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What changes when you point the domain to Cloudflare?
In Cloudflare’s standard full setup, Cloudflare becomes the domain’s authoritative DNS provider: its DNS zone supplies the records resolvers use to find your website and related services. The domain registrar remains responsible for the domain registration and the setting that identifies its authoritative nameservers. SiteGround remains your web host and provides the destination information your website records need.
These roles can belong to different companies. If the domain is registered at SiteGround, change its nameservers in SiteGround’s domain settings. If it is registered elsewhere, use that registrar’s dashboard. SiteGround’s DNS Zone Editor is for managing records on domains using SiteGround nameservers; it is not where you switch a primary domain’s nameservers to Cloudflare.
This guide covers the full setup, in which Cloudflare is authoritative. If you intend to leave DNS authority with another provider and change only selected records, do not follow the nameserver-switch steps below: the DNS records would remain managed at the existing provider.
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Before switching, collect the records and SiteGround destination
Inventory the existing DNS zone
Write down or export the current records before editing anything. Include the root domain (often displayed as @), www, every active subdomain, mail records, and TXT records used for email authentication or service verification. Include records for services such as a shop, app, or external email provider if the domain uses them.
Cloudflare can scan for existing DNS records when you add a site, but Cloudflare warns the scan may not find everything. Compare the imported zone with the current DNS configuration and the instructions from each service provider. Cloudflare’s [full-setup instructions](https://developers.cloudflare.com/dns/zone-setups/full-setup/setup/) explain its record review process.
Find the correct SiteGround connection details
Use the values for your own website rather than copying an IP address from an example. In SiteGround, open Client Area > Websites, select Website Settings, then open Server Details. SiteGround also points to Site Tools > Site Information. The panel provides the website IP and nameservers; use the connection value relevant to the record you are configuring and follow SiteGround’s current host-specific instructions. These details are account-specific. See [SiteGround’s guide to finding website IP and nameservers](https://www.siteground.com/kb/find-websites-ip-information/).
Add and review DNS records in Cloudflare
Add the site to Cloudflare and review the DNS records it detects before activating the zone. Make sure the root domain and www point to the right destination for your SiteGround site, and include any active subdomains. Do not assume that configuring the root domain automatically covers www or other hostnames.
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Keep mail records and service-verification records accurate, too. Cloudflare’s examples show mail records as DNS-only, and exact MX and related TXT values depend on the email provider. A website may appear to work even when an omitted or incorrect mail record has already disrupted email. Check the mail provider’s required values rather than guessing them.
Choose proxy status for each record
Cloudflare’s orange-cloud proxied setting sends eligible web traffic through Cloudflare’s network. Gray-cloud DNS-only records return the configured DNS value without proxying the traffic. Set the status based on what each record serves; do not apply one setting to every row.
- Website traffic: Use the proxy setting appropriate for web records that should pass through Cloudflare.
- Email: Do not proxy mail records. Keep the required mail records DNS-only.
- Third-party domain verification: Cloudflare specifically says CNAME records used to verify a domain for a third-party service should be DNS-only.
- Other services: Confirm the service’s requirements before choosing a mode. Proxying changes how traffic reaches the destination, not just how the record is displayed.
Cloudflare’s [record review and proxy-status guidance](https://developers.cloudflare.com/dns/zone-setups/full-setup/setup/) describes these settings and the risks of activating a zone with incorrect records.
Switch nameservers at the domain registrar
- Check DNSSEC first. If DNSSEC is enabled at the registrar, turn it off before changing nameservers. Cloudflare warns that switching nameservers while DNSSEC remains active can make the domain unreachable. After Cloudflare activates the domain, DNSSEC can be enabled through Cloudflare.
- Get the two nameservers Cloudflare assigned to this zone. Find them in the Cloudflare onboarding flow or the zone overview. Use those exact values; they are assigned for your domain.
- Open the registrar’s nameserver controls. For a domain registered at SiteGround, SiteGround’s tutorial gives the path Client Area > Services > Domains > Settings > Manage Nameservers. For a domain registered elsewhere, open that registrar’s domain settings instead.
