Change your nameservers (Full setup)
If you want to use Cloudflare as your primary DNS provider and manage your DNS records on Cloudflare, your domain should be using a full setup.
This means that you are using Cloudflare for your authoritative DNS nameservers.
Before you begin
Before you update your domain nameservers, make sure that you:
- Already own a domain name (such as
example.comorcloudflare.com).
- Have previously created a Cloudflare account.
- Disabled DNSSEC at your registrar (where you bought your domain name).
Provider-specific instructions
This is not an exhaustive list of how to update DS records in other providers, but the following links may be helpful:
- DNSimple
- domaindiscount24
- DreamHost
- dynadot
- enom
- gandi
- GoDaddy
- Google Domains
- hover
- InMotion Hosting
- INWX
- Joker.com
- name.com
- namecheap
- nameISP
- namesilo
- OVH
- Public Domain Registry
- registro.br
- Porkbun (do not fill out keyData).
Add site to Cloudflare
Review DNS records
When you start using Cloudflare’s nameservers for authoritative DNS and your zone is in a full setup, Cloudflare will become your primary DNS provider. This means that your DNS records in Cloudflare need to be accurate for your domain to work properly.
When you add a new site to Cloudflare, Cloudflare automatically scans for common records and adds them to the DNS zone. The records show up under the respective zone DNS > Records page.
Since this scan is not guaranteed to find all existing DNS records, you need to review your records, paying special attention to the following record types:
Update your nameservers
Once you have added a domain (also known as a zone) to Cloudflare, that domain will receive two assigned authoritative nameservers.
Get nameserver names
-
Log in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select your account and domain.
-
On Overview, locate the nameserver names in 2. Replace with Cloudflare’s nameservers.
3. Keep this window open while you perform the next step.
Update your registrar
-
Log in to the admin account for your domain registrar. If you do not know your provider, use ICANN WHOIS.
-
Remove your existing authoritative nameservers.
-
Add the nameservers provided by Cloudflare. If their names are not copied exactly, your DNS will not resolve correctly.
Provider-specific instructions
This is not an exhaustive list of provider-specific instructions, but the following links may be helpful:
- 1and1
- 101Domain
- Amazon
- Blacknight
- BlueHost
- DirectNIC
- DNSMadeEasy
- Domain.com
- Dotster
- DreamHost
- EasyDNS
- Enom
- Fast Domain
- FlokiNET
- Gandi
- GoDaddy
- Google Domains
- HostGator
- Hostico
- HostMonster
- Internetdbs
- iPage
- MediaTemple
- MelbourneIT
- Moniker
- Name.com
- NameCheap
- Network Solutions
- OVH
- Porkbun
- Rackspace
- Register
- Site5
- Softlayer
- Tucows
- Yahoo!
- Yola
Verify changes
Wait up to 24 hours while your registrar updates your nameservers.
When your domain is Active:
- You will receive an email from Cloudflare.
- Your domain will have a status of Active on the Websites page of your account.
- Online tools such as https://www.whatsmydns.net/ will show your Cloudflare-assigned nameservers (most of these tools use cached query results, so it may take longer for them to show the updated nameservers).
- CLI commands will show your Cloudflare-assigned nameservers
Re-enable DNSSEC
When you updated your nameservers, you should have also disabled DNSSEC at your registrar.
You should now enable DNSSEC to protect from domain spoofing.