Kinsta® Navigation Search Submit search SUPPORT QUESTIONS How to Enable Kinsta’s Cloudflare Integration for an Existing Domain Last updated: November 22, 2021 We’re excited to bring the power, performance, and security of Cloudflare’s global network to all Kinsta customers at no additional cost. To take advantage of Cloudflare, you’ll need to add and update a few DNS records. This doesn’t require a name server change, so your DNS records will still be managed by you at your current DNS provider. In this article, you’ll learn exactly what you need to change to take advantage of our free Cloudflare integration for existing domains on Kinsta. If you’re adding a new domain, read our guide on How To Add a Domain to a Site on Kinsta. Table of Contents What Is an Existing Domain? Cloudflare vs. Non-Cloudflare Domain MyKinsta Domains List Icons and Buttons Non-Cloudflare Domains Cloudflare Domains Force HTTPS (Optional) What Is an Existing Domain? An existing domain is a domain that has already been added to MyKinsta. If your site is hosted on Kinsta and uses a custom domain (not a kinsta.cloud domain), this section applies to you. The process for taking advantage of Cloudflare for an existing domain depends on whether the domain’s A records are already pointed to Kinsta. If your domain’s A records are already pointed to Kinsta IP address, you’ll be able to skip a few of the steps outlined below. Don’t worry, though; we’ll let you know which ones you can ignore! Important Existing domains that use Kinsta DNS will automatically be configured for Cloudflare over time. But if you’d like to get the new Cloudflare-powered features before your domain is automatically configured, you can manually do so by following the steps below. Cloudflare vs. Non-Cloudflare Domain The process for how to enable Kinsta’s Cloudflare integration depends on whether your site already uses Cloudflare. Since all Kinsta plans come with free Cloudflare integration, users with active Cloudflare accounts of their own will need to follow a special set of instructions to maintain compatibility between the two Cloudflare zones. Info If you’re only using Cloudflare for DNS (orange cloud is not enabled), it also qualifies as a “Cloudflare domain.” In the context of this article, a “non-Cloudflare domain” refers to a domain that has no connection to Cloudflare (proxy or DNS). MyKinsta Domains List Icons and Buttons In MyKinsta, the Domains list for your site will show icons in the Status column and may show a button to the right of that, depending on the status of your site in the Cloudflare integration process. We’ll explain each of those here to help you understand what action needs to be taken next. Status icons and buttons in MyKinsta Domains list. Get Cloudflare Button If you see the Get Cloudflare button next to your domain, this means that you haven’t started the process, and you’ll need to click on that button to get started. For more detailed information on the next steps, see the corresponding section below for Non-Cloudflare Domains or Cloudflare Domains. Get Cloudflare button beside domain in MyKinsta Domains list. Check Mark Icon This icon indicates the domain has been verified and points to Kinsta. Clicking on the icon shows more details about the status: Checkmark icon and Domain live message in MyKinsta. Question Mark Icon This icon appears next to the wildcard domain. If you are pointing all of your subdomains to your Kinsta site, you can save yourself some time by pointing the wildcard domain (*.example.com) to Kinsta so you won’t have to point individual domains one at a time. Question mark icon and Point wildcard domain message in MyKinsta. Up Arrow Icon This icon indicates that the domain has been verified but doesn’t currently point to Kinsta. To resolve this, click the Point domain button to show the details for the DNS record needed to point your site (either the Site IP Address for an A record or Hostnames for a CNAME record). For more details on the next steps needed, choose the appropriate section below for Non-Cloudflare Domains or Cloudflare Domains. Point domain button, up arrow icon, and Domain not using Kinsta’s Cloudflare integration message in MyKinsta. Warning Icon This icon indicates the domain hasn’t been verified. Your domain will need to be verified before you can point to its new IP address or hostname. Click on the Verify domain button to get started. For more detailed instructions, see the appropriate section below