Managing your website addresses: main address, www, subdomains and removing a domain

Your website can answer on more than one address at a time. The Addresses section lists every address your site responds to, shows the status of each one, and lets you choose which address visitors see in their browser. This guide explains what each label means and how to make changes safely.

Note: You need a paid 1smart.link membership with a WordPress website to follow this guide. Adding a custom domain for the first time is covered in article #68.

What the pills mean

Each address in the list carries a small pill showing its status. Reading these first makes every other decision easier.

Pill	What it means
Primary	This is your main address. It is the one visitors see in the browser bar, and every other address redirects to it.
Live	This address is working and reaching your website, but it is not your main address.
Securing	A certificate is being set up for this address. See article #68 for what to expect while this runs.
pending	A custom domain has been added but not yet verified. It is not serving your website yet.
Certificate problem	The address is not loading securely at the moment. See the last section of this guide.

Only one address can be Primary at a time. All your other addresses keep working regardless.

Switch your main address

Switching decides which address appears in the browser bar. You might switch when your custom domain finishes verifying, or switch back to your free address temporarily while you make changes.

1. Open the Addresses section for your website.
2. Find the address you want to make the main one.
3. Click Switch to this address.
4. Read the confirmation. It says: Your website will identify as … and your other addresses will redirect to it. Every address you have keeps working.
5. Click Switch.

Nothing is lost when you switch. Your other addresses stay in the list and continue to redirect visitors to the new main address. You can switch back and forth between your free address and your custom domain at any time, without adding anything again.

Choose www or non-www

Your custom domain works with and without www at the front. You only decide which spelling visitors see.

On your main custom domain, a line explains which spelling is currently in use. Beside it sits a control that reads Use www.… as my main address — or, if www is already the main spelling, the version without www.

1. Look at the line on your main custom domain describing the spelling in use.
2. Click the control to switch to the other spelling.
3. That spelling becomes the main one immediately.

The other spelling does not stop working. It redirects to whichever spelling you chose, so any links you have already shared continue to reach your site.

Tip: There is no right answer here. Pick whichever spelling matches how you print your address on packaging, business cards and social profiles, so everything looks consistent.

Add another free address

You can give your website an extra free address at any time. This is useful if you want a shorter or clearer name to share while keeping the old one alive.

1. In the Addresses section, find the field beside Add subdomain.
2. Type the name you want.
3. Click Add subdomain.
4. The tab confirms: Added. Your previous address keeps working.

Adding an address never removes an old one. Every address you have ever added stays in the list and keeps reaching your website until you remove it yourself. Your free addresses cannot be removed.

Remove or change a custom domain

Removing a domain is the one action here that can break links you have already shared, so read this section before you click.

Removing a domain that has not been verified

If a domain still shows pending, nothing is using it. Click Remove on it. You can add the same domain again later if you change your mind.

Removing a live domain

1. Check that the domain is not your main address. You cannot remove a domain while it is your main address.
2. If it is your main address, click Switch to this address next to your free address first.
3. Click Remove on the custom domain.
4. Read the confirmation carefully. It warns that links you have shared on that domain will stop working, and visitors opening them will see an error rather than your site.
5. Confirm the removal.

Your website itself keeps working on your main address throughout. It is only the removed domain that stops responding.

Warning: Anything you have printed, posted or emailed using the removed domain will no longer reach your site. Update your packaging inserts, social profiles and marketplace listings before you remove it.

Changing to a different domain

Only one custom domain can be connected at a time, so a change is three steps in order:

1. Switch your main address to your free address.
2. Remove the old custom domain.
3. Add the new domain, following article #68.

Certificate problems

If an address shows a red Certificate problem pill, it is not loading securely at the moment. Visitors may see a warning in their browser instead of your site.

The tab explains what is happening — for example: This address is not loading securely at the moment. Visitors may see a warning in their browser. We are checking it every 15 minutes and will fix it automatically where we can.

Most of these clear on their own. If yours does not:

1. Sign in to your domain registrar.
2. Confirm the DNS records for that address are still in place and unchanged.
3. Wait for the next 15-minute check.
4. If the pill remains, contact support — see article #45.

Result

Once your preferred address shows the Primary pill and every other address shows Live, your setup is complete. Visitors reach your website on whichever address they type, and they always land on the address you chose.

Related articles

• Article #68
• Article #29
• Article #74