Cloudflare is a free CDN (Content Delivery Network) and DNS provider that makes your website faster and more secure. Many Hordanso customers use Cloudflare in front of their hosting.
What Cloudflare Adds
- Free CDN — serves your static files (images, CSS, JS) from servers close to your visitors globally
- DDoS protection — blocks malicious traffic before it reaches your server
- Free SSL — Cloudflare provides an SSL certificate for your domain
- Firewall rules — block bots, scrapers, and suspicious requests
- Analytics — see visitor data and threat statistics
Step 1: Set Up Cloudflare
- Go to cloudflare.com and create a free account.
- Click Add a Site and enter your domain name.
- Select the Free plan and click Continue.
- Cloudflare will scan your existing DNS records. Review them and make sure the important ones are present (A record for @, A or CNAME for www, MX records for email).
- Cloudflare will give you two nameservers (e.g., ava.ns.cloudflare.com and bob.ns.cloudflare.com).
Step 2: Update Nameservers at Your Registrar
- Log in to wherever you registered your domain (Hordanso client portal if registered with us).
- Find the nameserver settings for your domain.
- Replace the current nameservers with the two Cloudflare nameservers.
- Save and wait up to 24 hours for propagation.
Step 3: Configure Key DNS Records in Cloudflare
Once Cloudflare is active, manage all DNS from the Cloudflare dashboard — not cPanel. Add:
- A record: Name = @ | Value = your Hordanso server IP | Proxied (orange cloud ON)
- A record: Name = www | Value = your server IP | Proxied ON
- MX records: set to mail.yourdomain.com | DNS only (grey cloud) — email must NOT be proxied
Important: Never proxy your MX or mail records through Cloudflare (they must stay DNS-only / grey cloud). Proxying email records breaks email delivery.
Step 4: Configure SSL in Cloudflare
- In Cloudflare, go to SSL/TLS > Overview.
- Set the SSL mode to Full (Strict) — this requires a valid SSL certificate on your Hordanso server (installed via AutoSSL in cPanel).
- Enable Always Use HTTPS under Edge Certificates.
Tip: After adding Cloudflare, clear your browser cache and test your site. If you see an SSL error, check that your Cloudflare SSL mode matches your server's SSL status.
