Using Cloudflare to managing your domain offers many benefits. From managing DNS records, configuring SSL certificates, CDN, Cache Management (Cloudflare have special plugin for WordPress User), set up domain redirects, and implement advanced security measures like DDoS protection and firewall rules. Follow this comprehensive article on how you can connect your domain to your Cloudflare account.
Table of Contents
Why We Need to Add Domain to Cloudflare?
Why we need to do this in the first place tho? Of course you can manage most of the things about your domain from where you buy it (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Hostinger, etc. You name it) they’re already provide most of it.
But there are several concerns why you should add your domain(s) to Cloudflare. Here we list a few of it that most of the provider/registrar not provide, so you can consider to add your domain to Cloudflare:
- Starting free! Cloudflare offers many benefits even in free plan (see details)
- Free Management Fee
- Complete DNS Management
- Cache Management and Cache Rules
- DDoS Protection and Alert
- Great But Not Beautiful Statistics
- Big Community
- Great Documentation and Support
- Great UX and UI in the dashboard
In our opininion, the Cache Management and Cache Rules for specific url(s) in your domain is the best feature
Adding VS Transferring Domain
There’s a difference between adding your domain by changing the Nameserver and Transferring your domain.
Transferring Domain
Transferring means that you move your existing domain from one provider/registrar to another, usually by using Registrar Lock. Example
- Buy domain from Hostinger then you Move it to Cloudflare
- Now you can manage everything in Cloudflare and access about your domain is not available again in the previous provider/registrar
Transferring domain usually taking time between 0-7 days, and require some transfer fee depending on the extensions type.
Adding or Connect Domain
Connect domain can be done only by changing the nameserver of your domain. In this articles, we only provide the tutorial about adding your domain by changing the nameserver. This options is easier to do and only take from 0-48 hours to propagate and free.
For example:
- Previous Nameserver
- ns1.howtomister.com
- ns2.howtomister.com
- ns3.howtomister.com
- New Nameserver
- adele.cloudflare.com
- smith.cloudflare.com
Usually, the nameserver domain can be more than 1
Connect Domain to Cloudflare
- Have an account or Sign Up at Cloudflare
Before we’re going further to managing your domain at Cloudflare. Make sure you have an account at Cloudflare. If not you can sign up to create an account at https://dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up - Have acces to your domain management
Make sure you have access to your domain management account. Ex: Namecheap account that associated with your domain - Login to your Cloudflare Account
Login with your registered account here at https://dash.cloudflare.com/login. After succesfull login, you will see a dashboard with list of domain(s) you have added. The UI maybe different because we’re using dark mode in our Cloudflare Account
- Add Domain
To add domain, click "Add a Site"
You will be served with payment plans. Just choose the Free plan then"Continue"
After that, Cloudflare will Scan your DNS Records. Just wait a few seconds.
- Reviewing Scanned DNS
Most of the time if your domain is new, the scanned DNS Records by Cloudflare is correct. Here is the example preview
If you have an old domain, please check it manually from your provider/registrar to see your DNS Records and compare it manually
The Orange Cloud indicates that your connection to your domain will be proxied in the future after all the steps are completed
After that, click "Continue" - Getting Cloudflare Nameservers
Cloudflare will display your current Nameserver and needed you to change it to Cloudflare Nameserver
Here, Cloudflare display your current nameserver (ours had 4 default nameserver) and required to change it to carl.ns.cloudflare.com and fay.ns.cloudflare.com (it may display different nameserver name to you, don’t worry). Copy both of it somewhere else. - Changing Nameserver in Registrar
Start login to your registrar/provider account of your domain. For example, we are using hostinger. Search your domain management and find something like “Change Nameserver” or “View Nameserver”
Click “Change Nameservers”
Select the “Change Nameserver” or “Use Custom Nameserver”. After that, your default or previous nameserver will display
Change it with nameserver that you get from Cloudflare and hit save button - Wait to Propagate
After you succesfully change the nameserver with the new one from Cloudflare, just wait! It can take up to 24 hours to change it for around the world. There’s an explanation for it why it dont just change, but sorry we’re not capable to explain it 😀
You can check if your domain has succesfully propagate by checking the Cloudflare Domain Dashboard or by checking it online in https://www.whatsmydns.net/ (set it to “NS”) and type in your domain!
That’s all, if you have any questions just ask in the comment section! Cheers