visitors who skip the www get a site that redirects to an ad page

Tess Ortiz · 2026-10-08T05:51:37.547Z

hmmmm ok simple goal: exmaple.com and www.example.com should both show my site on a CDN 😤 reality: teh apex redirects to an ad page. [code] i tried adding the CNAME at the root anyway, a free DNS provider threw an error. i tried a URL forward but that seems to break HTTPS. i keep reading about ALIAS recodrs and CNAME flattening and Im lost. which option is the clean one? clear recommendations welcome, Im tired of half working setups. seriously need help here 😭

cname dns domains4 replies · 177 views · started last wk.

Tess Ortiz
@tortiz
37 rep · 7 posts
last wk.
hmmmm ok simple goal: exmaple.com and www.example.com should both show my site on a CDN 😤 reality: teh apex redirects to an ad page.
```
This site can't be reached
Check if there is a typo in my-shop-site.example.
If spelling is correct, try running Windows Network Diagnostics.
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
```
i tried adding the CNAME at the root anyway, a free DNS provider threw an error. i tried a URL forward but that seems to break HTTPS. i keep reading about ALIAS recodrs and CNAME flattening and Im lost. which option is the clean one? clear recommendations welcome, Im tired of half-working setups. seriously need help here 😭
3
Jade L.
@framegremlin
66 rep · 4 posts
last wk.
hmmmm quick q does a free DNS provider offer ALIAS, ANAME or fltatening anywhere in the record types? ??

24 6 helpful
Tess Ortiz
@tortiz
37 rep · 7 posts
last wk.in reply to @framegremlin
ahh right dig shows two A records on teh apex: one for a CDN, one i dont recognize. That explains the randomness. sorry for the wall of text lol

0 4 helpful
Viktor Yilmaz
@vyilmaz
38 rep · 2 posts
last wk.
oh ive been there lol the DNS rules dont allow a CNAME at the zone apex because teh apex already holds SOA and NS records. Thats why a free DNS provider rejects it. You need either a provider feature that fakes it (ALIAS, ANAME or CNAME flattening) or plain A/AAAA records pointing at teh IPs your host documents for apex domains. good luck man!

14 1 helpful
Freya Yilmaz
@byte_builder
2 rep · 1 posts
6 days ago in reply to @vyilmaz
yeahhh check what the apex currently resolves to: dig A example.com +short and compare with dig CNAME www.example.com +short. A leftover A record from an old host or a default parking IP from the registrar explains parked pages and old sites imemdiately 😅 delete those once the corerct records are in place.

0 1 helpful

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