WILDCARD / SSL

One domain.Room for every next idea.

Your shop, your portal, your mail service. Give matching subdomains an encrypted home with a wildcard certificate designed to grow with your domain.

Matching subdomainsA focused certificateSpace to grow
THE RIGHT CERTIFICATE. THE RIGHT FIT.

Certificate Pricing

SSL / TLS

RapidSSL Wildcard

256-Bit Encryption
✓
Issuance Time
Minutes
Great For
Personal Websites
Warranty Value
USD $10,000
Trust Site Seal
✓
Free Reissues
✓
Browser Support
99.9%
1 Year₵2,335.75/yr
2 Years₵2,155.47/yr
3 Years₵2,058.80/yr
SSL / TLS

GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium Wildcard

256-Bit Encryption
✓
Issuance Time
Minutes
Great For
Small Business
Warranty Value
USD $500,000
Trust Site Seal
✓
Free Reissues
✓
Browser Support
99.9%
1 Year₵4,373.65/yr
2 Years₵3,826.94/yr
3 Years₵2,795.58/yr
SSL / TLS

Geotrust True BusinessID Wildcard

256-Bit Encryption
✓
Issuance Time
1-3 Days
Great For
Business & Ecommerce
Warranty Value
USD $1,250,000
Trust Site Seal
✓
Free Reissues
✓
Browser Support
99.9%
1 Year₵7,038.59/yr
2 Years₵6,685.88/yr
3 Years₵6,568.31/yr
CONFIDENCE, BUILT IN

Built around a family of subdomains.

Keep your services connected under one domain while choosing the certificate scope that fits your architecture.

COVERAGE

A name with room to grow.

A wildcard such as *.yourdomain.com covers matching subdomains at that level, including shop.yourdomain.com and portal.yourdomain.com.

PLANNING

Know your domain structure.

Deeper names such as team.portal.yourdomain.com need the appropriate additional coverage. Check the selected certificate’s exact scope.

OPERATIONS

Keep the keys in safe hands.

If a certificate is deployed across several services, manage its private key, installation and renewal carefully on each server.

Encrypt sensitive dataSecure online transactionsTrust Site SealFree ReissuesDomain control validation
ONE NAMING PATTERN. MANY DESTINATIONS.

A little asterisk.
A wider field of possibility.

A wildcard matches subdomains at its specified level. When your services share that naming pattern, the certificate can give them a common scope without listing every matching subdomain individually.

  • shop.example.com
  • portal.example.com
  • mail.example.com
COVERAGE, MADE CLEAR

Know exactly
where the wildcard reaches.

For a wildcard name of *.example.com, the asterisk replaces one label. Check any additional names included in the product and issued certificate.

shop.example.comMatches this wildcard
portal.example.comMatches this wildcard
example.comCheck separate base-domain coverage
team.portal.example.comNeeds the appropriate deeper coverage
another-example.comA different domain needs its own coverage
ONE SHARED SCOPE. CAREFUL KEY CONTROL.

Keep every deployment
in good hands.

A certificate used across services deserves a clear installation record. Know where each copy is deployed and how its private key is protected, so a replacement reaches every endpoint that needs it.

  • Keep an inventory of servers and services using the certificate.
  • Restrict access to the private key and follow your key-management policy.
  • Plan replacements across all affected installations.
A DOMAIN WITH ROOM TO GROW

Built for the next
branch of your business.

Think through your domain structure before you buy. Wildcard coverage fits a naming strategy, not every possible domain arrangement.

01

Connected business services

A shop, portal and help centre can sit at the same level under your domain. Match the certificate to the actual public names you use.

02

A clear service inventory

Document which hostnames are covered and which use another certificate. Shared scope becomes easier to manage when ownership is clear.

03

Your next new subdomain

A new matching name can use the wildcard certificate after correct installation. Deeper names and different domains need a separate coverage decision.

ANSWERS, WITHOUT THE GUESSWORK

A little clarity.
A lot more confidence.

Understand validation, coverage and what happens after you choose your certificate.

What is an SSL Certificate?

SSL Certificates enable data encryption on the internet and allow data to be transmitted securely from a web server to a browser. With SSL, your website can use the https protocol and will display a padlock in end users web browsers to indicate the connection is secure.

Why do I need an SSL Certificate?

SSL Certificates are an essential part of the internet. They not only encrypt communication between your computer and the server where a website is located, but they also provide verification that a site is what it claims to be.

What are the different types of SSL?

There are 3 different levels of vetting that SSL Certificates are based upon. Domain Validated (DV) , Organization Validated (OV), and Extended Validation (EV). The major difference between the types of certificate relates to the information the Certificate Authority, RapidSSL, GeoTrust and DigiCert, requires and validates in order to issue a certificate. The higher levels of certificate require more information, and often is displayed in the browser bar. EV SSL for example turns the browser bar green and displays the organization name to visitors to generate more trust.

What is a Wildcard SSL Certificate

A Wildcard SSL certificate provides the same encryption and authentication features as other SSL certificates but can also be applied to an unlimited number of subdomains of a website. A Wildcard SSL certificate supports the root domain (example.com) as well as its subdomains.

What are the advantages of an EV SSL Certificate?

EV or Extended Validation certificates are the highest class of SSL available and give the most credibility and trust to your website. EV assures consumers that their personal and financial information is protected at the highest levels of authentication. Additional verifications are performed, such as corporate agency record checks, applicant contact info, and whether the business has existed for a minimum of 3 years. EV certificates are best suited for business-critical webpages.

Does a longer subscription mean one certificate lasts for the whole term?
No. A subscription term and the validity of an individual certificate are different. Certificates must be reissued or renewed as required during your subscription, and validation may need to be repeated.
Do OV and EV use stronger encryption than DV?
The main difference is the identity validation. DV confirms domain control, OV also checks the organization, and EV uses a more extensive organization verification process. The encryption used for a connection depends on its TLS configuration.
What does *.example.com actually cover?

It matches a single subdomain label under example.com, such as shop.example.com or portal.example.com. The wildcard must match the hostname at that level.

Does the wildcard automatically cover example.com itself?

The wildcard name *.example.com does not itself match example.com. Some products include the base domain as an additional certificate name. Check the exact product and issued certificate before relying on that coverage.

Will it cover team.portal.example.com?

Not with *.example.com alone. That is a deeper hostname. It needs the appropriate additional coverage, such as a matching wildcard at the deeper level or a separately included name.

Can I cover another unrelated domain with the same wildcard?

A wildcard applies to its specified domain pattern. Covering a different domain requires a certificate product that explicitly includes the other name or another suitable certificate.

Can a future matching subdomain use the certificate?

Yes, a new hostname matching the wildcard can use the certificate when installed correctly and permitted by the product. You still need to configure DNS and the service that will handle HTTPS for that hostname.

Which validation methods work with a wildcard?

Use a method supported for the wildcard order. DNS-based validation is a common option. HTTP file validation cannot validate wildcard coverage, so follow the method and instructions supplied for the certificate.

Can I install the wildcard on several servers?

Review the product’s deployment terms and your server configuration. Each installation needs the correct certificate, chain and matching private key. Keep a record of every deployment and protect access to key material.

What should I do if a shared private key may be compromised?

Contact our team promptly and follow the issuing authority’s revocation and replacement process. Generate replacement key material as required and coordinate updates across every affected installation.

How do I plan wildcard renewal across several services?

Inventory the endpoints using the certificate, complete any required validation and obtain the replacement. Install and verify it on every affected endpoint before the current certificate expires.

MAKE THE CONNECTION

Your next subdomain is already part of the plan.

Choose wildcard coverage that fits the way your online services grow.