for Non-Cloudflare Domains or Cloudflare Domains. Verify domain button, warning icon, and Domain not live message in MyKinsta. Non-Cloudflare Domains Non-Cloudflare domains will need to be verified and pointed to your new site IP address at Kinsta. Step 1 — Start the Cloudflare Integration In MyKinsta, navigate to Sites > Your Site > Domains and click the Get Cloudflare button next to the domain you’d like to configure. Click the Get Cloudflare button to start enabling the Cloudflare integration in MyKinsta. If you see another Get Cloudflare button in the modal/pop-up that appears, click that button to continue. Step 2 — Verify Your Domain If your domain is already pointing to a Kinsta IP address, you can click on the Get Cloudflare button in the modal/pop-up that appears after clicking the first Get Cloudflare button. This will begin the verification process, so you can skip the rest of this section and move to the next steps for pointing your domain to your new site IP address at Kinsta. For non-Cloudflare domains that are not already pointed to Kinsta, you’ll need to verify the domain by adding two DNS TXT records. The exact process for adding the TXT records depends on whether you’re using Kinsta DNS or a third-party DNS provider. TXT records to verify your domain in MyKinsta. TXT Record 1 Name: _cf-custom-hostname Value: Unique UUID value from MyKinsta (xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx) TXT Record 2 Name: @ (if your DNS provider does not support “@” you can leave it blank). Value: Unique UUID value from MyKinsta (xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx) If you’re using Kinsta DNS, the TXT records will be automatically added for you. If you’re using a different DNS provider, log into your DNS provider’s management panel and add the new TXT records. For the first TXT record, enter _cf-custom-hostname in the Hostname field and your unique UUID value for the Content/Text field. After you’ve added the TXT record details, save your new TXT record. For the second TXT record, use @ in the Hostname field or leave it blank (whichever works at your DNS provider), and use your unique UUID value for the Content/Text field. After you’ve verified the TXT record details, save your new TXT record. After you’ve added the TXT records at your DNS provider, in MyKinsta, click OK, I’ve Done It in the Verify domain modal window. Finish domain verification in MyKinsta by clicking on OK, I’ve done it. Depending on your DNS provider, the TXT records may take up to 24 hours to propagate. Step 3 — Point Your Domain to Your New IP Address at Kinsta After your domain has been successfully verified, you can complete the Cloudflare integration by pointing your domain to your new Site IP address. Click the Point domain button to see the new IP address. Click the Point domain button to see your new Kinsta Site IP address. Point Your Root Domain to Kinsta In the Point Your Domain to Kinsta modal, you’ll see your Site IP Address. This is the IP address for your domain’s A record. Site IP Address in MyKinsta. Next, go to your DNS provider and update your A record to point to your Site IP Address. If you’re using Kinsta DNS, here’s how you can update your A record: Open MyKinsta in a new tab and navigate to Kinsta DNS. Click on the domain you’re updating. If you already have an A, AAAA, or CNAME record for your domain, you should remove that before adding the new A record by clicking the Delete (trash can) icon under the Actions column. Click Add a DNS Record, and select the A option. If you’re pointing your root domain, leave the Hostname field blank. If you’re pointing a subdomain, specify your subdomain in the Hostname field. Input your Site IP Address in the IPV4 Address field. Click Add DNS Record. Create an A record in Kinsta DNS. After adding the DNS record, go back to the Point Your Domain to Kinsta modal, and click OK, I’ve Done It. Click the OK, I’ve Done It button after pointing your domain to Kinsta. Point Your WWW Domain to Kinsta In addition to configuring a CNAME record for your root domain, we recommend pointing the www version of your domain to Kinsta if you haven’t already. To do this, add or edit a CNAME record for your www domain pointing to your root domain. Create a CNAME record for your www domain. If you’re using Kinsta DNS and didn’t select the option to Add DNS record with and without www when you added your A record, click on Add a DNS Record, and select the CNAME option. Use