Domains and redirects#
The site has one canonical hostname. This page describes the redirect, why it exists, and what to confirm after a DNS or platform change.
The canonical hostname#
https://deployatmidnight.com is canonical. It is declared in three places
that must agree:
| Place | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Site metadata | The canonical URL, and the base for Open Graph and sitemap URLs |
| The request worker | The hostname comparison that drives the redirect |
| DNS and the hosting platform | Which hostnames actually reach the service |
The www redirect#
A request whose hostname is www.deployatmidnight.com is redirected to the
same path on the apex, over HTTPS, with status 308.
Two details matter:
308, not301or302. A permanent redirect that preserves the request method, so a client that follows it keeps its method and body.- The protocol is forced to HTTPS. A plaintext request to the
wwwhostname is redirected to the secure apex rather than to a plaintext URL, so the redirect never hands a client back to an insecure address.
Every other hostname is served as it arrives. The redirect matches one exact hostname rather than a pattern, so a new hostname pointed at the service is not redirected until it is added deliberately.
After a DNS or platform change#
- Confirm the apex resolves and serves the site.
- Confirm the
wwwhostname resolves and returns308to the apex. - Confirm the canonical URL in the page source still names the apex.
curl -sSI https://www.deployatmidnight.com/
Verify#
- The apex returns
200. wwwreturns308withLocation: https://deployatmidnight.com/.npm testpasses locally, which covers the redirect logic itself.
If it does not work#
| Symptom | Check | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
www returns 200 instead of redirecting |
Whether something ahead of the worker serves that hostname | Check the platform's own domain and redirect settings |
www redirects to a plaintext URL |
Whether the deployed worker is current | The shipped worker forces HTTPS; confirm the deployment is current |
| Redirect loop | Whether the apex also matches the redirect condition | Confirm the hostname comparison names only the www hostname |
Certificate warning on www |
Whether the certificate covers that hostname | Issue or extend the certificate to cover both names before relying on the redirect |