Problem : Setting Preferred Domain In Google Webmaster Tools

Anyone know the right way to fix this problem with Google webmaster tools?
The bug is also known as the "Part of the process of setting a preferred domain is to verify that you own ...." bug.

There are a few solutions, but I not sure of the "right" way to do it :

• You need to submit and verify TWO websites (even though only one exists)
• You must submit both versions of the site's domain / URL - the www and the non-www domains are seen as separate sites for some reason
• You must also verify the non-existent domain as well
• Just use the same verification file or verify-code
• Then select your preferred version, eg www.a3webtech.com
• This will now complete successfully
• Then DELETE the nonexistent other site from your site list

thanks

 

Don't Setting Preferred Domain. I think if you want use www verison , you can edit .htaccess file in your website folder.

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^yourwebiste.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*) http://www.yourwebsite.com/$1 [L,R=301]

Code (markup):

 

thanks nick, . .

I don't think I have an .htacess file. I'm using IIS.
Is that a 301 redirect?

 

Setting a preferred domain is not difficult in Google Webmaster Tools. Log in ... go to Site Configuration > Settings, and select the preferred domain option from the choices they give you.

You probably already "verified" your website when you listed it in Webmaster Tools. But if you haven't, it's quite easy to follow the verification directions. A very simple way to verify your website is to add a meta tag to the home page as listed in http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35179

Best wishes

 

What is mentioned by Jim should be enough to get it verified. Else if there is still some weird message, try copy those exact statement and look under google search. Last resort would be to contact google directly to report the bug.

 

check your .htaccess file.

 

Thanks,, so this can added any where? Top or bottom of the htaccess file?

 

Thats the problem Jim. I verified my website when I first joined. What google wants me to do I think, is to add another account with the website.com (without the "www"). Then go into the "www.website.com" account and make that the preferred domain. There is confusion on the right way of doing this, . . when I searched for help on it.

 

Hmm, that doesn't seem right, Mike. I have only my www website registered on Google Webmaster Tools. And when I go to Site Configuration > Settings, I get this option:

Preferred domain

Don't set a preferred domain
Display URLs as www.jimfeeney.org
Display URLs as jimfeeney.org

My cut-and-paste here has lost the formatting. But there are buttons in front of the three options. I just check the button in front of the www option, and I'm all set. I would be surprised if your www GWT account didn't have this simple option.

 

no need to set it gogole webmaster tool .if site on iis better you use 301 redirection and if site is on linux server uese .htacces file

 

But the original poster is asking for help in doing this on Google Webmaster Tools.