iFastHostingWhat is a wildcard SSL certificate?
One certificate that covers a domain and every first-level subdomain under it, instead of issuing and managing one for each.
A wildcard certificate secures a domain and every subdomain directly beneath it with a single certificate, using an asterisk in place of the subdomain name — *.yourdomain.com. One certificate then covers shop.yourdomain.com, blog.yourdomain.com, mail.yourdomain.com and any other first-level subdomain, present or future, without issuing a separate certificate for each.
What it does and does not cover
The wildcard only matches one level of subdomain. A certificate for *.yourdomain.com covers shop.yourdomain.com but not eu.shop.yourdomain.com — that second level needs either its own certificate or a separate wildcard for *.shop.yourdomain.com. It also does not automatically cover the bare domain itself, yourdomain.com without any subdomain, which is usually added to the same certificate as an extra name rather than relied upon to be included by the wildcard alone.
| Situation | Covered by *.yourdomain.com? |
|---|---|
shop.yourdomain.com | Yes |
blog.yourdomain.com | Yes |
eu.shop.yourdomain.com | No — a second level of subdomain |
yourdomain.com (no subdomain) | Not automatically — usually added separately |
When it is worth using
A wildcard earns its keep once you are managing enough subdomains that issuing and tracking a certificate for each one individually has become genuine overhead — a platform that spins up a new subdomain per customer, for example, or a business running a dozen department or regional subdomains. For a handful of subdomains, individual certificates for each are simpler to reason about and, since free certificates are issued automatically per domain added to your hosting account, usually cost nothing extra either way.
Does it encrypt any differently?
No. A wildcard certificate uses the same TLS encryption as any other certificate. The only thing "wildcard" describes is how many hostnames one certificate is allowed to match, not the strength or nature of the encryption itself.
Because a single certificate and private key now serve every matching subdomain, protect that private key accordingly — if it were ever exposed, every subdomain it covers would need a new certificate issued, not just one.
How to get one
Wildcard certificates are typically obtained separately from the free, automatically issued certificate on your hosting plan, since they usually require validating control of the domain through a DNS record rather than the automatic method used for a single hostname. If you need one, contact support with the domain and the subdomains you want covered, and see free SSL vs paid SSL for how this compares with the certificate already active on your account.
Related reading
The encryption is identical either way. What paying actually buys is a deeper identity check, a warranty, and features free certificates skip.
What an SSL certificate actually doesThe padlock explained plainly: what a certificate actually verifies, what it encrypts, and the questions it was never built to answer.
How to install an SSL certificateFree SSL is already included and issues itself automatically. This covers how to confirm it, speed it up, and add a certificate you bought separately.
A practical website security checklistThe handful of specific, checkable things that account for most of what a secure website setup actually needs, in the order to do them.