This article explains how wildcard records work in UltraDNS Web Forwarding and how to configure them correctly.
It applies when you want multiple subdomains to redirect to a single destination without creating individual forwarding records for each hostname.
When to Use This Article
- You want all subdomains to redirect to the same URL.
- You do not want to create separate web forwarding records for each hostname.
- You are troubleshooting unexpected forwarding behavior involving subdomains.
How Wildcards Work in Web Forwarding
A wildcard web forwarding record uses an asterisk (*) as the hostname.
This allows UltraDNS to match any subdomain that does not already have a more specific forwarding or DNS record defined.
Wildcards apply only to undefined subdomains so if a specific hostname already has its own DNS or forwarding record, that specific record takes precedence over the wildcard.
How to Configure a Wildcard Web Forwarding Record
- Log in to the UltraDNS portal.
- Click Domains
- Go to the domain where web forwarding is configured, or want the record configured.
- Create or edit a Web Forwarding record.
- Enter
*as the hostname. - Enter the destination URL that all undefined subdomains should redirect to.
- Select the desired redirect type (for example, 301 or 302).
- Save the record.
Verification
After saving the record, test an undefined subdomain such as test.example.com. If configured correctly, it should redirect to the destination URL defined in the wildcard forwarding record.
If the subdomain has its own record, it will follow that specific configuration instead.
Important Notes
- Wildcard forwarding does not override existing specific host records.
- Wildcard records only match one label level at a time.
- Forwarding behavior may depend on redirect type selection.