the settings below for your CNAME record: Type: CNAME Hostname: www Points To: Your root domain (e.g., brianwp.com). TTL: 1 hour Point Your Wildcard Domain to Kinsta (Optional) We also support wildcard subdomains. A wildcard subdomain is a “catch-all” subdomain. For example, if you have three DNS records set up like this: A record for sub.domain.com pointing to 123.123.123.123. A record for sub2.domain.com pointing to 456.456.456.456. A record for *.domain.com pointing to 789.789.789.789. Any request to a subdomain that is not sub.domain.com or sub2.domain.com will be automatically handled by the wildcard subdomain (*.domain.com) A record and routed to 789.789.789.789. When you add your apex/root domain, the wildcard subdomain is automatically added to the Domains list too. If you would like to use the wildcard domain functionality on Kinsta, you can do so by creating an additional A record with the settings below: Type: A Hostname: * Points To: Your Site IP Address from MyKinsta TTL: 1 hour Add a wildcard A record for your domain. After adding a wildcard A record, accessing any subdomain that isn’t pointed elsewhere will result in the request being routed to Kinsta. Cloudflare Domains If your domain is already pointing to a Kinsta IP address, you can click on the Get Cloudflare button in the modal/pop-up that appears after clicking the first Get Cloudflare button. This will begin the verification process, so you can skip the rest of this section and move to the next steps for pointing your domain to your new CNAME record at Kinsta. Cloudflare domains that are not already pointed to Kinsta will need to be verified first. Step 1 — Start the Cloudflare Integration In MyKinsta, navigate to Sites > Your Site > Domains and click the Get Cloudflare button next to the domain you’d like to configure. Click the Get Cloudflare button to start enabling the Cloudflare integration in MyKinsta. If you see another Get Cloudflare button in the modal/pop-up that appears, click that button to continue. Step 2 — Verify Your Domain For Cloudflare domains that are not already pointed to Kinsta, verifying your Cloudflare domain is a two-phase process. You’ll need to add two TXT records, one at a time, awaiting DNS propagation between each one. In the modal/pop-up, you’ll see the first TXT record that you need to add at Cloudflare in order to begin verifying your domain. Copy the Name/host and the Value fields. First TXT record to verify existing Cloudflare domain in MyKinsta. First TXT Record Name: kinsta-verification-xxxxxx Value: Unique UUID value from MyKinsta (xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx) Go to your Cloudflare dashboard (log in if you haven’t already), select your domain, and click on the DNS tab. Click the Add Record button and create a new TXT record with the details you copied from MyKinsta. Add domain verification TXT record in Cloudflare. After you’ve added the TXT record at Cloudflare, click OK, I’ve Done It in the Verify domain modal window in MyKinsta. Click the OK, I’ve done it button in MyKinsta for the first TXT record to verify your domain. DNS from Cloudflare usually propagates within a few minutes but may depend on the TTL set when adding the record. Once it’s propagated, return to your site in MyKinsta and click the Verify domain button. In the modal/pop-up that appears, copy the Name/host and Value fields for the next TXT record. Second TXT record in MyKinsta to verify Cloudflare domain. Second TXT Record Name: _cf-custom-hostname.sitename Value: Unique UUID value from MyKinsta (xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx) Go to your Cloudflare dashboard once again, select your domain, and click on the DNS tab. Click the Add Record button and create a new TXT record with the details you copied from MyKinsta. After you’ve added this TXT record at Cloudflare, click OK, I’ve Done It in the Add domain modal window in MyKinsta. Click the OK, I’ve done it button in MyKinsta for the second TXT record. Once DNS propagates (usually within a few minutes from Cloudflare, but may depend on the TTL set when adding the record), your domain is fully verified and can be pointed to Kinsta. Step 3 — Point Your Domain to Kinsta After your domain has been successfully verified, you can complete the Cloudflare integration by pointing your domain to your site’s CNAME record. Click the Point domain button to see the new CNAME record. Click the Point domain button in MyKinsta. Point Your Root Domain