Free Guide to Removing Cloudflare From Your Website

Understanding Cloudflare and Why You Might Want to Remove It

Cloudflare is a content delivery network (CDN) and web security service that sits between your website visitors and your web server. When someone visits your website, their request goes to Cloudflare first, which then forwards it to your actual server. This middleman position gives Cloudflare the ability to cache content, filter traffic, and protect against attacks. Many website owners use Cloudflare because it offers a free tier with basic features, making it accessible to small businesses and individuals.

However, some website owners decide that Cloudflare is no longer the right choice for their situation. There are several legitimate reasons why someone might want to remove Cloudflare. Some users find that Cloudflare's security settings interfere with legitimate visitors accessing their site. Others experience slower performance than expected, or they prefer to work directly with their hosting provider's built-in security tools. Some website owners want to use a different CDN service that better matches their specific needs. Additionally, website owners managing multiple properties might consolidate their security tools under a single provider.

The process of removing Cloudflare involves several technical steps that need to happen in the correct order. If you don't follow the proper sequence, you could experience downtime or lose access to your website temporarily. This is why understanding what happens during the removal process matters. The main concern is that Cloudflare handles your domain's DNS records—the technical settings that tell the internet where to find your website. When you remove Cloudflare, you need to move those DNS records elsewhere before disconnecting from Cloudflare's service.

Practical takeaway: Before starting the removal process, write down your current Cloudflare DNS settings or take screenshots. Document which DNS records Cloudflare is managing, including A records, CNAME records, and MX records if you're using Cloudflare for email routing. This documentation prevents confusion during the transition.

Step One: Back Up Your Current DNS Settings

The first action you should take is creating a complete record of all your DNS settings currently managed through Cloudflare. DNS records are the instructions that direct internet traffic to your website and email services. When you remove Cloudflare, these records must move to your new DNS provider—typically your domain registrar or web hosting company. If you don't have this information saved separately, you could lose it when you disconnect from Cloudflare.

To back up your DNS settings, log into your Cloudflare account and navigate to the DNS section for your domain. Cloudflare displays all active DNS records on this page. Look for several types of records: A records (which point your domain to an IP address), CNAME records (which create domain aliases), MX records (which route emails), TXT records (which include SPF and DKIM records for email security), and NS records (which designate authoritative nameservers). Write down or screenshot each record, including the record type, name, value, TTL (time to live), and whether it's proxied through Cloudflare or DNS only.

Pay special attention to any records marked as "proxied" versus "DNS only." Proxied records are actively routed through Cloudflare's servers, while DNS-only records are stored in Cloudflare but don't pass through its network. When you move to a different DNS provider, proxied A records might need adjustment because the IP address listed might be different once you're no longer using Cloudflare. Your actual web server's IP address is what you'll need for your new DNS provider.

Email-related records deserve particular attention. If you're using Cloudflare for email routing or if you have MX records pointing to an email service, document these carefully. SPF records, DKIM records, and DMARC records all affect how email services handle messages from your domain. Missing or incorrectly transferred email records can result in emails being rejected or marked as spam after you remove Cloudflare.

Practical takeaway: Create a simple spreadsheet with columns for Record Type, Name, Value, TTL, and Proxied Status. Fill this in completely before making any changes. This backup takes 10-15 minutes and prevents hours of troubleshooting if something goes wrong during the transition.

Step Two: Identify Your Authoritative DNS Provider

Before you can remove Cloudflare, you need to know where your DNS records will live after the transition. Most domain registrars—the company where you purchased your domain name—offer free DNS hosting as part of their service. Companies like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Domain.com, and Google Domains all provide this. Alternatively, your web hosting company might host your DNS. Some website owners prefer to use a standalone DNS provider like Route 53, Dnsimple, or Cloudflare's competitors like Akamai or AWS Route 53.

To identify where your DNS should move, first determine who your domain registrar is. You can find this by checking your domain purchase receipts, looking at your billing statements, or using a WHOIS lookup tool. Your registrar almost always offers DNS hosting, even if you're currently using Cloudflare. If you have web hosting with a company like Bluehost, SiteGround, or WP Engine, they likely offer DNS hosting as well. Check your hosting provider's documentation to see if DNS hosting is included with your plan.

Your new DNS provider needs to have the ability to import or manually enter all the DNS records you documented from Cloudflare. Some providers offer an import feature that can read your Cloudflare records directly, which simplifies the process. Before choosing a new DNS provider, verify that it supports all the record types you need, particularly if you use specialized records like ALIAS records for apex domain routing or SRV records for other services.

Consider whether you need any special features in your DNS provider. If you use email services, you'll want clear support for email-related records. If you run a large website with complex routing needs, you might need advanced features like geolocation routing or weighted routing. For most small websites, your domain registrar's included DNS hosting works perfectly and costs nothing additional.

Practical takeaway: Contact your current DNS provider choice (usually your registrar or hosting company) and confirm they can host your DNS. Ask them if they provide an import tool or if you'll need to manually enter records. Get their DNS nameserver addresses, which typically look like "ns1.example.com" and "ns2.example.com"—you'll need these in the next step.

Step Three: Update Your Nameservers at Your Registrar

The critical step in removing Cloudflare is changing your nameservers. Nameservers are the master DNS servers that direct all DNS queries for your domain. Currently, your domain registrar is pointing to Cloudflare's nameservers. When you change this, you're telling the internet to look up your domain's DNS records at a different location instead. This is the most important change in the removal process, and it's where most problems occur if not done correctly.

To change your nameservers, you need to log into your domain registrar's account and find the nameserver settings. This is usually under domain settings, DNS settings, or account settings, depending on your registrar. Different registrars have different interfaces, but the principle is the same: you're replacing Cloudflare's nameservers with your new provider's nameservers. Cloudflare's current nameservers typically have names like "ns1.cloudflare.com" and "ns2.cloudflare.com" or sometimes assigned names like "brianna.ns.cloudflare.com." Your new DNS provider will give you different nameserver addresses to enter.

Before making this change, verify the new nameserver addresses one more time with your DNS provider. Entering incorrect nameserver addresses is a common mistake that takes your website offline. Most registrars require at least two nameservers, though some allow up to five. Enter all the nameservers your new provider specifies. After you update the nameservers, the change propagates across the internet's DNS system. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, though most changes happen within 2-6 hours. During this propagation time, different parts of the internet might still be pointing to your old nameservers.

After updating your nameservers, don't immediately disconnect from Cloudflare. Wait for the propagation to complete, which you can verify using free online tools like "DNS Checker" or "What's My DNS."