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To point a domain managed by Cloudflare at a VPS, add the domain to Cloudflare, create DNS records for the VPS address, delegate the domain to Cloudflare’s assigned nameservers at your registrar, then choose whether web traffic is proxied through Cloudflare or goes directly to the server. Configure the VPS web server and HTTPS certificate for the same hostname, and preserve mail and verification records during the change.
The critical distinction is that a DNS record identifies your VPS, while nameserver delegation decides which provider is authoritative for the domain. You need both parts correct: an accurate A, AAAA, or CNAME record and Cloudflare nameservers published at the registrar.
What you need before changing DNS
Have these details ready before you begin:
- Access to the Cloudflare account that will manage the domain.
- Access to the registrar where the domain is registered, including permission to change nameservers.
- The VPS provider’s current IPv4 address, IPv6 address if supplied, or hostname.
- The exact hostnames you intend to serve, such as
example.com,www.example.com, orapp.example.com. - Access to the VPS operating system, firewall, and web-server configuration.
- A plan for HTTPS and for any existing mail, verification, or third-party service records.
If the domain already hosts email or other services, do not treat the DNS change as a blank slate. Cloudflare may import existing records during onboarding, but you must review them before delegation and restore anything missing.
How the pieces fit together
DNS answers the question “which address or hostname represents this name?” Nameserver delegation answers “which DNS provider is allowed to give that answer?” When Cloudflare is authoritative, its DNS zone contains the records that point your domain to the VPS.
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Cloudflare’s onboarding documentation describes the resulting arrangement this way: “After you connect your domain to Cloudflare, Cloudflare will act as the reverse proxy and DNS provider for your site.” Whether it actually proxies web requests depends on the cloud setting for each record. A proxied record sends supported web traffic through Cloudflare’s edge; a DNS-only record returns the origin information directly.
Step 1: Add the domain to Cloudflare
- Sign in to Cloudflare and choose the option to add a site or domain.
- Enter the registered domain, such as
example.com, without adding a path or page name. - Select the full DNS setup rather than a partial arrangement if Cloudflare offers a choice. This lets Cloudflare manage the zone after delegation.
- Review the DNS records Cloudflare discovers or imports. Pay particular attention to MX records for mail, TXT records used for SPF or verification, CNAME records for services, and any existing web records.
- Save or export a copy of the current DNS records before making changes. This gives you a reference if a service stops resolving after the switch.
At this stage, Cloudflare can show the zone and provide two assigned authoritative nameservers, but the domain is not fully transferred until those nameservers are set at the registrar.
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Open the domain’s DNS page in Cloudflare and add the record matching what your VPS provider supplied. Keep the record name aligned with the hostname people will request.
| Record | Use it when | Record name examples | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Your VPS has an IPv4 address | @ for example.com; www for www.example.com |
The VPS IPv4 address |
| AAAA | Your VPS has an IPv6 address | @, www, or another hostname label |
The VPS IPv6 address |
| CNAME | Your provider gives you a hostname instead of an address | The hostname you want to publish, such as app or www |
The provider’s hostname |
Point the apex domain
For the bare domain, use the root or apex name represented by @ in Cloudflare’s interface. An A record at @ points example.com to the VPS’s IPv4 address. Add an AAAA record at the same name when the VPS has usable IPv6. Publishing both families allows clients with IPv6 connectivity to use IPv6 while others use IPv4.
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Point a subdomain
For www.example.com, enter www as the record name. For app.example.com, enter app. You can create separate records for separate applications or hostnames, each with the address or provider hostname intended for that service.
Choose A/AAAA versus CNAME
Use A and AAAA when you control or have been given the numerical addresses of the VPS. Use CNAME when the hosting provider gives you a hostname that should remain the source of truth. Do not substitute a CNAME merely because it is convenient if your provider expects you to publish an address, and do not hard-code an address when the provider specifically requires its hostname.