- Replace the current nameservers. Enter Cloudflare’s two assigned nameservers and save the change. Do not enter SiteGround’s
ns1.siteground.netandns2.siteground.netin place of Cloudflare’s assigned values; those are SiteGround nameservers, not the nameservers Cloudflare assigned to your zone. - Wait for Cloudflare to activate the domain. Check the zone status in Cloudflare and keep the previous hosting setup available during the transition.
SiteGround’s [nameserver tutorial](https://www.siteground.com/tutorials/getting-started/manage-domains-name-servers) covers the SiteGround-registered domain path and explains that externally registered domains are managed at their registrar. For the distinction between nameserver management and DNS record management, see [SiteGround’s DNS record guide](https://www.siteground.com/kb/manage-dns-records).
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Changing DNS still requires the registrar and Cloudflare steps above. If you also need a rendered screenshot to check how a page looks after the site resolves, you can request one with a single GET. This does not change DNS or replace a DNS lookup. The ScreenshotNeo screenshot API accepts a URL and returns an image or PDF; see the API documentation for options.
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Verify the website, subdomains, and email
Once Cloudflare shows the domain as active, test the root domain, www, and any important subdomains. Check the website from more than one network or resolver if results appear inconsistent, and confirm that expected pages load rather than only checking that the homepage responds. Test sending and receiving email as well if the domain handles mail.
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Troubleshoot common problems
The site shows DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
Cloudflare warns that visitors may see this error if a domain is activated without the correct DNS records. Recheck the root-domain record, www, and any hostname the visitor is using against the destination information for your SiteGround website. Also confirm that the registrar now lists the exact two nameservers Cloudflare assigned to the zone. Do not guess a replacement IP.
The site works, but email does not
Review the email provider’s MX records and any associated TXT records in the Cloudflare zone. Confirm that they were not missed during the DNS scan, mistyped, or set to proxy. Mail records should not be proxied. The correct values depend on your email provider, so retrieve them from that provider’s configuration instructions.
A third-party service stops verifying the domain
Check that its verification record is present with the exact value supplied by the service. For a CNAME used to verify a domain, Cloudflare specifically recommends DNS-only rather than proxied status. If the service uses a different record type, follow its instructions for that record.
The domain becomes unreachable immediately after changing nameservers
If DNSSEC was active, verify that it was disabled at the registrar before the switch. Then confirm that the registrar saved Cloudflare’s assigned nameservers, rather than SiteGround’s nameservers or values for a different zone. Check Cloudflare’s zone status and the DNS records it will serve.
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Some networks show the old site while others show the new one
That can happen while nameserver changes propagate. Compare results for the same hostname, allow time for the transition, and keep the previous hosting setup available during SiteGround’s stated propagation window. If the disagreement continues, recheck the registrar’s nameserver setting and both DNS zones for outdated or missing records.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Changing DNS records in SiteGround’s DNS Zone Editor after Cloudflare has become authoritative. For the full setup described here, Cloudflare’s DNS zone is where the active records must be maintained.
- Assuming Cloudflare’s automatic scan found every record, especially records for email, verification, and less frequently used subdomains.
- Using a generic SiteGround IP instead of the website’s account-specific connection details.
- Replacing nameservers with SiteGround’s values instead of the two assigned by Cloudflare.
- Leaving DNSSEC enabled at the registrar during the nameserver switch.
- Proxying mail or a third-party verification CNAME without checking the service’s requirements.
- Removing the previous hosting arrangement before the transition has had time to complete.
Sources and scope
This procedure follows Cloudflare’s full-setup documentation, last updated July 29, 2026, and SiteGround’s current help material available on September 29, 2026. SiteGround’s DNS record guide was last updated September 3, 2026; its nameserver tutorial was last updated August 21, 2026; and its website IP guide was last updated June 24, 2025. The propagation estimate above comes from SiteGround’s guide dated March 13, 2025. Dashboard labels can change, so if a menu differs, use the provider’s current help page for the same task.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to transfer my domain registration from SiteGround to Cloudflare?
No. Pointing DNS to Cloudflare changes which nameservers are authoritative; it does not by itself transfer the domain registration.
Can I use Cloudflare with a website hosted at SiteGround?
Yes. The hosting provider and authoritative DNS provider can be different companies; configure the DNS destination using the connection details for your SiteGround website.
Does pointing nameservers to Cloudflare move my website files or email?
No. A nameserver change changes where DNS is managed. It does not migrate website files or mailboxes.
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