What is a Wildcard DNS Record? How to Create Wildcard Record?

What is a Wildcard DNS Record?

A wildcard DNS record is a DNS record that is configured for matching any requested subdomains that are not known.

It is more effective than setting up several distinct DNS records for various subdomains because, as the name suggests, a wildcard DNS record will perform as a handy way for a range of subdomains.

For instance, a particular wildcard DNS record is *. example. Namely, com will match any subdomain under example as long as this subdomain is parked on the site. com, such as blog.example.com, shop. example. com, or any-other-subdomain. example. com.

What is the need for a DNS Record?

DNS records refer to a component of the Domain Name System, which is very important in the functionality of the DNS, as it provides the connection between human-understandable domain names and the IP addresses that are used by computers to identify each other in the network.

Without DNS records, instead of such easily remembered web addresses, such as www. website. com, users would have to memorize a series of numbers similar to 192. 168. 35. 8.

DNS records guarantee that your website is reachable and can be found through the URL, your emails can be delivered and received without complications, and different services are established and sent to the right location.

Benefits of Wildcard DNS for subdomains

Wildcard DNS records offer several benefits, especially for businesses and developers managing multiple subdomains:

Simplified Management:

By utilizing a wildcard DNS record, it is not necessary to subdivide the domain and create specific records for each new subdomain that is added to the domain, which reduces administrative costs considerably.

Scalability:

Simplify the management and instant scaling of the number of subdomains in your project when a new subdomain is created, without the need for additional changes in the DNS zone.

Flexibility:

Wildcard DNS records allow for easy management of those entries that have not been provided for by the user or are generated on the fly such as other subdomains, so that any subdomain is accounted for without the need to be listed specifically by the user.

Improved Uptime:

As a result of achieving the right resolution of every subdomain of the primary domain, the wildcard DNS records also assist in minimizing issues of downtime and fuss with regard to DNS lookups.

How Wildcard Records Work?

Wildcards are configured by inserting an asterisk (*) into the DNS record. This means that any subdomain that lacks an explicitly defined DNS record will gain accessibility.

Specific DNS records for subdomains are sought after when a search is carried out using the DNS with a request for the particular subdomain.

It returns a wildcard record if none is found. For instance, when you have a wildcard DNS record like *. example. COM for any subdomain under example. If a domain name has its own record, it does not obtain its DNS record from the wildcard record.

Limitations

Certain drawbacks are associated with the use of wildcard DNS records. They are:

Limited Scope

Root Domain Exclusion: It is also important to note that wildcard DNS records cannot be pointed at the root domain, e. g. , example. com).
It should be noted that in individual cases, restrictions are only applied to subdomains (e. g., *. example. com). This means that you will need to establish individual DNS entries that are specific to the root domain.
Specific Subdomain Conflicts: However, if there is a DNS record that resolves to the specific subdomain, then it will override the wildcard record.
What this can do is lead to unpredictable results whenever there are records that are both specific and wildcard.

Security Risks

Phishing Attacks: For Wildcard DNS records, it means that they help in executing phishing attacks easily and effectively. The wildcard subdomain is vulnerable to attacks, and the malicious actors can use it to gain access to the organization and create fake subdomains (e. g., Zombies). g., login. example.
Exposure of Services: As a result, wildcard DNS records let all subdomains resolve to the hosting server and may create access to services or applications, which are not intended for public availability.

Complexity in DNS Management

Troubleshooting Issues: Having wildcard records makes diagnosis of DNS issues even more complicated, since the reason why DNS resolution problems occur may not be apparent.
Integration Challenges: Adding a wildcard DNS record to other DNS services or even some specialized CDN or load balancer service, or certain security settings can complicate the approach.

Performance Implications

Increased DNS Queries: With wildcard DNS records, there will be higher rates in DNS queries since more subdomains have to be resolved. This can have ramifications for the DNS server, and in particular, the server’s ability to handle loads of incoming traffic.

Propagation Delays: It is also essential to note that changing the wildcard DNS records may take time to reflect on other DNS servers or networks, resulting in occasional mismatches when resolving the subdomain.

DNS Providers –Little Support

Provider Restrictions: However, not all the DNS providers support the use of wildcard DNS record level, or they can sometimes limit the application of the records. Some things to know before applying wildcard records are to check the ability of your DNS service provider to allow wildcard records.

Configuration Variability: The creation and management of wildcard DNS records are not in all cases conventional and may be subject to particular guidelines and rules set by the DNS provider.

DNS Wildcard Subdomain Example

Let there be a company with a core business interest, for instance. am, and multiple services under different subdomains, including app. example. com, support. example. com, and blog. example. com.

A better option that the company can use instead of recording individual DNS records for each subdomain is a wildcard DNS record such as *. example. com.

