Types of SSL certificates explained

People still search “types of SSL certificates” even though the wire protocol is TLS. This guide lists the certificate products you will actually see on invoices and host panels — validation levels, name coverage, and specialty certs — and which ones a small business usually needs.

By validation level

• DV (Domain Validated) — proves control of the domain (DNS/HTTP/email challenges). Fast, automatable, enough for the HTTPS padlock on most sites. This is what docstoc automates via Let's Encrypt.
• OV (Organization Validated) — CA checks business identity documents. Slower, paid, used when contracts demand it.
• EV (Extended Validation) — stricter org checks historically tied to green-bar UI (mostly gone). Still sold for policy checkboxes.

By names covered

• Single-domain — one hostname (often www and apex handled carefully).
• SAN / multi-domain — several explicit names on one cert.
• Wildcard — *.example.com (not unlimited nested levels). Common commercially; not what docstoc’s SMB DV automation is for.

Specialty certificates people confuse with “SSL”

• Code signing — signs software, not websites.
• Email/S/MIME — identity for mail.
• Document signing / eIDAS-style — different trust frameworks than web DV.
• Client certificates — mutually authenticate users/devices (mTLS).

If your goal is “turn on HTTPS for my domain,” you want a server TLS certificate — usually DV — not a code-signing SKU.

What SMBs should actually buy

Default recommendation: automated DV for the hostnames you serve publicly. Skip OV/EV unless required. Skip wildcards unless you truly operate many first-level subdomains and understand key compromise blast radius.

Compare options: Sectigo, DigiCert, SSL For Free, docstoc SSL. Migrating off a paid SKU? Start at switch from GoDaddy SSL or the matching switch-from page on the SSL hub.

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