Enom offers SSL certificates at several validation levels and in several form factors, so you can match each website to the right level of trust and the right coverage. This guide helps you decide which certificate to buy based on what a site does and how many domains or subdomains it needs to protect.
If you want a deeper explanation of how each validation level is verified by the certificate authority, see SSL Certificate Validation Types. This article complements that one: it focuses on choosing a certificate and on the different certificate forms.
Validation levels (DV, OV, EV)
Every Enom SSL certificate falls into one of three validation levels. All three provide the same encryption strength; the difference is how much the certificate authority (CA) verifies about you before issuing the certificate, and therefore how much trust the certificate conveys to visitors.
Level | What the CA verifies | Typical issuance time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Validation (DV) | That you control the domain (via an approval email or DNS record). | Minutes. | Informational sites, blogs, and any site that needs encryption without identity vetting. |
| Organization Validation (OV) | Domain control plus that your organization is registered and active, with a valid address and phone number. | Longer than DV (verification call and directory checks required). | Sites handling sensitive data such as login credentials, where credibility matters. |
| Extended Validation (EV) | The most in-depth vetting, including registration numbers and how long the organization has been active. | Can take a couple of days. | Ecommerce and transactional sites where the highest level of consumer trust is critical. |
If you cannot use an authoritative domain email address for a DV certificate, you can request DNS-based validation instead. Contact Enom Support for help setting up DNS validation.
Certificate forms: single-domain, SAN/UCC, Wildcard
Independent of validation level, certificates differ in how many names they cover.
Type | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single-domain | Protecting one fully qualified domain name (for example, yourdomain.com). | The standard certificate. Covers the common name you submit in the CSR. |
| SAN / UCC | Protecting multiple distinct domain names under one certificate. | Also called a Unified Communications Certificate. Enom's UCC certificates include protection for three domain names, with the option to add more. Example: yourdomain.com, yourdomain.org, and differentdomain.net on one certificate. |
| Wildcard | Protecting unlimited subdomains of a single domain. | Covers any subdomain of one domain. Example: *.yourdomain.com secures billing.yourdomain.com, admin.yourdomain.com, blog.yourdomain.com, and so on. |
Choosing by use case
Use this quick mapping to narrow your choice, then confirm pricing and the specific product on the SSL pricing page.
- A single informational site or blog — a DV single-domain certificate.
- A site that collects logins or other sensitive data — an OV single-domain certificate for added credibility.
- An ecommerce or transactional site — an EV certificate for the highest visible trust.
- One domain plus many subdomains (for example, www, shop, blog) — a Wildcard certificate.
- Several separate domain names under one certificate — a SAN/UCC certificate.
Next steps
- Once you have chosen a certificate, follow Getting Started with Your SSL Certificate to generate a CSR, purchase, and submit it.
- Review how each level is verified in SSL Certificate Validation Types.
Questions? Contact Enom Support.
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