Understanding What Cloudflare Does and Why You Might Remove It
Cloudflare is a content delivery network (CDN) and web security service that sits between your website visitors and your actual web server. When someone visits your website, their request goes through Cloudflare's servers first, rather than directly to your hosting provider. Cloudflare performs several functions: it caches your website content to make pages load faster, filters out malicious traffic, protects against DDoS attacks, and provides SSL certificates for security.
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Many website owners use Cloudflare because these services can reduce server strain and improve performance. As of 2024, Cloudflare serves over 20% of websites worldwide, making it one of the most popular CDN services available. However, some website owners choose to remove Cloudflare for various reasons. These reasons might include wanting more direct control over their website traffic, dealing with compatibility issues with their hosting provider or other services, experiencing unexpected behavior with their site's functionality, or preferring to use alternative security and performance solutions.
Removing Cloudflare is not a permanent decision. Website owners can remove Cloudflare's services and later re-add them if they change their minds. Understanding what Cloudflare currently does for your site is the first step before making changes. You should review your DNS records, security settings, and any custom rules you've created within Cloudflare, as these details will matter when you transition away.
Practical takeaway: Document your current Cloudflare configuration before making any changes. Take screenshots of your DNS records, firewall rules, page rules, and any other customizations you've set up.
Preparing Your Domain and DNS Records Before the Transition
Before you remove Cloudflare, you need to understand your domain's DNS structure. DNS (Domain Name System) is like a phone book for the internet—it tells browsers where to find your website. When you use Cloudflare, your domain's nameservers typically point to Cloudflare's nameservers instead of your hosting provider's nameservers. This is the main connection between your domain and Cloudflare's service.
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Start by identifying your current DNS records. Log into your Cloudflare account and navigate to the DNS section. You'll see records that look like this: an A record pointing to an IP address, CNAME records for subdomains, MX records for email, and TXT records for various verification purposes. Write down all of these records, including their names, types, values, and TTL (Time To Live) settings. The TTL determines how long these records are cached—lower TTL values (like 120 seconds) update faster, while higher values (like 86400 seconds or 24 hours) cache longer.
Next, check what nameservers your hosting provider uses. This information is typically found in your hosting account's documentation or support area. Most hosting providers have two or four nameservers, and they usually follow a pattern like ns1.yourhost.com, ns2.yourhost.com, and so on. You'll need these nameserver addresses to update your domain registration later.
Some website owners also use Cloudflare's nameservers even though they don't use Cloudflare's paid features. If you only want to remove Cloudflare's services but keep using their nameservers temporarily, you can disable specific features within Cloudflare instead of a full removal. However, if you want to completely disconnect from Cloudflare, you must change your nameservers back to your hosting provider's nameservers.
Practical takeaway: Create a spreadsheet or document listing all your DNS records before you start. Include the record name, type (A, CNAME, MX, TXT), content/value, and current TTL. This becomes your reference guide during the transition.
Step-by-Step Process for Changing Your Nameservers
Changing nameservers is the actual process of disconnecting your domain from Cloudflare. This happens at your domain registrar—the company where you purchased your domain name. Common registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, and many others. You won't make changes through your hosting provider or Cloudflare for this step; you change your domain's nameservers at the registrar level.
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The process typically follows these steps. First, log into your domain registrar account and find your domain in your account dashboard. Look for a section labeled "Nameservers," "DNS," or "Domain Settings." Click on the option to edit or change nameservers. You'll see fields where you can enter new nameserver addresses. Delete the Cloudflare nameservers (which usually look like ns1.yoursite.ns.cloudflare.com or similar) and replace them with your hosting provider's nameservers. Enter all nameservers that your hosting provider specifies—most have at least two, and some have four.
After you enter the new nameservers, save your changes. The registrar will confirm that you've made the update. However, this change doesn't take effect immediately across the entire internet. DNS propagation takes time—typically between 30 minutes and 48 hours, though it can sometimes take up to 72 hours. During this period, some visitors might still reach your site through Cloudflare's servers while others reach your hosting provider directly. This is normal and expected.
You can monitor the propagation of your DNS changes using online tools like whatsmydns.net. This tool checks multiple DNS servers around the world and shows you whether they've updated to your new nameservers yet. Within a few hours, most servers should show the update. Once propagation is complete, your domain is no longer connected to Cloudflare's nameservers.
Practical takeaway: Change your nameservers during a time when you can monitor your website for issues—ideally not late at night or during your busiest traffic times. Plan for 24-48 hours of potential DNS propagation delays before declaring the transition complete.
Updating DNS Records at Your Hosting Provider
Once your nameservers have propagated to your hosting provider's nameservers, you need to ensure that all your DNS records are properly configured at your hosting provider. Your hosting provider maintains DNS records differently than Cloudflare does, and you need to recreate the records you documented earlier. This ensures your website, email, and any other services continue working after the transition.
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Log into your hosting provider's control panel—this is often called cPanel, Plesk, or a custom dashboard depending on your host. Find the DNS management section and locate the zone file for your domain. You'll see any existing records that your hosting provider created by default. These typically include basic A records and sometimes MX records for email.
Compare your documentation of Cloudflare's DNS records with what your hosting provider shows. You need to add any records from Cloudflare that don't already exist at your hosting provider. This might include CNAME records for subdomains, additional MX records if you use multiple mail servers, TXT records for SPF or DKIM email authentication, or any other custom records. Pay special attention to records you created for third-party services like email providers, CDN services, or verification records for tools like Google Search Console.
When adding records, make sure the TTL values match what you had at Cloudflare if you want identical behavior. However, you may want to lower TTL values to 300 or 600 seconds during the transition period—this means any mistakes propagate faster, allowing you to fix them quickly. Once everything is working correctly, you can raise TTL values back to their normal levels for better caching.
Some hosting providers include email services, and your email's MX records are critical. If your email isn't working after the transition, the MX records at your hosting provider are the first thing to check. If you use an external email provider like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you'll need their MX records in your hosting provider's DNS zone, not Cloudflare's DNS records.
Practical takeaway: Add one section of records at a time and test each section after adding it. For example, add your main A record, test that your website loads, then add MX records and test that email works, then add any other records. This approach helps you identify which records cause problems if something breaks.
Testing Your Website After Removal and Troubleshooting Common Issues
After DNS propagation is complete, you should thoroughly test your website to ensure everything works correctly. Start with