Setting up DNS records for your domain in Cloudflare

Setting up DNS records for your domain in Cloudflare is one of the most important steps to connect your website with your hosting account securely and efficiently. Whether you’re migrating your website or configuring a new one, properly managing DNS records ensures your domain resolves the right IP and functions without downtime. 

In this article, we will help you understand the complete process from adding your domain to Cloudflare, to creating and verifying DNS records, so your website stays online, protected, and optimized. 

Why Set Up DNS Records in Cloudflare 

Cloudflare’s DNS management makes your website faster, safer, and easier to manage. When you complete your Cloudflare DNS records setup for your domain, you get several benefits: 

• Faster website loading with Cloudflare’s global network that speeds up DNS resolution.
• Better protection against DDoS attacks and improved uptime with built-in redundancy.
• Simple management of all your DNS settings from one easy-to-use dashboard.
• Quick DNS updates that spread across the world in just minutes.

Tip: If your website is hosted with bodhost, using Cloudflare DNS can make it even more secure and boost loading speed.

Steps to Configure DNS in Cloudflare: 

1: Add Your Domain to Cloudflare

1. Go to Cloudflare.com and log in to your account. 
   • If you don’t have one, click Sign Up and create a free account.
2. On your dashboard, click ‘Add a Site’. 
3. Enter your domain name (example: yourdomain.com) and click Continue.
4. Select a Cloudflare plan, the Free plan works well for most users. 
5. Cloudflare will automatically scan your existing DNS records. Review them and make sure they match the DNS settings in your bodHOST cPanel or hosting panel. 

If any DNS records are missing, you can manually add DNS records in Cloudflare during this setup process. 

2: Review and Create DNS Records

Once your site is added, you will be directed to the DNS management panel. This is where you can add or modify DNS records in Cloudflare. 

The Cloudflare DNS records setup lets you add A, CNAME, MX, and TXT records to connect to your domain, manage emails, and verify ownership. In short, you can easily use Cloudflare to add A CNAME MX TXT records configuration for your domain within the dashboard. 

Here’s a reference for how to update nameservers to Cloudflare: 

To add a new record: 

1. Click Add Record. 
2. Choose the type (A, CNAME, MX, etc.). 
3. Enter the name, content, and TTL (time to live). 
4. Click Save.

Tip: For websites hosted with bodHOST, you can find your DNS details under your hosting account’s “DNS Zone Editor” section. 

3: Update Your Domain Nameservers

Once your DNS setup is complete, Cloudflare will display two nameservers (for example, amy.ns.cloudflare.com and john.ns.cloudflare.com). 

Here’s how to update nameservers to Cloudflare:

1. Log in to your domain registrar. 
2. Replace your current nameservers with the Cloudflare ones.
3. Save the changes. 
4. The DNS propagation may take up to 24 hours globally.

You can check propagation progress using tools like whatsmydns.net. 

4: Verify DNS Configuration

After your nameservers are updated and propagation completes: 

• Log in back to your Cloudflare dashboard. 
• Open your site and check if the status shows “Active”. 
• Visit your website in a browser, it should load normally with Cloudflare protection enabled. 

If there’s any issue: 

• Double-check the A record IP matches your bodHOST hosting IP. 
• Ensure the cloud icon is enabled to route traffic through Cloudflare’s proxy for added protection. 

Conclusion

Setting up DNS records for your domain in Cloudflare helps improve your site’s speed, reliability, and security. By correctly configuring A, CNAME, MX, and TXT records, and updating your nameservers, you ensure seamless connectivity between your domain and bodHOST hosting. 

If you’re unsure about any steps, contact bodHOST Support. Our experts will guide you through your DNS setup.

Read more about our other article here: View the error logs in cPanel