Task 1 - Activating CNAME Configuration for a Domain

Please refer to our guide that outlines the advantages and constraints of a CNAME configuration.


1.    Establish a Cloudflare account and incorporate your website.

        *Cease when the website instructions prompt you to modify your nameservers.


2.    Upgrade the domain to a Business plan or higher as necessary.


3.    Reach out to Cloudflare Support to request permission for a CNAME configuration for a specific domain.  Include CNAME setup for <domain> in the subject line.

4.    Cloudflare Support will verify that the CNAME configuration has been activated.

5.    A TXT record will be displayed in the Cloudflare Dashboard Overview application.  Please add the TXT record to your authoritative DNS.

        *The TXT record must remain in the authoritative DNS for the entire duration that Cloudflare's services are utilized.


6.    After a few hours, Cloudflare will have verified the TXT record and will send a confirmation email.


7.    Provision universal SSL for the domain.

Task 2 - Provisioning Cloudflare Universal SSL for CNAME Configuration

Cloudflare's Universal SSL certificate will be deployed once a domain is activated on the CNAME configuration and appropriate Domain Control Validation (DCV) records have been added to the authoritative DNS:


If a custom SSL certificate has been uploaded, the following steps may be omitted:

  1. Retrieve DCV records from the Cloudflare API.

  2. Add the DCV records as CNAME records within the domain's authoritative DNS (not the Cloudflare DNS application).

  3. Add DNS records for the CNAME configuration. 

Task 3 - Adding DNS Records to a CNAME Configuration

Once a CNAME configuration is enabled, DNS records must be updated in both Cloudflare's DNS application and your authoritative DNS:

1.    Add an A or CNAME record in the Cloudflare DNS application for the subdomain.

        *An orange-cloud icon next to the DNS record will proxy traffic to Cloudflare.


2.    Modify the corresponding CNAME record in your authoritative DNS to append .cdn.cloudflare.net to the hostname.


For instance, when configuring www.example.com on a CNAME configuration with Cloudflare, the CNAME record in authoritative DNS should point to www.example.com.cdn.cloudflare.net 

www.example.com CNAME www.example.com.cdn.cloudflare.net


If www.example.com is currently an A record  in your authoritative DNS, it must be converted to a CNAME. 


CNAME records can be added to your authoritative DNS for each subdomain that is to be proxied to Cloudflare.