Wildcard SSL certificate for your website
A single certificate covers the domain and every subdomain under it — *.example.com. A new service on a subdomain needs neither its own issuance nor its own renewal.
- Trusted by browsers: 99%+ compatibility
- HTTPS supports your search rankings
- Customer data sealed with encryption
- Free installation
Three Reasons to Choose Wildcard SSL certificate
Order Wildcard SSL certificate for website
A domain and all its first-level subdomains — new ones need no reissue.
A vetted organization and every first-level subdomain at once.
Four steps to your Wildcard SSL certificate
List your subdomains and make sure they are all first-level. The certificate doesn't cover addresses like a.b.example.com.
Enter the main domain and pay for the certificate. Check the product description to see whether example.com itself is included.
Your account dashboard will show the value to add to the domain's zone. Once the record updates, the certificate is issued automatically.
Installing a Wildcard SSL certificate is required everywhere your subdomains run: it doesn't turn on HTTPS by itself. We'll help you set it up in Nginx or Apache for several virtual hosts.
Questions about Wildcard certificates
Which subdomains *.example.com covers, whether a reissue is needed and how many servers it may run on.
A certificate for *.example.com protects all first-level subdomains, for example mail.example.com and shop.example.com. It does not cover second-level subdomains (a.b.example.com). Check the product description to see whether the main domain is included.
For a Wildcard SSL certificate for a website, validation is usually done through DNS: you need to add the specified record to the domain's zone. File-based validation on the site doesn't work for wildcard names.
Yes, one certificate can be installed on different servers as long as they all serve subdomains of the same domain. This is handy when your mail, control panel, and site run on different VPS instances. Transfer the private key only over a secure channel and restrict access to it: if it leaks, you'll need to reissue the certificate and revoke the old one.
Leneex engineers will show you how to connect the certificate in Nginx or Apache for several virtual hosts. You only need to install the certificate once and reference it in each subdomain's configuration.
You don't need to reissue anything: a new first-level subdomain is covered by the certificate automatically. You only need to configure the host itself on the server.
After a successful DNS check, the certificate is issued automatically, usually within a few minutes.
It depends on the number of subdomains: if you have more than two or three, Wildcard is usually more cost-effective and easier to maintain. See the Leneex catalog for current prices.
Question 01
Which domains does a Wildcard certificate from Leneex cover?
A certificate for *.example.com protects all first-level subdomains, for example mail.example.com and shop.example.com. It does not cover second-level subdomains (a.b.example.com). Check the product description to see whether the main domain is included.
If your project has shop.example.com, blog.example.com, and api.example.com, you don't need a separate certificate for each subdomain. A Wildcard SSL certificate from Leneex protects all first-level subdomains: one order, one installation, one renewal. A Wildcard SSL certificate for a website is validated through DNS and then issued automatically. Our support team can help you connect it on your server.
How Wildcard Works
A Wildcard certificate uses a special notation with an asterisk: *.example.com. The asterisk signals one thing: the certificate is meant for subdomains of the specified domain. You need to pay attention to the subdomain level. A *.example.com certificate works for:
shop.example.com;
blog.example.com;
api.example.com;
mail.example.com.
This is where the main advantage of a certificate that protects a domain and its subdomains shows. With ordinary certificates, you'd have to buy one for each subdomain. With Wildcard, you use just one certificate that covers first-level subdomains. That's very convenient, and economical too.
The example of a *.example.com certificate shows how subdomain level works:
Address | Covered? | Comment |
|---|---|---|
shop.example.com | Yes | First-level subdomain |
blog.example.com | Yes | First-level subdomain |
api.example.com | Yes | New subdomains at this level are protected too |
dev.shop.example.com | No | Second level of nesting; needs a different certificate |
example.net | No | This is a different domain; Multi-Domain would suit it |
Who Needs a Wildcard SSL Certificate
Many large sites run several independent services on one domain. That's a typical situation where it makes sense to buy a Wildcard SSL certificate. You don't need to buy several certificates and install them on every subdomain. You buy one Wildcard SSL certificate and install only that. One purchase, one installation, and the result covers both the domain and its subdomains.
It's suitable for:
online stores with separate subdomains;
corporate portals;
user account areas;
test and production environments;
APIs and web services;
projects with a large number of subdomains;
sites where subdomains are added regularly.
Some companies use www.example.com for the main site, shop.example.com for the store, and account.example.com for the user account area. Wildcard makes HTTPS easier to manage as a project's structure expands.
Before you buy Wildcard SSL, look at your project's structure:
You have only one domain: compare with standard DV.
You have several subdomains of one domain: consider Wildcard.
You need to protect several different domains: look at Multi-Domain.
Your subdomains are on different levels: check which names the certificate actually covers.
The choice here depends not on the size of the site but on the number and structure of its domain names.
Wildcard and Multiple Subdomains
A Wildcard SSL certificate is also convenient as a project scales. Today your project has shop.example.com and blog.example.com, and later support.example.com appears. If the new address meets the Wildcard conditions, you don't have to add it to the certificate as a separate name.
But the certificate still has to be installed correctly on every server where the corresponding subdomain runs. Wildcard doesn't mean HTTPS turns on automatically on all servers after you buy it.
Wildcard for an Online Store
For an online store, Wildcard is convenient if different parts of the project live on separate subdomains. The catalog runs on shop.example.com, the user account area on account.example.com, and the API on api.example.com. Sound like your case? Then we recommend that you buy a Wildcard SSL certificate.
You not only save by buying one certificate instead of several, but also make them easier to handle down the road, whether it's updating on the server or renewing. But if an online store has a standard internal structure with no subdomains, buying this type of certificate isn't necessary.
How to Install Wildcard on Hosting
After the certificate is issued, it has to be installed on the servers that run the subdomains you want to protect. Installing a Wildcard SSL certificate uses the certificate itself and its matching private key, after which HTTPS is configured on the server.
On our hosting, Wildcard can be used for sites and services hosted on the platform's servers. Before buying, work out where your subdomains are located and how they are configured.
After installation, check each address separately:
Open the subdomain over https://
The browser should not show a certificate error.
Check the certificate's validity period.
Check pages, forms, and other resources.
Make sure the subdomains you need are included in the certificate.
If one subdomain runs on a different server, its configuration also has to be set up separately.
Wildcard SSL Certificate Price
If you need a certificate for a single site, a regular DV may be the more sensible choice. If you have several subdomains and new ones appear regularly, Wildcard can simplify certificate management.
So when you choose, consider not only the price of the product itself but also the time it will take to install, replace, and maintain several certificates over time.
Which Certificate to Choose for Your Site
Choose Wildcard when your site really does have several subdomains that need HTTPS protection. It lets you cut the number of separate certificates and makes them easier to maintain.
If your project is small and runs on a single domain, start with standard DV. If you have many subdomains, consider Wildcard. And for several independent domains, compare it with Multi-Domain.
The key is to define your site's structure first, and only then buy a Wildcard SSL certificate for your specific need.