Cloudflare CDN is one of the most widely used content delivery networks, helping websites load faster and stay protected against online threats.
On Cloudways, you have the flexibility to integrate your own Cloudflare account to boost website speed, reduce bandwidth consumption, and secure traffic with features like free SSL and DDoS protection.
This guide walks you through the process of setting up Cloudflare CDN on Cloudways if you are not using the Cloudflare Enterprise add-on.
By the end, you’ll be able to configure Cloudflare easily and enjoy a faster, more reliable, and secure website experience.
TL;DR? Read the summary of this article:
Create and add your site in Cloudflare – Sign up for Cloudflare, add your domain, and let it scan your DNS records. Choose a plan (including the free tier if you like).
Update nameservers at your registrar – Replace your existing nameservers with the ones Cloudflare provides, then confirm the change in your Cloudflare dashboard.
Configure DNS routing through Cloudflare – In Cloudways or Cloudflare’s DNS settings, toggle CDN routing for key records by switching the cloud icon to orange (proxy enabled).
Works seamlessly with Breeze – Cloudflare CDN integrates smoothly with Breeze cache on your site without any extra setup.
Table of Contents:
Why Use Cloudflare CDN with Cloudways?
Integrating Cloudflare CDN with your Cloudways-hosted website offers several key advantages.
Cloudflare caches your static content such as images, CSS, and JavaScript files across its global data centers, ensuring faster load times for visitors no matter where they are located.
It also reduces bandwidth usage, which helps optimize server resources.
Beyond speed, Cloudflare adds an extra layer of security by filtering malicious traffic, mitigating DDoS attacks, and providing free SSL certificates for secure connections.
Together with Cloudways’ optimized hosting stack, Cloudflare CDN enhances both performance and protection, giving your site a reliable edge.
Important Announcement for Cloudflare Enterprise Users
If you have integrated Cloudflare Enterprise with your application, you don't need to activate Cloudflare CDN again.
This article is only for those customers who are not using the Cloudflare Enterprise add-on but wish to use their own Cloudflare CDN.
Advantages of Cloudflare CDN
Cloudflare CDN helps improve your website’s speed and reliability by caching static resources such as images, CSS, and JavaScript files across its global network of data centers.
This reduces server load, lowers bandwidth consumption, and delivers content faster to visitors worldwide.
In addition to performance, Cloudflare enhances website security by blocking malicious traffic, mitigating DDoS attacks, and offering a free SSL certificate for encrypted connections.
Best of all, Cloudflare provides a free plan, making these benefits accessible to everyone while also offering advanced features on paid tiers.
How to Use Cloudflare CDN on Cloudways
Step #1 - Create a Cloudflare Account and Add a Website:
Visit the Cloudflare website and click on the Signup link at the top of the page.
Create a Cloudflare account using your email address and password. Click Create an account now to proceed.
Enter the domain for your website and then click Begin Scan. It’s not necessary to add www to the domain. For example, if your website is example.com, the domain will be example.com.
4. Cloudflare will scan the domain’s DNS records. This will take approximately 60 seconds to complete. Once the DNS scan has finished, click Continue.
5. A list of all the DNS records found is displayed, including your subdomains. Here you can route CNAME, A records, amongst others through Cloudflare servers by clicking on the gray cloud icon.
6. Select a plan according to your needs, the free plan for example, and then click on Process and continue.
Step #2 - Setup Cloudflare Nameservers at Domain Provider:
In this step, you are given the Cloudflare nameservers for your domain. The Cloudflare nameservers are assigned to your domain and listed on this page. You can also find your Cloudflare nameservers in your Cloudflare dashboard under Overview.
Finally, update the nameservers for your domain with the Cloudflare nameservers as shown above. Here are the steps required to update your nameservers:
1. Log in to the Cloudflare account and make note of your nameservers.
2. Determine your domain registrar (e.g. GoDaddy, NameCheap .. etc.) and login to your registrar account.
3. Update your nameserver records to the Cloudflare nameservers.
4. Confirm your changes through the Cloudflare dashboard.
After you have edited the DNS records, click continue and after a while, you will receive an email confirming that your domain is using Cloudflare DNS and is now being optimized.
Using Cloudflare with Breeze WordPress Cache
Cloudflare CDN works seamlessly with the Breeze WordPress Cache plugin and requires no extra setup.
For best results, purge Breeze cache after enabling Cloudflare and enable Automatic Cache Purge to keep both caches in sync.
This ensures your WordPress site runs smoothly with faster load times and improved security.
Enhance your website's speed and security with Cloudflare Enterprise on Cloudways. Start optimizing today! Protect Your Site with Cloudflare.
That’s it! We hope this article was helpful.
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