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No—not automatically. An Apache name-based virtual host serves the apex (root) domain only when that name is listed in ServerName or ServerAlias. A wildcard such as *.example.com covers subdomains below the apex, but it does not match the bare example.com. DNS must also point the apex and intended subdomains to an address on the Apache server.
What Apache actually matches
Apache does not treat a domain and all names beneath it as one automatic namespace. For each incoming request, it performs name-based virtual-host selection in stages:
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- It narrows the candidates by destination IP address and port. A virtual host on another address or port is not considered for that request.
- It compares the request hostname with the candidates’ names. Apache checks each
ServerNameandServerAlias, including supported wildcard aliases. - It falls back to the first virtual host when no hostname matches. For a given IP-and-port combination, the first listed virtual host becomes the default for unmatched names.
This explains two common surprises. A correctly written alias will not help if the request reaches a different IP or port, and an unlisted hostname can display whichever site happens to be listed first for that address and port.
Why *.example.com does not include example.com
The wildcard has one specific job: matching names below the domain. In this example, it can match names such as www.example.com, api.example.com, or shop.example.com. The apex name, example.com, has no label before the dot, so it is a separate hostname and must be declared explicitly.
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Consequently, this alias alone is incomplete:
ServerAlias *.example.comIt does not make the root URL part of the same virtual host. Add the apex as ServerName (normally the clearest choice) or as an additional explicit alias. If you also want to control a particular name independently, list that name explicitly rather than relying on the wildcard.
One virtual host for the root domain and its subdomains
When all intended names should use one document root and one set of policies, use the apex as ServerName and a wildcard as ServerAlias:
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ServerName example.com
ServerAlias *.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example
</VirtualHost>In this pattern, example.com is matched by ServerName, while names such as www.example.com and docs.example.com are matched by the wildcard alias. The document root is shared because all of those requests select the same virtual-host block.
Add individual aliases when a name needs to be documented, redirected, or governed separately. For example:
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<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
ServerAlias *.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example
</VirtualHost>The explicit www.example.com entry is useful even though it is already covered by the wildcard when you want that hostname to be visible as an intentional, controlled name. It also gives you a place to move it later if its policy or content diverges.
DNS is required before Apache can receive the request
Virtual-host directives do not publish DNS records. A browser first resolves a hostname to an address; only then can Apache select a virtual host for the connection. Apache’s VirtualHost documentation states that the DNS server must be configured to map the names to an IP address associated with the server.
For a working setup, verify all of the following:
- The apex record for
example.comresolves to an address assigned to the Apache server. - Every subdomain you expect to serve has a record resolving to that address, or your DNS provider supplies a wildcard record for the intended subdomain space.
- The resolved address and port correspond to the
<VirtualHost>declaration. A block on*:80, for example, is relevant to HTTP traffic arriving on port 80. - Requests are not being sent to an old address, a different server, or another listener before Apache gets a chance to match the hostname.
A DNS wildcard and an Apache wildcard solve different parts of the problem. DNS determines where a name goes; ServerAlias determines which already-received request belongs to a virtual host. You generally need both when serving a large, changing set of subdomains.
Explicit aliases versus a wildcard alias
Choose the naming method according to how much control you need over individual hostnames.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explicit aliases | Only the names listed in ServerName and ServerAlias |
High; each name can be assigned to a different virtual host or policy | Each intended name must be maintained deliberately | Lower chance of accidentally serving an unintended hostname; best for a small, known set |
| Wildcard alias | Subdomains matching *.example.com; the apex still needs its own entry |
Lower inside that one block; matching subdomains share its configuration | Convenient for many names, especially with a DNS wildcard record | Can serve unexpected subdomains from the same document root; best when shared behavior is intentional |
| Both together | A named apex plus broad subdomain coverage, with selected names called out explicitly | Shared defaults with visible exceptions | Balances central management and deliberate exceptions | Useful when most subdomains are alike but names such as www need special treatment |
Do not use a wildcard merely to avoid listing names if unknown hostnames should be rejected or sent elsewhere. A broad alias means every matching request can reach the same virtual host, including a typo or a name you did not plan to publish.
