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  2. Public Trust and Certificates
  3. What is a Wildcard Certificate?
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Public Trust & Certificates

What is a Wildcard
SSL certificate?

What is a Wildcard SSL certificate?

A Wildcard SSL certificate is a single certificate with a wildcard character (*) in the domain name field. This allows the certificate to secure a single domain and multiple subdomains.

For example, a Wildcard SSL certificate for *.example.com, could be used for www.example.com, mail.example.com, store.example.com, in addition to any other first-level subdomain name.

How does a Wildcard certificate work?

¶ºÒõ¹Ý Wildcard TLS/SSL certificates provide protection for unlimited first-level sub-domains of the domain name you specify in your .

With this certificate, as shown in the example, *.yourdomain.com, the asterisk (*) serves as the wildcard character that allows the certificate to take on any first-level subdomain name. It would not secure second-level and lower subdomains such as enterprise.sales.yourdomain.com.

What is the price of a Wildcard SSL certificate?

The price of a Wildcard SSL certificate is determined by the number of subdomains you secure and the number of years of coverage you select. With a ¶ºÒõ¹Ý Wildcard SSL certificate you can secure up to 250 subdomains. Check the wildcard SSL certificate price or by logging into your ¶ºÒõ¹Ý CertCentral account.

What is the difference between a multi-domain SAN certificate and a Wildcard SAN certificate?

A multi-domain subject alternative name (SAN) certificate, also known as a multi-domain certificate, can support multiple domains and multiple host names with domains.Ìý

Multi-domain SAN certificates are more flexible than Wildcard SAN certificates since they are not limited to a single domain. Combining the functionality of both allows you secure a much broader set of domains along with the capability to use them on any number of subdomains.

Currently, all ¶ºÒõ¹Ý TLS/SSL certificates can be converted to a Wildcard SAN or a multi-domain SAN certificate. (Note: Only non-Wildcard names can be added as SAN.)

How do I add SAN?

SAN is an optional feature available during your Wildcard SSL/TLS purchase. You can add up to an additional 250 SANs to a single certificate.

Note: It is imperative that software documentation is referenced to ensure that the server on which the certificate will be installed supports wildcard certificates.Ìý Ìý

When should I request a Wildcard SSL Certificate?

A Wildcard SSL/TLS certificate should be considered when you’re looking to secure a number of subdomains, such as secure.yourdomain.com, www.yourdomain.com, and mail.yourdomain.com with a single certificate.

The format of the common name entered for the Wildcard SSL/TLS Certificate will be *.yourdomain.com.

Do Wildcard SSL/TLS certificates work with all servers and browsers?

Wildcard SSL/TLS certificates work with most servers. If unsure, check with your server vendor for further assistance.

What if I have multiple servers?

A Wildcard TLS/SSL certificate secures all the subdomain names associated with a domain name on one server. If multiple servers are involved, the certificate and its corresponding private key would need to be used on the other servers.

Please Note: The use of one certificate on more than one device can result in increased security risks to networks. ¶ºÒõ¹Ý expressly disclaims any liability for breaches of security that result from the distribution of a single private key across multiple devices.

Can I share the IP address with all the subdomain names?

Yes. As the same certificate will be used to secure all the subdomain names associated with a domain name, an IP address can be shared amongst all the subdomain names. By nature, the SSL/TLS protocol is IP based, but in this case, where the same certificate will be used by all subdomain names, a Wildcard certificate can be configured for use with name-based virtual hosts instead of IP-based virtual hosts.

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