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Add and activate your domain

  2 min read

For most customers, adding and activating your domain on Cloudflare is straightforward.

The first step is always the same, to create a Cloudflare account.

Your next steps depend on whether you have a domain name, such as example.com.

​​ No domain

If you do not already have a domain name, purchase one through Cloudflare Registrar.

Registrar simplifies your Cloudflare setup - and is often cheaper than other registrars - so it is our recommended option for most customers.

​​ Existing domain

​​ Transfer to Cloudflare

If you already have a domain, the easiest way to get set up with Cloudflare is to transfer your domain to Cloudflare Registrar. Just like with buying a domain name through Cloudflare, this option simplifies your Cloudflare setup.

​​ Keep current registrar

If you cannot transfer your domain or want to keep your current registrar, your setup has a few more steps:

  1. Add your site.
  2. (Optional) If your domain is sensitive to downtime, you may have a few additional steps.
  3. At your registrar (where you bought your domain name), disable DNSSEC.
    Provider-specific instructions

    This is not an exhaustive list of how to update DS records in other providers, but the following links may be helpful:

  4. (For some) At your origin server, allow Cloudflare IP addresses.
  5. Change your domain nameservers.
  6. Wait for your domain to become Active on Cloudflare.

​​ Troubleshooting

If you have issues activating your domain on Cloudflare, refer to our troubleshooting guides on adding sites to Cloudflare and changing nameservers.