Manage DNS records · Cloudflare DNS docs (2024)

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:

If you want more control over which DNS records are imported and how, import a zone file.

​​Create DNS records

To create a DNS record in the dashboard:

  1. Log in to the Cloudflare dashboardOpen external link and select an account and domain.

  2. Go to DNS > Records.

  3. Click Add record.

  4. Choose a record Type.

  5. Complete the required fields, which vary per record. Particularly important fields (for some records) include:

    • Proxy status: For A, AAAA, and CNAME records, decide whether hostname traffic is proxied through Cloudflare.
    • TTL: Short for Time to Live, this field controls how long each record is valid and — as a result — how long it takes for record updates to reach your end users.
    • Comment and Tag: Record attributes meant for your reference.
  6. Click Save.

To create records with the API, use a POST requestOpen API docs link. For field definitions, select a record type under the request body specification.

For specific API examples, refer to DNS record types.

​​Edit DNS records

To edit DNS records in the dashboard:

  1. Log in to the Cloudflare dashboardOpen external link and select an account and domain.
  2. Go to DNS > Records.
  3. On a specific record, click Edit.
  4. Make any necessary changes.
  5. Click Save.

To update part of a record with the API, use a PATCH requestOpen API docs link. If you want to overwrite the entire existing record, use a PUT requestOpen API docs link.

​​Delete DNS records

To delete DNS records in the dashboard:

  1. Log in to the Cloudflare dashboardOpen external link and select an account and domain.
  2. Go to DNS > Records.
  3. On a specific record, click Edit.
  4. Click Delete.
  5. Click Delete again to confirm.

To delete records with the API, use a DELETE requestOpen API docs link.

Manage DNS records · Cloudflare DNS docs (2024)

FAQs

What DNS records do I need for Cloudflare? ›

These records are the only ones you can proxy through Cloudflare.
  • ​​ A and AAAA.
  • ​​ CNAME.
  • ​​ MX.
  • ​​ DKIM.
  • ​​ SPF.
  • ​​ DMARC.
  • ​​ TXT.
  • ​​ CAA.

How to configure Cloudflare DNS records? ›

How to set up DNS records for cloudflare
  1. Login to Cloudflare Dashboard: Visit Cloudflare. ...
  2. Select Your Domain: ...
  3. Go to DNS Settings: ...
  4. Add A Records for Your Website: ...
  5. Add CNAME Records for Your Application: ...
  6. Optimize Performance with Cloudflare Records: ...
  7. Save Your Changes: ...
  8. Verify DNS Propagation:
Nov 29, 2023

How do I manage DNS records for my domain? ›

Follow these steps to update your DNS records:
  1. Log in to your Account Manager.
  2. Navigate to the Domains tab on the left-side menu.
  3. Scroll down and click the Advanced Tools section.
  4. Click on "Manage" next to Advanced DNS Records.
  5. An Advance DNS Record warning will pop up and click continue.

How do I check my Cloudflare DNS records? ›

Open your Cloudflare dashboard and select your account. Select your domain from the dropdown. Select the DNS > Records tile. DNS management for your domain displays.

Is Cloudflare still the best DNS? ›

Cloudflare even undergoes annual audits by KPMG to validate its privacy practices. But it doesn't stop at privacy. Cloudflare's 1.1. 1.1 DNS service has been ranked as the fastest DNS resolver globally by the independent DNS monitor DNSPerf.

Which DNS records do you need? ›

Common DNS records
  • Root domain ( example.com ) Each domain needs to have a record for the root domain. ...
  • www subdomain: ( www.example.com ) It's common to have the www subdomain configured in addition to the root domain. ...
  • MX email records. ...
  • CAA record.

Does Cloudflare hide DNS records? ›

When your DNS records are proxied, Cloudflare speeds up and protects your site. A dig query against your proxied apex domain returns a Cloudflare IP address. This way, your origin server's IP address remains concealed from the public.

Is Cloudflare DNS free? ›

Yes, you can use Cloudflare for free. Cloudflare's Free plan provides the most basic website performance and security features. If you need more, you can always upgrade to a higher tier plan.

How do I set up DNS records? ›

How to set up DNS records?
  1. Log in to Control panel.
  2. Move to the domain management section (Services/Domains/Domain overview).
  3. Choose the domain where you want to set up records.
  4. Click on option: Edit DNS.
  5. Here you can edit, or add, new DNS records.
Jul 16, 2019

What is an example of a DNS record? ›

DNS records are aliases for short pieces of text stored in a DNS database, and each one maps a specific domain to an IP address or another piece of data. For example, if you have the alias example.com, you can send it to a DNS server to connect to the aliased value 2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946.

How do I use Cloudflare DNS? ›

​​ Android 11 or later
  1. Go to Settings > Network & internet.
  2. Select Advanced > Private DNS.
  3. Select the Private DNS provider hostname option.
  4. Depending on what you want to configure, use one of the following DNS hostnames or IP addresses and select Save. Use 1.1.1.1 resolver. one.one.one.one.
Nov 21, 2023

Can you have multiple DNS records for a domain? ›

A DNS server with round-robin enabled will have multiple different A records, each with the same domain name but a different IP address.

How do I reset DNS records in Cloudflare? ›

To reset all the DNS records, I deleted the domain name from Cloudflare. Then I added the domain back, Cloudflare automatically update the DNS records for the new host.

Where is Cloudflare DNS located? ›

Cloudflare's headquarters are in San Francisco, California. According to The Hill, Cloudflare is used by more than 20 percent of the Internet for its web security services, as of 2022. Cloudflare, Inc. San Francisco, California, U.S.

What is Cloudflare DNS? ›

Cloudflare DNS is an enterprise-grade authoritative DNS service that offers the fastest response time, unparalleled redundancy, and advanced security with built-in DDoS mitigation and DNSSEC.

Which DNS record is for website? ›

Common DNS Records

A – An A record, short for address record, maps from an IP address to a domain name. An A record is also referred to as a host or hostname. CNAME – A CNAME is a special type of DNS record used to create an alias from one hostname to another.

Can I just use Cloudflare DNS? ›

However, some people might get scared away from using Cloudflare because they don't plan to use Cloudflare's CDN or firewall services. Don't be scared! Though Cloudflare doesn't make it super obvious, you can use Cloudflare just for DNS hosting without enabling any of the other services.

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