Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsNo. An Apache virtual host does not automatically cover both the apex (root) domain and its subdomains. Name the apex explicitly with ServerName or an exact ServerAlias, then add a wildcard such as *.example.com for subdomains. DNS must also direct those names to an address served by Apache.
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A typical Apache 2.4 configuration is:
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias *.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example
</VirtualHost>What the apex domain and a subdomain mean
The apex, or root, domain is the bare name example.com. A subdomain adds a label before it, such as www.example.com, api.example.com or shop.example.com. Apache treats these hostnames as separate names when it matches a request to a virtual host.
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The configuration that serves the root and subdomains
Put the apex in ServerName and the wildcard in ServerAlias:
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<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias *.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example
</VirtualHost>Here, example.com is an exact name, while *.example.com is a wildcard alias for hostnames below the apex. The wildcard does not turn the apex into a match.
Adding a separately documented hostname
You may list a commonly used name explicitly even when a wildcard also covers it:
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<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
ServerAlias *.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example
</VirtualHost>An explicit alias is useful when you want the configuration to show that www.example.com is intentional, or when that hostname may later receive a different redirect, policy or document root. Keep the wildcard only if other subdomains are meant to share this same virtual host.
Will *.example.com match example.com?
No. The wildcard requires a hostname below the suffix. It matches a subdomain such as blog.example.com, but the bare suffix example.com has no label for the asterisk to replace. Apache’s wildcard alias and the apex name therefore perform different jobs.
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| Request hostname | Matching entry | Result |
|---|---|---|
example.com |
ServerName example.com |
Matches the exact apex name |
www.example.com |
ServerAlias www.example.com or *.example.com |
Matches an explicit or wildcard alias |
api.example.com |
*.example.com |
Matches the wildcard subdomain alias |
| A hostname outside the listed names | None | Falls back to the first virtual host for the selected IP and port |
DNS is required before Apache can answer
Apache configuration does not create DNS records. The apex record and every intended subdomain must resolve to an address associated with the server. You can create individual records for names such as example.com, www.example.com and api.example.com, or use a DNS wildcard record when your DNS provider supports that design.
The Apache documentation states that you must first configure DNS to map the names to an IP address associated with the server. A correct VirtualHost block cannot compensate for a missing, incorrect or stale DNS record.
What to verify in DNS
- The apex domain has the expected address record, commonly an A record for IPv4 and, where used, an AAAA record for IPv6.
- Each named subdomain resolves to an address on which the relevant Apache virtual host is listening, or a DNS wildcard covers the intended names.
- The address and port reached by the client correspond to the address and port in the virtual-host configuration.
- Old records, alternate IPv6 addresses and proxying services are not sending some users to a different server.
How Apache chooses a virtual host
Apache’s name-based virtual-host selection is a two-stage process. It first narrows the candidates by the destination IP address and port. It then compares the request hostname with ServerName and ServerAlias values among the virtual hosts available on that IP-and-port combination.
- Select the address and port. Apache considers the local address and listening port reached by the request, such as
*:80. - Compare hostnames. It checks the request hostname against exact names and aliases belonging to virtual hosts selected in the first stage.
- Use the default when nothing matches. If no hostname matches, Apache serves the first virtual host listed for that IP-and-port combination.
This ordering explains why a request can reach the correct server yet display the wrong site. If the hostname is absent from your aliases, Apache has no matching name and uses the first configured virtual host as the fallback.
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Why configuration order matters
The first-listed virtual host is not a universal default for every address and port. It is the fallback within the particular IP-and-port set Apache selected. A request arriving on another address or port can have a different first-listed host and therefore a different fallback site.
Do not rely on listing order to make a hostname work. Add the hostname to the intended virtual host; use ordering only to define what unmatched requests should receive.
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ServerName versus ServerAlias
| Directive | Best use | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
ServerName example.com |
Primary canonical name | One exact hostname |
ServerAlias www.example.com |
Additional known hostname | One exact hostname |
ServerAlias *.example.com |
Many intentionally shared subdomains | Subdomains below example.com, not the apex |
Use ServerName for the principal name you want the virtual host to represent. Use exact aliases for a small, controlled set of additional names. Use a wildcard when numerous subdomains are deliberately served by the same document root and policy.
Explicit aliases or a wildcard?
