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How to connect your domain with a Cloudflare account

Technology Aug 26, 2021

What is Cloudflare
Cloudflare is a service that protects your websites from DDOS (denial-of-service) attacks and uses caching to optimise your content delivery across the world. It also helps you to manage your domain, keeping it secure using self-signed or issued security certificates. A paid Cloudflare account comes with inbuilt analytics, web application firewalls, lossless image optimisation and many other additional features.

Why do you need one
Even by just using a free Cloudflare account, you can keep your website secure and help balance the load your server has to endure through caching. It will also hide your IP and help load your website load much faster.

Connecting your existing domain with a Cloudflare account
1. Sign up for a Cloudflare account
2. Add your site (domain name)

How to connect your domain with a Cloudflare account
Add your site


3. Select your plan (there is a free tier)

How to connect your domain with a Cloudflare account
Select the free plan if you don't want to pay for more advanced services


4. Let Cloudflare import the DNS records of your domain - If you don't have any DNS records the list will appear empty for you.

How to connect your domain with a Cloudflare account
verify your DNS records and proceed


5. To complete the setup you need to change the name servers in your domain registrar to the nameservers provided by Cloudflare.

How to connect your domain with a Cloudflare account
You have to copy the name servers provided here and add them inside your domain registrar's setting
How to connect your domain with a Cloudflare account
This is how the name server change looks if you are using google domains as your registrar (custom name server set to Cloudflare name servers)


6. When you are done you will have successfully linked your domain to the Cloudflare account. Make sure the proxy is turned on the DNS setting to keep your IP protected.

How to connect your domain with a Cloudflare account
You can use the edit option to modify each of your DNS records and decide whether you wish to use the proxy service from Cloudflare

You have successfully connected your domain to a Cloudflare account.

Note:-  If you are planning to connect your domain to your server once you have finished setting up your Cloudflare account, go to the DNS section of your account dashboard and add an "A" record with the name as "@" and content as your "server IP". This will make sure your visitors will reach your website when they enter your domain name or URL in a web browser.  

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