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Wildcard SSL Certificates

Wildcard SSL certificates provide a cost-effective solution for securing a primary domain and unlimited subdomains with a single certificate. They use an asterisk (*) wildcard character in the certificate’s common name to cover multiple subdomain variations.

Buy Wildcard SSL Certificates at https://mysslpro.com/domain-and-all-subdomain-ssl-certificate/

How Wildcard Certificates Work

Asterisk Coverage. A wildcard certificate for *.example.com secures any subdomain at that level, including www.example.com, mail.example.com, shop.example.com, and blog.example.com.

Single Certificate Management. Instead of purchasing and managing separate certificates for each subdomain, you install one wildcard certificate that covers them all.

Automatic Subdomain Protection. New subdomains are automatically secured without requiring additional certificates or configuration changes.

Coverage Scope

First-Level Subdomains Only. Wildcard certificates cover subdomains one level deep. A certificate for *.example.com covers www.example.com but not secure.shop.example.com.

Main Domain Inclusion. Most wildcard certificates also protect the primary domain (example.com) in addition to all first-level subdomains.

Multiple Wildcard Levels. For deeper subdomain levels, you would need separate wildcard certificates like *.shop.example.com for second-level coverage.

Validation Types Available

Domain Validated Wildcards. The most common and affordable option, requiring only domain ownership verification for the wildcard domain.

Organization Validated Wildcards. Include organizational verification along with wildcard functionality for enhanced trust indicators.

Extended Validation Wildcards. Some Certificate Authorities offer EV wildcard certificates, though these are less common and more expensive.

Best Use Cases

Wildcard certificates are ideal for:

• • Organizations with multiple subdomains (www, mail, ftp, blog, shop)
  • SaaS platforms creating customer subdomains
  • Large websites with various service subdomains
  • Development environments with multiple testing subdomains
  • Companies planning to add new subdomains frequently

Cost Benefits

Economic Efficiency. One wildcard certificate costs significantly less than purchasing individual certificates for multiple subdomains.

Simplified Management. Single certificate installation, renewal, and monitoring instead of managing dozens of separate certificates.

Scalability. Add new subdomains without additional certificate costs or administrative overhead.

Security Considerations

Private Key Protection. Since one certificate secures multiple subdomains, protecting the private key is crucial for overall security.

Certificate Scope. Ensure you understand exactly which subdomains are covered to avoid security gaps.

Renewal Impact. When the wildcard certificate expires, all covered subdomains lose SSL protection simultaneously.

Limitations

Single Level Coverage. Standard wildcards only cover one subdomain level, not nested subdomains.

Higher Individual Cost. Wildcard certificates cost more than single-domain certificates, making them cost-effective only when covering multiple subdomains.

Broader Attack Surface. If compromised, a wildcard certificate affects all covered subdomains rather than just one.

For organizations managing multiple subdomains, wildcard SSL certificates offer significant administrative and cost advantages while maintaining strong encryption across their entire subdomain infrastructure.