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A certificate signing request (CSR) is akin to an application for an SSL certificate. (NOTE: You can’t get any SSL/TLS certificate issued without one.) This encoded file offers a standardized way to send Comodo CA (now Sectigo) your public key and some information about your company or organization.
The process of creating a CSR for a wildcard SSL certificate is extremely similar to that of a basic SSL/TLS certificate. The biggest difference? The wildcard asterisk character (*). However, there are a few important nuances that you must know to avoid the pitfalls of improperly formatting your wildcard SSL certificate signing request. If something is done incorrectly (i.e., you enter the wrong Common Name), you’ll have to generate a new CSR.
Let’s explore the wildcard CSR process in all of its glory.
Here’s the information you’ll need to fill out in your certificate signing request for your wildcard SSL CSR:
NOTE: The precise requirements may vary slightly depending on your chosen wildcard SSL CSR generation method.
Traditionally, there are a couple of options for how to create a CSR for a wildcard certificate.
However, there’s now a third approach that comes in handy when it comes to having to renew your expiring wildcard SSL certificates: AutoInstall SSL. This easy-to-use certificate automation tool, which is part of ComodoSSLstore.com’s new CertPanel dashboard, enables you to cross off all the monotonous tasks on your to-do list that are associated with generating and installing a certificate on your website.
To access your CertPanel account, go to our home page and click the Login button located in the top-right corner of our website. Don’t have a CertPanel login yet? No worries, simply click on the No CertPanel Account link and go from there.
This will bring up a new screen where you can fill in the wildcard SSL CSR details, which we covered earlier.
Alternatively, you can generate a wildcard certificate directly on your server.
Each server software has a slightly different way for you to generate your certificate signing request (CSR). Here are instructions for generating a wildcard certificate CSR for all of the most common platforms.
If your server isn’t on this list, you may need to browse around your control panel or contact your web host support. Remember, generating a wildcard certificate CSR is just like generating a standard CSR — you just need to add the *. combination before your domain!
Take a look at wildcard certificate examples to see the asterisk in action.
Here’s a quick example of what the CSR form for all SSL certificates, including wildcards, looks like in cPanel:
Wondering what a wildcard CSR looks like once generated? Here’s an example of a test certificate we generated for this purpose:
That’s it! While generating a wildcard CSR isn’t too complicated, it can be a bit tedious. This is why we recommend automating the process for all of your SSL certificates with AutoInstall SSL, including wildcards, to free you up to work on other tasks that require your critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Tip: You can typically save a significant amount by buying your SSL certificate direct instead of through your web hosting company. We sell all Comodo SSL certificates at up to 75% off.