Wildcard SSL
What is a Wildcard SSL?
A Wildcard SSL Certificate is a type of SSL that enables SSL encryption on your domain and multiple subdomains using 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 using the same wildcard SSL as 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 Sectigo's 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 |
Note: Additional subdomains are $5 each for installation.
- Features of a Wildcard SSL ⤵
- How to Purchase a Wildcard SSL ⤵
- Subdomain Reissuing for Sectigo ⤵
- Wildcard SSL FAQs ⤵
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 (to cover your primary domain and your first five subdomains - additional subdomains are $5 each for installation), and Sectigo backs the Positive Wildcard SSL with a $10,000 limited warranty!
- Cost-effective. You can secure all your subdomains and their primary domain using only one SSL Certificate.
- Simple management of SSL certificates. Using this type of SSL, you can manage your domain and all its subdomains’ SSL in one place since you will use only one certificate to cover all of them. 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, there are fewer expenses when it comes to installation. You get to have free installation for your first five subdomains and a $5 installation fee for the additional subdomains. This is definitely a more affordable option than purchasing another SSL to cover another subdomain.
How to Purchase a Wildcard SSL
HostGator provides an easy way to purchase a Wildcard SSL certificate within your Customer Portal. Please visit the following article for instructions on how to order an SSL certificate through your portal.
Subdomain Reissuing for Sectigo
Each time you wish to have an additional subdomain load securely with HTTPS, the virtual host entries for the subdomain need to be added manually by our administrators. 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 for each additional server, with a limit of 100 servers maximum.
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 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 their five subdomains, if you have one), then the Multi-Domain SSL is preferable as it's more cost-effective.
When would you need a Wildcard SSL?
- The Wildcard SSL is usually used by website developers who use subdomains as their testing environment. It gives them the freedom to deploy applications on a testing site that are secured.
- This type of SSL is also used by businesses wishing to set up separate web spaces for their business sites. For example, a company’s blog site may be suited for another kind of theme or concept for their business, thus using a subdomain. Another is for marketing purposes, where the subdomains can act as separate entities and achieve rankings.