How to Add Your Domain to Cloudflare: A Step-by-Step Guide

Welcome to the AuroxHost official guide on integrating your domain with Cloudflare. By using Cloudflare, you gain access to enhanced security, global CDN performance, and robust DDoS protection—all while keeping your AuroxHost server origin protected.

OVERVIEW:

●Go to https://Cloudflare.com create an account (or log in).

●Add your domain to Cloudflare (scan DNS).

●Verify/adjust DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT).

●Choose which records to proxy (orange cloud) vs DNS only (gray cloud).

●Change nameservers at your domain registrar to Cloudflare’s nameservers.

Follow these steps to get connected.

1. Create a Cloudflare Account

 * Visit https://Cloudflare.com and click Sign Up or Log In.

 * Once inside your Dashboard, click Add a Site or Onboard Domain.

 * Enter your domain name.

   > Note: Enter the bare domain only (e.g., yourdomain.com). Do not include https://, http://, or www.

 * Click Continue.

2. Select Your Plan

Choose the plan that best fits your needs.

 * Recommendation: The Free Plan is excellent for most users and includes DNS management, CDN, SSL, and basic DDoS protection.

 * Click Continue.

3. DNS Record Scan & Review

Cloudflare will automatically scan your existing AuroxHost DNS records. After a few seconds, you will see a list of records. Please verify the following:

A Record (The Root Domain)

Points your main website to your AuroxHost server IP.

 * Type: A

 * Name: @ (or [suspicious link removed])

 * Content: YOUR_SERVER_IP (Found in your AuroxHost Client Area)

WWW Record

Ensures visitors can reach you via the "www" prefix.

 * Type: CNAME

 * Name: www

 * Content: yourdomain.com

MX Records (Email Delivery)

Crucial: To ensure your AuroxHost email works correctly, MX records must be set to DNS Only (Gray Cloud).

 * Type: MX

 * Name: @

 * Mail Server: mail.yourdomain.com

 * Priority: 10

 * Proxy Status: DNS Only (Gray Cloud)

TXT Records (Security & Authentication)

Do not remove SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records, as these prevent your emails from being marked as spam.

4. Understanding Proxy Modes

Cloudflare uses a "cloud" icon to toggle between two modes:

| Mode | Icon | Use Case | Benefits |

|---|---|---|---|

| Proxied | Orange Cloud | Website Traffic (www, @) | Hides Server IP, CDN, Web Application Firewall |

| DNS Only | Gray Cloud | Services (mail, ftp, cpanel) | Direct server connection (Required for Email/FTP) |

5. Update Your Nameservers

Cloudflare will provide you with two unique nameservers. You must update these at your domain registrar (e.g., Namecheap, GoDaddy, or AuroxHost).

Example Nameservers:

 * aria.ns.cloudflare.com

 * matt.ns.cloudflare.com

Action:

 * Log in to your Domain Registrar.

 * Navigate to Nameserver Settings.

 * Replace your current nameservers (e.g., ns1.auroxhost.com) with the new Cloudflare nameservers.

* Save Changes.

6. Wait for Propagation

DNS changes typically take 5 minutes to 2 hours, though in rare cases, it can take up to 24 hours. Cloudflare will send you an email or show the status "Active" once the transition is complete.

7. Final Verification

Once active, we recommend verifying your setup using intoDNS.com.

 * Check that Nameservers point to Cloudflare.

 * Confirm MX records are correctly pointing to your mail server.

 * Ensure there are no critical DNS errors.