How to Use Cloudflare’s Awesome DNS and SSL Certificates (Free HTTPS)

Tired of SSL and DNS Headaches? Here’s Why I Switched to Cloudflare

For years, I followed the same frustrating routine: I’d grab a free SSL certificate from my web host for the first year, only to be hit with a renewal fee twelve months later. When you’re managing a dozen sites at once, those “small” fees quickly turn into a significant expense. Beyond the cost, the sheer inconvenience of manually managing those renewals every year was a major pain point.

A few years ago, I decided to simplify my life by moving my DNS to Cloudflare. It was a total “no-brainer” because they are industry leaders who offer free SSL certificates. Now, whenever I launch a new project, my first step is to point the domain there.

You may have seen Cloudflare in the news during occasional internet outages that take down huge chunks of the web. Don’t let that dissuade you. Much like WordPress, they have a giant reputation because they are giants of the industry—and the industry leaders are often the best choice. Aside from the free SSL, they make my sites more efficient by caching content and providing protection against bots and attacks. Plus, it hides my hosting IP address, which adds a nice layer of privacy and security.

If you want to try it, the basic setup only takes a few minutes:

Update Nameservers: Change the nameservers at your domain registrar (like Namecheap or GoDaddy) to the two provided by Cloudflare.
Add an A Record: In the Cloudflare DNS section, add an “A Record” pointing to your site’s hosting IP address.
Add a CNAME Record: Create a “C Name” record for “www” so your site displays correctly either way.
Save and Wait: Save your records and wait for “propagation,” which is the time it takes for the changes to update globally.

Pro Tip: If you use custom email, make sure to copy your MX and TXT records (like SPF and DKIM) to Cloudflare before you switch your nameservers so your inbox keeps working.

The Bonus: If you really want to save, Cloudflare even offers the world’s cheapest domain name registration. Once you switch, it’s truly “set it and forget it”—one less bill to pay and one less chore on my yearly to-do list.

Summary of Benefits

Cost Savings: Permanent free SSL and the world’s cheapest domain registration.
Enhanced Security: Protection from bots and hidden hosting IP addresses.
Improved Performance: Faster site speeds through content caching.
Efficiency: A simple “set it and forget it” setup that removes the need for annual renewals.

If all of this seems a bit abstract you might think of it this way. Your website sits on a server that has an ip address like 100.99.98.97. The domain name system (DNS) translates the call for your site’s domain name to the ip address of the server. This happens in fractions of a second and is invisible to the user.

The good folks at Cloudflare have a service that helps glue all this together and provides other benefits like security and free https. You might check out the following for additional explanation.

Video and blog post explaining how Cloudflare works:
https://developers.cloudflare.com/fundamentals/concepts/how-cloudflare-works/

Wrapping Up

I am not in the habit of promoting mega corporations but I have never been letdown by Cloudflare. I find from a small business and DIY perspective it makes sense to switch your domain and DNS services to Cloudflare. It not only saves money but gives me a sense of control over my website management I didn’t have when I relied only on my hosts.

Speaking of hosts, I use Namecheap and Cloudways for various sites. If you ever want advice on web hosting or platforms like WordPress just drop me a line.

Contact me anytime!

Mike Simpson

Affiliate link – Cloudways hosting:
https://vrlps.co/6e09s27/cp