What happens for typical requests
The apex request
A request for http://example.com is matched by the explicit ServerName example.com. It is not matched by *.example.com.
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A named subdomain
A request for http://api.example.com can match ServerAlias *.example.com, provided DNS resolves api.example.com to the server and the request arrives on an address and port covered by the block.
A hostname with no match
If the hostname is not equal to a listed name or supported wildcard, Apache uses the first virtual host for that IP-and-port combination. The result may be a different site’s document root, which often looks like a subdomain configuration failure even though the real problem is simply a missing alias.
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A request reaching the wrong address
Even a perfect alias cannot match a request that resolves to another server. Check the destination address first whenever only some users, networks, or hostnames see the expected site.
Step-by-step setup checklist
- Define the naming policy. Decide whether every subdomain should share one site or whether some names need separate virtual hosts. Keep the apex in the plan as its own hostname.
- Configure DNS. Point
example.comand each intended subdomain to an address associated with the Apache server. If you use a DNS wildcard, confirm that it covers the names you intend rather than assuming Apache creates it. - Declare the apex explicitly. Put
ServerName example.comin the virtual-host block, or use an explicitServerAlias example.com. - Add subdomain coverage. Use
ServerAlias *.example.comwhen many subdomains intentionally share the block. For a short, controlled list, add each hostname explicitly instead. - Add deliberate exceptions. List names such as
www.example.comexplicitly when you want to document them or give them different behavior later. - Confirm the address and port. Ensure the block’s address-and-port target is the one receiving the traffic. Apache only compares names among virtual hosts selected for that destination.
- Review ordering. Because the first virtual host is the fallback for unmatched names, place the safest or most appropriate default first and do not rely on order to compensate for missing aliases.
- Test each class of name. Test the apex, an intended subdomain, an unlisted subdomain, and a hostname that should belong to another virtual host. The results should reflect your policy, not merely the order of the configuration files.
Why a subdomain shows the first or default Apache site
The subdomain is not listed
If the name does not match ServerName or any ServerAlias, Apache chooses the first virtual host for that address and port. Add the missing explicit alias or use a wildcard if the entire subdomain set is meant to share the site.
The wildcard was mistaken for the apex
Adding only *.example.com leaves example.com unmatched. Put the bare domain in ServerName or an explicit alias.
DNS points somewhere else
If the subdomain resolves to a different address, the request never reaches the virtual-host block you edited. Correct the DNS record or the destination configuration before changing Apache aliases.
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The request uses another port or address
Name matching happens only after Apache narrows the candidates by IP and port. A block on one listener cannot catch traffic arriving through a different listener simply because the hostname text is the same.
An unintended hostname is being accepted
A wildcard can be broader than your publication plan. If an unknown name is being served from the shared document root, replace the wildcard with explicit aliases or create a separate policy for names that should not use the common site.
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Important limits of the pattern
- It is not recursive across other domains.
*.example.comconcerns names underexample.com; it does not cover a different domain. - The apex remains a separate declaration. Treat this as a requirement, not an optional enhancement.
- Shared configuration means shared exposure. Every matching subdomain receives the same document root and directives in that block unless another, more specific virtual-host arrangement handles it.
- Ordering is a fallback, not a naming strategy. Relying on the first block makes typos and unplanned hostnames appear to work while silently serving the wrong site.
- DNS and Apache must agree. A correct DNS record with no matching alias, or a correct alias with no DNS route, produces the same practical outcome: the intended site is not served.
A practical decision rule
Use ServerName example.com plus ServerAlias *.example.com when the root domain and a potentially large set of subdomains deliberately share one site. Use explicit aliases when the list is short, when each hostname needs a separate policy, or when serving an unexpected subdomain would be a problem. In either case, configure DNS for the apex and the names you actually intend to publish, then account for Apache’s IP-and-port selection and first-vhost fallback.
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