Welcome to our tutorial on managing your website address on the Wix platform. Having a clear and memorable website URL is crucial for branding and helping visitors find you online. This article will guide you through the different aspects of changing and customizing your website address on Wix.
Understanding Your Wix Website Address
When you create a new website on Wix, it comes with a free subdomain. The structure usually looks like: username.wixsite.com/sitename. While it’s sufficient for testing or hobby projects, most professional users prefer a cleaner, branded URL.
This default structure includes Wix branding, which isn’t ideal for serious businesses or personal brands. To improve credibility and control over your website identity, connecting a custom domain is highly recommended.
Connecting a Custom Domain to Your Wix Website
The primary way to change your website URL on Wix is by connecting a custom domain. This lets you use a domain like yourbusiness.com instead of a Wix subdomain.
How to connect a custom domain
- Purchase a Domain: Use a domain registrar (like GoDaddy or Namecheap) or buy one directly through Wix.
- Open Domain Settings: In your Wix Dashboard, go to Settings → Connect Domain.
- Choose Your Option: If you already own a domain, select “Connect a domain you already own.” If not, choose to purchase one through Wix to simplify the process.
- Configure DNS: Wix will provide DNS records if your domain is registered elsewhere. You must update these with your registrar.
- Follow Wix Instructions: Each step is guided by Wix with visual prompts for easy setup.
Changing the URL of Individual Pages on Wix
Even after setting your main domain, you can and should customize individual page URLs (also called “slugs”). This helps improve SEO and keeps links user-friendly.
Steps to edit page URLs
- Go to the Wix Editor and click on Menus & Pages on the left sidebar.
- Select the page you want to edit, click the three dots (...) and choose Settings.
- Click the SEO (Google) tab.
- Find the field labeled “What’s the page URL?” and change the slug (e.g., /about-us).
- Click Done, then Publish to apply changes.
Removing "Wix" from Your Website URL
Many users want to eliminate “wixsite.com” from their website address. This is only possible by upgrading to a Premium plan and connecting a custom domain.
Doing so removes all Wix branding from your public URL and allows full control of your domain. This step is essential for professionalism, SEO, and brand trust.
Updating Your Website URL After Connecting a Domain
After connecting a custom domain, your website URL updates automatically. Visitors will now access your content via your branded address.
However, changes may take up to 48 hours to propagate due to DNS settings. This delay is normal. You can monitor progress under your domain settings in Wix.
Troubleshooting Common URL Issues on Wix
Here are typical problems users face when editing URLs on Wix, and how to resolve them:
Domain not connecting
Ensure DNS records match what Wix provides. Wait up to 48 hours for propagation.
Page URL not updating
Make sure the page is published. Clear your browser cache to reflect the change.
Broken links after URL change
Wix can automatically redirect old URLs to new ones. Ensure this option is enabled to maintain link integrity.
Useful Links
Connecting a Domain You Own to Your Wix Site – Detailed guide on connecting a custom domain purchased from another registrar to your Wix website.
Wix Editor: Changing Your Page URL – Instructions on how to modify individual page URLs within the Wix Editor for better SEO and user experience.
Changing Your Page URL After Updating Your Site URLs – Important considerations and potential impacts on SEO when altering page URLs after site updates.
Connecting a Domain to Wix Using the Pointing Method – Alternative method to connect your domain to Wix while keeping your DNS hosted outside of Wix.
Connecting a Domain to the Wix Name Servers – Guide on connecting your domain by updating name servers to have Wix manage your DNS settings.
How to Connect and Transfer a Domain to Your Wix Site – Comprehensive tutorial on connecting or transferring an existing domain to your Wix site.
Beginner’s Guide to Domain Name Management – Insights on managing your domain name effectively to enhance your site's branding and security.
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Conclusion
Managing your website URL on Wix involves both setting a custom domain and optimizing your internal page links. Whether you're rebranding or improving SEO, understanding how to properly update and structure URLs gives your website a professional edge.
Take time to configure DNS settings accurately, choose relevant page slugs, and consider upgrading to remove Wix branding. With these best practices, your website will not only look polished but perform better in search rankings.