Step 3: Decide between Proxied and DNS only
Cloudflare displays a web record’s routing choice as an orange cloud for Proxied or a gray cloud for DNS only. This setting changes the network path and who is responsible for the TLS connection.
| Aspect | Proxied (orange cloud) | DNS only (gray cloud) |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic path | Supported HTTP/HTTPS requests go to Cloudflare’s edge, which then connects to the VPS origin. | DNS returns the VPS address or target directly, so clients connect to the origin. |
| Cloudflare edge services | Available for the proxied web hostname, subject to Cloudflare’s product and protocol support. | Not inserted into the connection path. |
| Origin exposure | The VPS address is not returned to ordinary visitors through the proxied web record. | The VPS address is returned directly and is visible to clients that query DNS. |
| Certificate responsibility | Cloudflare can serve its edge certificate; the connection from Cloudflare to the origin still has to match your selected SSL/TLS settings. | The VPS itself must have a valid certificate for the hostname and must serve HTTPS correctly. |
| Non-HTTP compatibility | Use only where the service and Cloudflare support the traffic type. | Use for mail and other records or protocols that must connect directly, unless the service specifically supports proxying. |
When to use Proxied
Turn on Proxied for a normal public website or web application when you want HTTP/HTTPS requests to traverse Cloudflare’s edge. Confirm that the VPS firewall permits Cloudflare-origin connections and that the web server responds correctly to the hostname Cloudflare sends.
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When to use DNS only
Use DNS only when a service must connect directly to the VPS, when the protocol is not supported through Cloudflare’s web proxy, or while you are deliberately testing the origin. Mail records should remain DNS only unless the mail provider explicitly documents another arrangement. DNS-only mode means the origin address is exposed and the VPS must handle its own public TLS certificate.
Step 4: Change the domain’s authoritative nameservers
Cloudflare gives each zone two nameservers. Copy those values exactly; they are specific to your zone.
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- Open the domain’s nameserver, DNS delegation, or custom nameserver settings.
- Remove the registrar’s existing authoritative nameservers and enter both Cloudflare-assigned nameservers.
- Save the change and return to Cloudflare to monitor activation.
Changing records inside Cloudflare does not delegate the domain by itself. Until the registrar publishes Cloudflare’s nameservers and the change is recognized by DNS resolvers, the previous provider may continue answering queries.
Handle DNSSEC in the correct order
If DNSSEC is enabled at the registrar or current DNS provider, disable it before replacing the nameservers. A stale DS record can make the newly delegated zone fail validation. After Cloudflare becomes authoritative, re-enable DNSSEC through Cloudflare if you want it and the registrar and zone support it. Follow Cloudflare’s displayed DS or key instructions rather than copying values from the old provider.
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Step 5: Configure HTTPS for the selected path
Proxied hostname
A proxied hostname can use Cloudflare’s edge certificate for the visitor-to-Cloudflare connection. You must still choose an SSL/TLS mode that matches what the VPS serves and ensure the origin accepts the connection Cloudflare makes. A mismatch between the selected mode and the origin’s certificate or protocol can produce an SSL error even when DNS is correct.
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With DNS only, browsers connect straight to the VPS. Install a publicly trusted certificate on the VPS for every hostname you serve, configure the web server to present it, and set up renewal. Cloudflare cannot provide the visitor-facing certificate when it is not in the traffic path.
Cover every hostname
Certificates and virtual-host configuration are hostname-specific. If visitors use both example.com and www.example.com, configure both names in the VPS web server and in the certificate plan. Redirect one to the other only after the destination hostname works independently.
Step 6: Configure the VPS web server and firewall
DNS can direct a request to the right machine while the web server still returns the wrong site. Configure the VPS to recognize the requested Host header and serve the intended application.
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- Create or update the virtual host/server block for each hostname, including the apex and any subdomains you published.
- Set the document root or reverse-proxy destination for the application.
- Configure the certificate and private key when the VPS terminates HTTPS directly.
- Open TCP port 80 for HTTP and TCP port 443 for HTTPS in the VPS firewall and any provider-level firewall. If you intentionally use only HTTPS, keep port 80 available for the redirect or certificate-validation method your setup requires.
- Reload the web server and check its configuration before testing publicly.
For a proxied site, restrict origin access carefully if your security design allows it, but do not block the Cloudflare-to-origin traffic that your selected SSL/TLS mode requires. For DNS-only traffic, clients must be able to reach the VPS directly on the published ports.
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Step 7: Verify delegation, records, and the application
Test in layers so you can identify whether a failure is at delegation, DNS, the network, TLS, or the application.
- Check the authoritative nameservers with a DNS tool such as
dig NS example.com. The result should show the two Cloudflare nameservers assigned to the zone. - Check the web records with
dig A example.com,dig AAAA example.com, and the corresponding subdomain commands. Confirm that the values match the VPS address or intended CNAME target. - Query the exact hostname users will visit, including
wwworapp. A correct apex record does not automatically create a working subdomain. - Request the site over HTTPS with a browser or a command such as
curl -I https://example.com. Check the certificate name, response status, and redirect behavior. - Inspect the VPS web-server access and error logs while making a request. If no request reaches the server, investigate delegation, proxy state, firewall rules, or the origin address. If it reaches the server but returns the wrong content, fix the virtual-host mapping.