to Kinsta To point your root domain to Kinsta, add the first CNAME record (Name/host @) shown in the Point your domain to Kinsta modal to your Cloudflare DNS settings. CNAME records to add or edit at Cloudflare. Go to your Cloudflare dashboard and click on the DNS tab. Important Before adding the CNAME record for your root domain, you’ll need to delete any conflicting DNS records. In most cases, the conflicting record will be an A record for your root domain. Delete conflicting A record at Cloudflare. After deleting the A record, click the Add Record button and create a new CNAME record with the details below: Type: CNAME Name: @ Target: Your site’s “kinsta.cloud” domain. TTL: Auto Add a CNAME for your root domain in Cloudflare. After adding the CNAME record, you’ll see a checkmark next to your root domain in MyKinsta. This indicates that the root domain has been pointed to Kinsta correctly. Info While Cloudflare’s default Time to Live (TTL) is 5 minutes, in some uncommon circumstances, DNS records can take up to 24 hours to propagate around the world. So, don’t be alarmed if you don’t see the checkmark right after adding the CNAME record in Cloudflare. A checkmark next to the domain indicates it’s pointed to Kinsta. Point Your WWW Domain to Kinsta In addition to configuring a CNAME record for your root domain, we also recommend pointing the www version of your domain to Kinsta. Important Before adding the CNAME record for your www domain, you’ll need to delete any conflicting DNS records like a CNAME record for your www domain. Be careful not to delete the CNAME record you just created for the root domain. Only delete any CNAME records with a Name of www. After deleting the conflicting CNAME record, click Add Record to create a new CNAME record with the settings below: Type: CNAME Name: www Target: Your site’s “kinsta.cloud” domain. TTL: Auto Create a CNAME record for your www domain at Cloudflare. Point Your Wildcard Domain to Kinsta (Optional) We also support wildcard subdomains. A wildcard subdomain is a “catch-all” subdomain. For example, if you have three DNS records set up like this: A record for sub.domain.com pointing to 123.123.123.123. A record for sub2.domain.com pointing to 456.456.456.456. A record for *.domain.com pointing to 789.789.789.789. Any request to a subdomain that is not sub.domain.com or sub2.domain.com will be automatically handled by the wildcard subdomain (*.domain.com) A record and routed to 789.789.789.789. When you add your apex/root domain, the wildcard subdomain is automatically added to the Domains list too. If you would like to use the wildcard domain functionality on Kinsta, you can do so by creating an additional CNAME record in Cloudflare with the settings below: Type: CNAME Name: * Target: Your site’s “kinsta.cloud” domain. TTL: Auto Add a wildcard CNAME for your Cloudflare domain. If you’re using a free Cloudflare plan, you may see a message that reads, “Some of your DNS only records are exposing IPs that are proxied through Cloudflare. Make sure to proxy all A, AAAA, and CNAME records pointing to proxied records to avoid exposing your origin IP.” This notification message is normal and not an issue, in this case, because the target kinsta.cloud domain is proxied behind Cloudflare as well. Once the wildcard CNAME record has propagated, accessing any subdomain that isn’t pointed elsewhere will result in the request being routed to Kinsta. Force HTTPS (Optional) A free SSL certificate (with wildcard support) is automatically added for verified domains with our Cloudflare integration. Forcing your site to load over HTTPS is optional but is recommended. To complete this step, go to the site in MyKinsta, then navigate to Tools and click on the Enable button under Force HTTPS. Force HTTPS in MyKinsta. Summary Kinsta’s Cloudflare integration is designed to boost the security of your WordPress site. By configuring your domain to load behind Cloudflare, you’ll also be able to take advantage of more security and performance enhancements in the future. If you have any questions about setting up our Cloudflare integration on your site, feel free to reach out to our 24/7 Support team! Was this article helpful? Yes, it was fine! No, or there was something off FEATURED EBOOK 10 Ways to Boost Your WooCommerce Product Page Conversions Driving traffic to your WooCommerce store is important, but it's not much use if it doesn't convert. 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