This record will match with any subdomain request under the domain www. example. con, making the management of DNS easier and verifying that all subdomains are correctly handled.

How to Create a Wildcard Record?

Creating a wildcard DNS record typically involves the following steps:

Access Your DNS Management Tool: Log in to your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider’s control panel.
Navigate to DNS Settings: Find the section where you can manage DNS records for your domain.
Add a New DNS Record: Choose to add a new record and select the record type (e.g., A, CNAME).
Enter Wildcard Entry: In the name or host field, enter an asterisk (*) followed by your domain (e.g., *.example.com).
Set the Record Value: Enter the value corresponding to your wildcard record (e.g., an IP address for an A record or another domain for a CNAME record).
Save the Record: Save your changes and wait for DNS propagation.

How to Configure Wildcard Records in Constellix?

To configure wildcard records in Constellix, follow these steps:

Log in to Constellix: Access your Constellix account.
Select Your Domain: Choose the domain you want to configure.
Go to DNS Records: Navigate to the DNS records section.
Add a New Record: Click on the option to add a new DNS record.
Enter Wildcard Record: In the name field, enter an asterisk (*) followed by your domain name.
Specify Record Type and Value: Choose the record type (e.g., A, CNAME) and enter the appropriate value.
Save Changes: Confirm and save your new wildcard DNS record.

How to Add a Wildcard DNS to a Subdomain

These step-by-step instructions for how wildcards work with some of the top hosting providers:

IONOS Wildcard Subdomain

Open the Control Panel. Here, you will find a brief description of the next points on the control panel from the author who has written an article about it.
To choose the domain, go to the ‘Domains’ section and then click on the name of the domain you want to opt for.
Under the title ‘Advanced DNS settings,’ click the option ‘Add record. ’
Click on the pencil icon and for the new record type select ‘CNAME Wildcard’. Then, type the destination URL to your website in the value before saving the changes.

Hostinger Wildcard Subdomain

Open Hostinger and enter your membership information then go to the menu tab and choose Domains.
For the preferred domain name, go to ‘DNS Settings,’ click the ’ + New Record’ option.
Under ‘Host’ select ‘CNAM Wilcard’, and in the ‘Value’ category, enter the address of your site to save changes.

Let’s Encrypt Wildcard Subdomain

Go to their website and open an account to use their services
Instead, go to ‘Certificates’, and then click on the domain name you want to use.
On the given page, click on the ‘Add Wildcard Subdomain’ command and enter the destination URL of the website before applying the changes.

NGINX Wildcard Subdomain

Sign in to the NGINX configuration file.
Find the ‘server’ directive and where a new ‘location’ block should be added.
In the property setting option, set the location as “*. your-domain-name” in the host field and specify the root URL of the site or the page, where you want to redirect people
Save changes before restarting Nginx for your changes to take effect

Cloudflare Wildcard Subdomain

Go to the Cloudflare settings and please make sure that you see the option ‘DNS’.
Depending on the location, select the ‘Add Record’ button and specify the record type as ‘CNAME Wildcard’.
Before you save changes, you need to input the specific URL of the site you wish to reach into the value field.

Route53 Wildcard Subdomain

Go to the AWS website and access the AWS console through signing in with your account information. Go to the console and select service from the menu at the top of the page
For ‘DNS Service’, choose ‘Route53’ and navigate to the specific hosted zone of the chosen domain name.
Go to ‘domains’, select the respective domain, and then click on ‘create record set’. In the record set options, set the type of the record to ‘CNAME Wildcard’, then enter the desired destination URL and finally save the changes.

GoDaddy Wildcard Subdomain

From the Choose a task list, click on the Log in to the Domain Manager option.
Quality domain name search is one of the basic requirements that you will need to select from.
For the specific secondary domain, go to the DNS zone file’s tab and click ‘Add DNS Record. ’
Select Record Type as ‘CNAME Wildcard’ and in the Record Data field, type in the destination URL you want to map to the domain before changing the Record Set.

cPanel Wildcard Subdomain

Go to the cPanel section and find the subdomains section by clicking on the login to the account.
Add a new subdomain and create an asterisk (*) in the host field before applying modifications
Hover the mouse over ‘Domain’ and go down to ‘DNS Zone Editor‘. This will open up a new page on the right with a button labeled ‘Add Record. ’
In the first column, check the radio button of CNAME, in the second column, input the destination URL for your site, then click on the Save changes button at the bottom part..

Conclusion

Administrators should consider implementing wildcard DNS records at the moment because this simplifies the management of subdomains.

No matter if you have a few subdomains or thousands, wildcard DNS records are one of the most convenient solutions for their management. Try Certera right now to get more information on how we can assist you with a wide range of SSL & Security Solutions.

What is a Wildcard DNS Record? Benefits, Example, and How to Create it?