Neither approach is automatically superior. Choose according to how much control you need over individual hostnames.
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| Consideration | Explicit aliases | Wildcard alias |
|---|---|---|
| Hostname coverage | Only the names listed are accepted | One rule covers subdomains below the suffix |
| Individual control | Clear and easy to give a name its own policy later | All matching names initially share the virtual host’s settings |
| DNS maintenance | Requires a record for each subdomain | Can be paired with a DNS wildcard for many names |
| Unintended hostnames | Lower chance of serving an unplanned name | May serve any matching hostname that resolves to the server |
| Best fit | A small, known set or separate application policies | Many subdomains intentionally sharing one site |
When explicit aliases are safer
List names individually when each subdomain represents a different application, customer, environment or access policy. The narrower list makes omissions visible and prevents a newly created DNS name from silently inheriting the same site.
When a wildcard is practical
A wildcard is convenient when all matching subdomains are designed to use one document root and the same Apache policy. It reduces repeated Apache entries, but it does not remove the need to manage DNS or to decide which names should exist.
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The usual cause is a hostname mismatch. The request reached Apache, but no ServerName or ServerAlias in the eligible virtual hosts matched the requested name. Apache then served the first virtual host for that destination address and port.
Check the virtual-host names
- Confirm the request uses the exact hostname you intended, including the spelling and domain suffix.
- Ensure the apex is listed explicitly if the request is for the bare domain.
- Ensure the subdomain is either listed as an exact alias or covered by the wildcard alias.
- Check that the edited file is enabled and that Apache has loaded the change.
- Look for another virtual host on the same address and port whose order makes it the fallback.
Check the destination address and port
A matching alias is considered only among virtual hosts selected for the request’s destination IP and port. If DNS sends the hostname to another address, or Apache is listening on a different port than the one you configured, the expected block may never be considered.
Check DNS separately from Apache
Resolve the apex and each subdomain from a client network. If the result is not an address associated with this server, fix DNS first. If DNS is correct but the wrong site appears, inspect the Apache virtual-host names and ordering.
A practical setup procedure
- Choose the names. Decide whether the site should answer for only the apex, for specific subdomains, or for all intentional subdomains.
- Create DNS records. Point
example.comand every required subdomain, or an appropriate DNS wildcard, to the server address. - Define the virtual host. Set
ServerName example.comand add exact aliases orServerAlias *.example.comas required. - Set the document root. Confirm that
/var/www/exampleexists and has the permissions needed by Apache. - Check for competing hosts. Review other virtual hosts using the same IP and port so an unmatched request does not unexpectedly land on another site.
- Reload Apache. Apply the configuration through your system’s normal Apache reload process after validating the file.
- Test each name. Request the apex, an explicitly listed alias, a wildcard-covered subdomain and an intentionally unknown hostname. Confirm that each produces the expected site or fallback.
Common configuration mistakes
- Only the apex is named:
ServerName example.comalone leaveswww.example.comand other subdomains unmatched. - Only the wildcard is named:
ServerAlias *.example.comalone leavesexample.comunmatched. - DNS was assumed to be automatic: adding an Apache alias does not publish a DNS record.
- The wildcard was treated as a security boundary: it covers matching names that resolve to the server, including names you may not have intended to publish.
- The wrong virtual host was edited: hostname matching is limited to the virtual hosts on the selected address and port.
- The fallback was mistaken for a match: seeing a page from the first-listed site does not prove that the requested hostname is configured.
Recommended patterns by site design
One site, apex plus a few known names
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
ServerAlias help.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example
</VirtualHost>This pattern makes the accepted names explicit and is easiest to audit when the list is short.
One site, many shared subdomains
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias *.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example
</VirtualHost>This pattern combines the required apex match with wildcard coverage for subdomains. Add exact aliases when a particular name deserves separate documentation or future treatment.
Different applications on different subdomains
Use separate virtual hosts when applications need different document roots or policies. Give each block its own ServerName or exact aliases instead of placing every name under one broad wildcard.
Quick Recap
What to remember
- The apex domain is a separate hostname and must be named explicitly.
ServerAlias *.example.comcovers subdomains, notexample.com.- DNS must point the apex and intended subdomains to an address served by Apache.
- Apache first narrows by destination IP and port, then matches the request hostname.
- If no hostname matches, the first virtual host for that IP-and-port combination is served.
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