N
The Daily Insight

What is wildcard virtual host?

Author

Abigail Rogers

Updated on March 02, 2026

Apache’s virtual hosting feature makes it easy to host multiple websites or web applications on the same server, each accessible with a different domain name. With wildcard subdomains, it’s no longer necessary to edit the Apache configuration file or restart the server to initialize a new virtual host.

What is virtual host in Apache?

The term Virtual Host refers to the practice of running more than one web site (such as company1.example.com and company2.example.com ) on a single machine. Versions 1.1 and later of Apache support both IP-based and name-based virtual hosts (vhosts).

How do I create a wildcard DNS record?

Create a wildcard DNS record

  1. In the StackPath Control Portal, in the left-side navigation menu, click DNS.
  2. Locate and select the desired DNS zone.
  3. In DNS Records, click Add Record.
  4. Update the blank fields. For Type, you can select any record type.
  5. Click Save.

How do you create a wildcard domain?

A wildcard DNS record is specified by using a “*” as the part of a domain name, e.g., *. example.com. NOTE: A wildcard DNS record does not cover a root domain (e.g. yourdomain. tld), thus you will need to create a record for @ host additionally.

What is wildcard subdomain?

Wildcard subdomains are a useful cPanel feature that allows you to direct non-existing subdomains to a specific folder on your server.

What is document root in Apache?

The DocumentRoot is the top-level directory in the document tree visible from the web and this directive sets the directory in the configuration from which Apache2 or HTTPD looks for and serves web files from the requested URL to the document root. For example: DocumentRoot “/var/www/html”

What is wildcard subdomains?

Are wildcard DNS records bad?

Question: Is a Wildcard DNS record a bad practice? Answer: Despite the claims by some SEO specialists, that using the wildcard DNS records may refer badly to your website rating, there isn’t any technical obstacle for using it.