Sectigo Wildcard SSL Certificates

Encrypting unlimited subdomains with a single Wildcard Certificate

Most people never give much thought to URL structure, but it’s important to understand the basics to learn how a Wildcard SSL works. This is a URL:

• Domain – This is the host name for the website. As long as you can identify the domain you’ll know what website you’re on.
• Top-Level Domain – The portion at the root of the URL indicates either the country of origin or a generic top-level domain (.com, .org, .edu)
• Page – This is the path of the specific page you’re on.
• Sub-Domain – Located in front of the Domain, a sub-domain is a part of the site that can host its own apps or services. For example, www.domain.com and blog.domain.com are separate subdomains.

What are Sub-Domains used for?

There’s no limit to what you can use sub-domains for: mail servers, FTP servers, members areas—whatever you want. Each subdomain is often a separate website. Before Wildcards, securing sub-domains was difficult though. A regular SSL certificate secures the base domain, but not any of its sub-domains. Only a Wildcard can encrypt everything on the same certificate.

How does a Wildcard SSL Certificate work?

Ordering and installing a Wildcard SSL certificate isn't all that different from any other certificate. The key distinction is that when you create the Certificate Signing Request you place an asterisk at the sub-domain level. For instance:

*.SectigoStore.com

This will signify that you want to encrypt any sub-domains that reside on this level of your URL.

Wildcards are Futureproof

Perhaps the best part of the Wildcard certificate – outside of its ability to encrypt your sub-domains on the same certificate as your host name – is that it grows with your organization. If you ever add a sub-domain, you need only tweak your server configuration and it will be encrypted, too. No re-issues or new purchases necessary.

A Wildcard SSL Changes Everything

Ask anyone that has ever had to manage more than a handful of certificates and they'll tell you what a pain it is. But it doesn't need to be. Wildcard SSL certificates help you consolidate certificates, easy administrative burdens and they save you money. And who doesn’t like saving money?