A wildcard DNS record (catch-all DNS record) is a record in a DNS zone that can match queries for domain names that do not exist. It is created by using an asterisk (*) as a subdomain (the left part of a domain name, such as *.example.com).

You manage wildcard DNS records just like normal DNS records in your IONOS account.

Please Note

Wildcard A/AAAA records and wildcard CNAME recordscan't be used to access the webspace of an IONOS hosting package.

Creating a Wildcard DNS Record

The following shows the creation of a wildcard DNS record using the example of a wildcard A record . Wildcard A records are among the most commonly used wildcard DNS records. Of course, you can use wildcard DNS records for all other types of DNS records (CNAME, TXT, etc.).

To create a wildcard A record:

  • Log in to your IONOS account.
  • Click on the Domains tile.
  • Click on the domain you want.
  • Switch to the DNS tab.
  • Click on Add Record.
  • Click on the row for A records.
  • Enter * in the Host Name field.
  • Enter the IP address of your server in the Points to field.
  • Optional: Select the desired TTL (time to live).
  • Click Save.
Please Note

Your changes are effective immediately at IONOS. However, it may take up to 1 hour for the change to take effect everywhere due to the decentralized structure of the domain name system.

Advantages of Using a Wildcard A Record

You can use a wildcard A record to make a website hosted on your server accessible under any subdomains (for example, via store.domain.tld) without having to create a corresponding record in your DNS zone. A wildcard A record also makes your website immune to typos such as ww.domain.tld (missing a "w") or shop.domain.tld (entered instead of "store" ).