Google Domains' synthetic records to create a subdomain forward
- Set the forward to a permanent 301 redirect so search engines use the correct canonical URL
- Enable path forwarding so subdirectory URLs redirect correctly too
- Confirm the redirect is working without Cloudflare or any additional tool
Steps
Connect the root domain to GoHighLevel
In GoHighLevel Settings under Domains, add your root domain. Copy the A record IP address provided. In Google Domains DNS settings, add an A record with the host set to @ and the IP as the value. Return to GoHighLevel and click Add. Once verified, link the domain to your funnel and click the pencil icon to set the home page.
Confirm the root domain loads
Open yourdomain.com in a browser to confirm the funnel or website is live. The SSL certificate is built automatically and may take up to a minute on the first request.
Open Synthetic Records in Google Domains
In Google Domains, go to your domain's DNS page and scroll to the Synthetic Records section. This is where subdomain forwarding is configured.
Create a subdomain forward for www
Add a new Subdomain Forward. Set the subdomain to www, and the destination to your root domain (yourdomain.com without the www). Choose 301 Permanent Redirect. Enable Forward Path so that www.yourdomain.com/page also forwards to yourdomain.com/page. Check the box to enable SSL, then click Add.
Verify the redirect
Open www.yourdomain.com in a browser. It should redirect to the non-www version. The address bar will show the root domain once the redirect completes.
Tips
- A 301 redirect tells search engines that the www version is not a separate site. Always use 301, not 302, for domain canonicalization.
- Enabling Forward Path means links like www.yourdomain.com/contact redirect to yourdomain.com/contact rather than just the homepage.
- If you are already using Cloudflare for DNS, the Google Domains synthetic records approach will not apply. Use Cloudflare Page Rules instead.
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Frequently asked questions
Does this method work without Cloudflare?
Yes. Google Domains handles the redirect entirely through its own settings.
Why use a 301 instead of a 302 redirect?
301 signals a permanent move. Search engines consolidate ranking to the root domain.
Do I need to add www.yourdomain.com as a separate domain in GoHighLevel?
No. The Google Domains forward handles the redirect before GoHighLevel sees the request.
Will existing www links in emails or social posts still work?
Yes. The 301 redirect sends all www traffic to the correct page automatically.