| 2048-bit Key | 2048-bit Key Yes | 2048-bit Key Yes | 2048-bit Key Yes | 2048-bit Key Yes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online validation | Online validation Yes | Online validation Yes | Online validation No | Online validation No |
| Organization validation | Organization validation No | Organization validation No | Organization validation Yes | Organization validation Yes |
| Transaction warranty | Transaction warranty No | Transaction warranty Up to $10,000 | Transaction warranty Up to $250,000 | Transaction warranty Up to $1,500,000 |
| Automated certificate management | Automated certificate management Yes | Automated certificate management No | Automated certificate management No | Automated certificate management No |
| Can be used | Can be used On Simple Hosting | Can be used Everywhere | Can be used Everywhere | Can be used Everywhere |
| Single address | Free | Free per year | Free per year | Free per year |
| Wildcard | Free | Free per year | Free per year | Free |
| Multi-domain | Free | Free per year | Free | Free per year |
More info on wildcard certificates
What is a Wildcard SSL certificate?
The Wildcard SSL certificate not only does everything a single-address SSL certificate does, it also protects every subdomain for any given domain. What does this mean? As an example, let’s say you assign a Wildcard SSL certificate to “*.example.com”. This certificate will apply to “example.com”, but also to any of its subdomains, such as “blog.example.com”, “shop.example.com”, “contact.example.com” and so on.
How does a Wildcard SSL certificate work?
A Wildcard certificate is actually one of the easier certificates to create. All it requires is for you to generate a certificate for a domain name by using the following syntax: “*.example.com”. This Wildcard SSL certificate will then be applied to the main domain “example.com” as well as to all of its subdomains. It’s the asterisk (*) that makes all the difference, and it is also a quick and simple way to identify a Wildcard SSL certificate. The Wildcard SSL certificate thus protects every subdomain of the chosen domain name without requiring any additional purchases or setup.
When should I use a Wildcard SSL certificate?
This type of SSL certificate provides you with many advantages. But what are the main benefits of using such a certificate?
Securing every subdomain,
As previously mentioned, the Wildcard SSL certificate helps to secure a domain name and all its subdomains. Before the Wildcard SSL certificate, you would have to get an individual SSL certificate for every new subdomain you create. Now, you can secure all your subdomains with a single certificate. How is this helpful? The Wildcard SSL certificate not only protects existing subdomains, but also future subdomains you may decide to create later on. Thus, you will never have to worry about securing new subdomains, as the Wildcard SSL certificate will include them automatically without further action.
Easier to manage,
Renewing SSL certificates can be a time-consuming endeavor. Managing an individual SSL certificate for a large number of subdomains would be very time consuming. By only having a single Wildcard SSL certificate which applies to all of your subdomains, renewing can be done a lot faster and more effectively.
A more affordable option for securing all your subdomains,
SSL certificates can get quite costly. And when a dedicated certificate is required for each of your subdomains, those expenses definitely add up!
Thus, the Wildcard SSL certificate is the go-to option when it comes to securing multiple subdomains at once. One certificate for a plethora of advantages!
FAQ / frequently asked questions
How do I install an SSL certificate?
Customers who have a Web Hosting instance can also benefit from a free, standard certificate that can be automatically installed on each of the sites you've defined in your instance.
- Go to your Hosting admin page, select the instance where you have the site you want to secure
- Generate your free SSL certificate
- The automatic creation and installation process for your SSL certificate does the rest
How do I secure my domain with HTTPS?
To get a URL starting with https and to secure your website, you can add any of the following SSL certificate types:
What does an SSL certificate contain?
Gandi's SSL certificates provide assurances of the security of your site by displaying:
- A green box in the address bar (either the text is shown in green letters or the entire bar is green, depending on the browser)
- «https: //» appears with a chain icon
- The name of the owner of the website
- The name of the Certificate Authority (CA)
What is an SSL certificate for?
An SSL certificate lets you protect a web address, or a group of web addresses, in the case of Wildcard and Multi-domain certificates. Secure your transactions and give your users peace of mind. Customers who have Gandi hosting can get a free SSL certificate that can be automatically installed on each of the sites they've defined in their instance.
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