- Send a test message to and from each mail domain after the change if email records were present. Confirm that MX and TXT records remain intact.
Understand TTL and propagation
TTL is the cache duration resolvers use for a DNS answer. A resolver that cached the old record can continue returning it until that cache expires, even after Cloudflare shows the new value. Different recursive resolvers and networks may update at different times.
Cloudflare does not promise one universal propagation interval. Treat the TTL and resolver caches as the reason users can see mixed results temporarily; do not schedule the cutover around a guaranteed number of minutes or hours. During the transition, test from more than one network or resolver and verify the authoritative answer separately from a cached answer.
Common failures and precise fixes
NXDOMAIN or “domain does not exist”
- Confirm the domain is active in the Cloudflare account and that the zone is not waiting for onboarding.
- At the registrar, verify that both assigned Cloudflare nameservers are entered without spelling errors.
- Check the record name. The apex uses the root marker such as
@; a subdomain requires its label, such aswwworapp. - Look for an accidental deletion of the record required by the hostname. Missing records can produce DNS errors.
The old website still appears
- Check the A and AAAA values against the VPS provider’s current addresses. Providers can change an address after a rebuild or migration.
- Verify that the requested hostname is configured in the VPS web server’s virtual host. A correct DNS answer can still land on a default site when the Host header is not recognized.
- Check whether you are seeing a cached answer from a resolver or browser. Compare a fresh query with the authoritative nameserver and allow for the record’s TTL.
- If the record is proxied, remember that the request first reaches Cloudflare. Confirm the origin address and Cloudflare-to-origin settings rather than testing only the public edge response.
SSL or certificate errors
- For DNS only, install a valid certificate on the VPS for the exact hostname and configure the web server to use it.
- For Proxied, review Cloudflare’s SSL/TLS mode and make sure the origin certificate and protocol satisfy that mode.
- Check that port 443 is open and that the VPS serves the expected certificate instead of a certificate for another virtual host.
Mail stopped working
- Restore the complete MX set and the TXT records used by your mail service, including authentication or verification records that were present before onboarding.
- Keep mail hostnames DNS only unless the mail provider specifically supports proxying. Cloudflare’s web proxy is not a substitute for a mail transport path.
- Check the mail provider’s required priorities, targets, and exact TXT values against your saved pre-change copy.
Changes appear slowly or inconsistently
- Inspect the record TTL and account for recursive-resolver caches.
- Query from another network or resolver to separate local cache behavior from authoritative DNS.
- Do not repeatedly change the record while waiting; each change can create another cached answer and make diagnosis harder.
Useful patterns for real deployments
A single website on the VPS
Create an A record for the apex IPv4 address and an AAAA record if IPv6 is configured. Add a www record that points to the intended site, then configure the web server and certificate for both names. Proxied mode is appropriate for the public web records when the origin and SSL/TLS settings are ready.
Several applications on subdomains
Use separate labels such as app, api, or admin, and map each to the appropriate VPS address or provider hostname. Configure a distinct virtual host or reverse-proxy route for every published hostname. Decide the proxy state per application rather than assuming the apex setting applies to all records.
Mail plus a web site
Point the web hostname to the VPS and preserve the mail provider’s MX and TXT records. Keep mail-related hostnames DNS only. This lets Cloudflare proxy the website without placing mail delivery behind the web proxy.
Quick Recap
Final pre-cutover checklist
- The Cloudflare zone contains the intended A, AAAA, or CNAME records.
- Imported MX, TXT, verification, and service records have been checked against the previous DNS provider.
- Cloudflare’s two assigned nameservers are entered at the registrar.
- DNSSEC was disabled before delegation and will be configured again through Cloudflare only after activation, if required.
- Each web record is deliberately marked Proxied or DNS only.
- The VPS web server recognizes every public hostname.
- Ports 80 and 443 and the relevant firewall rules are open.
- HTTPS responsibility is clear: Cloudflare’s edge for proxied traffic, or the VPS certificate for DNS-only traffic.
- DNS, HTTPS, application responses, and mail have been tested from more than one network where practical.
