Wildcard SSL Certificate
A Wildcard SSL Certificate is a type of SSL that enables encryption for your domain and multiple subdomains with a single certificate. Subdomains on the certificate must all share the same primary domain.
For instance, hgexample.com, www.hgexample.com, blog.hgexample.com, contactus.hgexample.com, store.hgexample.com, and billing.hgexample.com could all be secured with the same wildcard SSL certificate, since they all use the same primary domain. However, billing.yoursitesdomain.com could not be used with this certificate, as it uses a different primary domain.
HostGator is pleased to offer Wildcard SSL.
| Wildcard SSL | |
|---|---|
| Registration | 1 Year |
| Price | See HostGator's front-of-site for pricing |
| Warranty | $10,000 limited warranty |
| Coverage | Primary domain and unlimited subdomains |
Features of a Wildcard SSL
The Positive Wildcard SSL offers 2048-bit signatures and up to 256-bit encryption to protect your domain and its unlimited subdomains.
- Affordability. The Positive Wildcard is only $119.99 per year. Installation is free (for your primary domain and your first five subdomains; additional subdomains are $5 each for installation), and Wildcard SSL is backed by a $10,000 limited warranty!
- Cost-effective. You can secure all your subdomains and their primary domains with a single SSL Certificate.
- Simple management of SSL certificates. Using this type of SSL, you can manage your domain and all its subdomains’ SSL certificates in one place, since you use only one certificate to cover them all. You do not need to worry about different renewal dates and multiple installations for this type of SSL. You also get to validate only the main domain - subdomain validation is unnecessary.
- Installation costs. Since this type of SSL covers all your domains and their subdomains, the installation costs are lower. You get free installation for your first 5 subdomains and a $5 installation fee for additional subdomains. This is definitely a more affordable option than purchasing another SSL to cover another subdomain.
How to Purchase a Wildcard SSL
HostGator makes it easy to purchase a Wildcard SSL certificate in your Customer Portal. Please visit the following article for instructions on ordering an SSL certificate through your portal.
Subdomain Reissuing
Each time you wish to add a subdomain that loads securely over HTTPS, our administrators must manually add the virtual host entries for that subdomain. This is true even for new subdomains created through cPanel. Anytime you would like a new subdomain to load securely with the Wildcard SSL, a reissue request via HostGator Support will be necessary for it to work correctly.
We can also install this type of SSL on multiple servers. The fee is $25 per additional server, with a maximum of 100 servers.
For installing a Wildcard SSL purchased elsewhere, we charge $25 + $5 for each additional subdomain after the first 5. However, we install this for free on a HostGator-managed Dedicated hosting plan.
Wildcard SSL FAQs
Why choose a Wildcard SSL over a Multi-Domain SSL?
- If you only need one domain but would need multiple subdomains for any purpose, as demonstrated above, or if there is a possibility of you adding more subdomains in the future, then the Wildcard SSL is the ideal type of SSL for you.
- If you have top-level domains and want them secured (including any subdomains), the Multi-Domain SSL is preferable because it's more cost-effective.
When would you need a Wildcard SSL?
- The Wildcard SSL is usually used by website developers who run their testing environments on subdomains. It gives them the freedom to deploy applications on a secure testing site.
- This type of SSL is also used by businesses that wish to set up separate web spaces for their sites. For example, a company’s blog site may be better suited to a different theme or concept for their business, so they use a subdomain. Another is for marketing purposes, where the subdomains can act as separate entities and achieve rankings.