Move your DNS to Cloudflare

Some DNS providers, including GoDaddy, IONOS and Amazon Route 53, can't point a bare domain like example.com at another service. Cloudflare can, and its DNS is free. Moving takes about 20 minutes of your time, then up to a day for the change to reach everyone. Your domain stays registered where it is; only its DNS moves.

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   Step 1: Create a free Cloudflare account

   Go to dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up and sign up. You won't need to pay for anything.

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   Step 2: Add your domain

   In Cloudflare, go to Domains and select Onboard a domain. Type your domain (for example example.com, without www). When it asks how to add your DNS records, let it scan for the ones you have now (the quick scan), then choose the Free plan.

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   Step 3: Let Cloudflare import your records

   Cloudflare's quick scan copies the common records it finds. Cloudflare says itself that it can miss some, often the DKIM records your email needs. That's why the next step matters.

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   Step 4: Check every email record, carefully

   Open your current DNS provider in another tab and compare it with Cloudflare's list, one record at a time. Add anything missing. Look especially for:

   • MX records: where your email is delivered.
   • TXT records starting v=spf1: which servers may send your email.
   • Records whose name contains _domainkey (DKIM) and the _dmarc record. These are the ones most often missed.
   • Microsoft 365 or Outlook: an autodiscover record.

   Any record your email uses, such as mail or autodiscover, must be set to DNS only (the grey cloud; Cloudflare spells it gray) in Cloudflare, not Proxied. Proxied records only carry websites, and email through them stops working.

   If your current provider can export your records (often called “Export DNS” or a “zone file”), download that first: it's a complete list to compare against, and a backup.

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   Step 5: Turn off DNSSEC first, if it's on

   If DNSSEC is turned on where your domain is registered, turn it off there and wait a day before the next step. Changing nameservers while it's on can make your whole domain, website and email, unreachable. If you've never heard of it, it's probably off, but check your registrar's domain settings to be sure. You can turn it back on through Cloudflare once your domain is active.

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   Step 6: Change your nameservers at your registrar

   Cloudflare gives you two nameservers, like ada.ns.cloudflare.com, while you onboard. You can find them again later on your domain's Overview page. Where your domain is registered (for example GoDaddy or IONOS), find the domain's nameserver settings, remove the existing nameservers and add Cloudflare's two, copied exactly.

   It can take up to 24 hours. Cloudflare emails you when it's done, and your domain shows Active on Cloudflare's Domains page.

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   Step 7: Point your domain at Cloudzyro

   In Cloudflare's DNS records, add (or change the existing record on your domain to) a CNAME record:

   • Name: @ (your bare domain)
   • Target: domains.cloudzyro.app
   • Proxy status: DNS only

   The cloud must be grey

   Cloudflare sets new records to Proxied, an orange cloud, by default. Click the cloud so it turns grey and says DNS only, then save. With an orange cloud we can't see your record, so your domain never goes live.

   DNS only: rightProxied: change it

   If Cloudflare says a record with that name already exists, edit that one instead of adding another. Then go back to your site's Domains page in Cloudzyro: it checks by itself, and shows Live once your domain works.

Back to Cloudzyro