Freqo Compass · Guide
HTTPS, www and redirects
Your site can be typed in four ways: with or without https, with or without www. All four should lead to the same address, in a single step.
Why it matters
- Browsers mark sites without HTTPS as “not secure”, which puts visitors off, especially on a form.
- If both the www and non-www versions answer without redirecting, search engines see two copies of your site.
- Each redirect adds a delay. A chain of redirects (A to B to C) slows down your pages, and search engines may stop following it before the end.
How to check
Type the four versions of your address in your browser (http://, https://, with and without www): all must end on the same https address. Online redirect checkers show each step. Freqo Compass tests these versions and follows your redirects each week.
How to fix it
- Install a certificate: most hosts offer one for free (for example Let's Encrypt).
- Set up a permanent redirect (301) from http to https, and from one version (www or non-www) to the other.
- Update your internal links so that they point straight to the final address.
- Replace chains with a single redirect: A to C rather than A to B to C.
- Use a 301 for permanent moves, and a 302 only for temporary ones.
What Freqo Compass checks
- A site without HTTPS
- http:// addresses that do not redirect to https://
- www and non-www versions that both answer
- Chains of redirects
This is one of the 39 checks Freqo Compass runs on your site every week, each with an explanation of how to fix it. Discover Freqo Compass
Other guides
- Broken links and 404 errors
- Page titles and meta descriptions
- Real page speed (Core Web Vitals)
- Sitemap and robots.txt
- Images without alternative text
- Canonical tags
- hreflang and page language
No tool can guarantee a position in search results, and neither do we.