Does transferring DNS to Cloudflare also transfer the domain?
No. The domain stays registered with the same registrar. You only change the authoritative nameservers so you manage DNS records in Cloudflare.
How to move your domain DNS management to Cloudflare
See how to transfer your domain DNS to Cloudflare without interrupting the site or email: records, nameservers, DNSSEC and propagation.
Does transferring DNS to Cloudflare also transfer the domain?
No. The domain stays registered with the same registrar. You only change the authoritative nameservers so you manage DNS records in Cloudflare.
Does the site go down during the nameserver change?
Usually not, as long as every DNS record was copied correctly before the change. Missing A, CNAME, MX and TXT records can interrupt the site, email or validations.
How long does nameserver propagation take?
Cloudflare recommends waiting up to 24 hours, although many registrars update in a few minutes. During that period, resolvers may query the old provider or Cloudflare.
Do I need to disable DNSSEC before the migration?
Yes, if it is active at the current registrar. Changing nameservers while keeping an old DS record can make the domain unreachable. Re-enable DNSSEC in Cloudflare after the zone is Active.
Which records should stay with proxy off?
Email records such as MX and hosts used by SMTP, IMAP or POP should stay as DNS only. The orange cloud is mainly for HTTP/HTTPS web traffic on A, AAAA and CNAME records.
How do I know the domain is already Active in Cloudflare?
In the panel, the domain changes from Pending Nameserver Update to Active. You can also query the domain NS records with tools such as dig or nslookup.
Frequently asked questions: How to move your domain DNS management to Cloudflare
Does the site go down during the nameserver change?
Usually not, as long as every DNS record was copied correctly before the change. Missing A, CNAME, MX and TXT records can interrupt the site, email or validations.
How long does nameserver propagation take?
Cloudflare recommends waiting up to 24 hours, although many registrars update in a few minutes. During that period, resolvers may query the old provider or Cloudflare.
Do I need to disable DNSSEC before the migration?
Yes, if it is active at the current registrar. Changing nameservers while keeping an old DS record can make the domain unreachable. Re-enable DNSSEC in Cloudflare after the zone is Active.
Which records should stay with proxy off?
Email records such as MX and hosts used by SMTP, IMAP or POP should stay as DNS only. The orange cloud is mainly for HTTP/HTTPS web traffic on A, AAAA and CNAME records.
How do I know the domain is already Active in Cloudflare?
In the panel, the domain changes from Pending Nameserver Update to Active. You can also query the domain NS records with tools such as dig or nslookup.