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Domains & DNS

How to Manage DNS in Cloudflare

Add your domain to your own Cloudflare account, check every imported record (especially email), switch your nameservers to Cloudflare's two, and set SSL/TLS to Full (strict). If Cloudflare was set up through Blue Arctic, or you're not sure, open a support ticket first.

  • Updated
  • Last reviewed
  • Intermediate
  • About 30 minutes

Applies to: Cloudflare cPanel Blue Arctic Shared Web Hosting (cPanel) with your own Cloudflare account

On this page
  1. Before you start
  2. Step 1: Add your domain to Cloudflare
  3. Step 2: Set the proxy status of each record
  4. Step 3: Change your nameservers
  5. Step 4: Choose the encryption mode
  6. Add, edit or delete a record
  7. How to tell it worked
  8. Troubleshooting
  9. Still need help?

Cloudflare is a separate company that can answer DNS for your domain (the internet’s address book for domain names) and, if you choose, pass website visitors through its network. Your website and email stay at Blue Arctic.

Note

If Cloudflare was set up for you through Blue Arctic, or you’re not sure, open a support ticket before changing anything. Do the same if your site is on Managed WordPress or a VPS.

Note

Once your domain uses Cloudflare’s nameservers, DNS changes you make in cPanel no longer reach the internet. If you add a domain or subdomain in cPanel later, add its records in Cloudflare too.

Before you start

  1. Check that your site opens at https:// with no “Not secure” warning. If it doesn’t, see How to Fix a “Not Secure” Warning first.
  2. In cPanel, open the Websites hub, click Manage next to your domain, and open the DNS tab. If your cPanel shows a Zone Editor icon instead, open it and click Manage next to your domain. If you can’t find either, open a support ticket.
  3. Write down or screenshot every record in the Zone Records table.
  4. Note the value of the A record for your domain itself (a number like 203.0.113.10). Cloudflare’s A record must match it.

Step 1: Add your domain to Cloudflare

  1. Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard.
  2. Click Onboard a domain.
  3. Enter your domain without www (for example yourdomain.com) and click Continue.
  4. Choose the Free plan; it’s enough.
  5. Open the DNS Records page. Cloudflare may miss some of your records. Compare its list with the records you wrote down, and add any that are missing.

Step 2: Set the proxy status of each record

A, AAAA and CNAME records have a Proxy status: Proxied (orange cloud) sends visitors through Cloudflare; DNS only (gray cloud) just gives out your server’s address.

  1. Set the records for your domain and www to DNS only for now. You can switch them to Proxied after Step 4.
  2. Set anything used for email or other non-web services to DNS only. That includes the mail record and any record a service asked you to add. Proxying them stops email.

Step 3: Change your nameservers

Warning

As soon as the nameservers change, only the records in Cloudflare count. Before you switch, check that every record you wrote down is in Cloudflare, especially your MX and mail records. A missing record can stop your email or take your website offline.

Warning

If DNSSEC (an extra security setting at your registrar) is on, turn it off before you change nameservers, or your domain can become unreachable. Turn it back on in Cloudflare once your domain is Active.

  1. Copy the two nameservers Cloudflare assigned you. They’re shown during setup and on your domain’s Overview page.
  2. At the company where you registered your domain (your registrar), replace the current nameservers with Cloudflare’s two. Type them exactly. If you can’t find the nameserver setting, ask your registrar’s support.
  3. Wait. This can take up to 24 hours; Cloudflare emails you when your domain is Active.

Step 4: Choose the encryption mode

  1. In Cloudflare, open the SSL/TLS Overview page.
  2. If Automatic SSL/TLS is selected, choose Custom SSL/TLS instead.
  3. Choose Full (strict). Cloudflare then connects over https and checks your site’s certificate.
  4. Before you switch anything to Proxied, look at your MX record on the DNS Records page. If it points to your domain itself, or your mail record is a CNAME pointing to your domain, keep the domain record DNS only and open a support ticket: proxying it would stop your email. Otherwise, you can switch your domain and www records to Proxied.

Warning

Don’t use Flexible. It sends traffic between Cloudflare and Blue Arctic unencrypted and can cause “too many redirects”.

Add, edit or delete a record

  1. Open your domain’s DNS Records page.
  2. To add one, click Add record, choose the Type, fill in the name and value, and set Proxy status. Leave TTL as it is. Click Save.
  3. To change one, click Edit on the record, make the change and click Save.
  4. To remove one, click Edit, then Delete, and click Delete again.

How to tell it worked

Your domain shows Active in Cloudflare, your site opens at https:// with no warning in a private browser window, and you can send and receive email as before.

Troubleshooting

  • “Too many redirects”: the encryption mode is Flexible. Change it to Full (strict).
  • Cloudflare “Error 526” (invalid SSL certificate): It can appear right after switching to Proxied, or months later if a certificate renewal fails. Set the domain and www records back to DNS only and open a support ticket.
  • Email stopped arriving: check that your MX records were copied across, that the mail record is DNS only, and that your MX record doesn’t point to a Proxied record (if it does, set that record to DNS only).
  • Still “Pending Nameserver Update” after a day: check at your registrar that both Cloudflare nameservers are saved exactly. See How Long DNS Changes Take.

Still need help?

Open a support ticket from the Client Portal at my.bluearctic.com (see our support page). Include your domain, a screenshot of your Cloudflare DNS Records page, your SSL/TLS mode, the exact error and what you already tried. Never include your Cloudflare or cPanel password.

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