You can put Cloudflare in front of a website hosted with Domain India even if your control panel has no Cloudflare button. You add the domain to a Cloudflare account, copy your DNS records across, and then change the domain's nameservers to the two Cloudflare gives you. This page covers those steps for a domain registered with Domain India and the settings that stop email and SSL from breaking.
This is the short connection guide. For caching rules, security settings and the common mistakes in detail, see Complete Cloudflare setup: DNS, SSL, caching and security.
Add your domain to a free Cloudflare account and check that every DNS record, especially MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC, has been copied. Then, in the Domain India client area, open Domains → My domains, select the domain, open the Nameservers tab, click Edit, enter the two Cloudflare nameservers and click Save. Keep mail records "DNS only" (grey cloud) and set SSL/TLS to Full (strict). After the switch, you edit DNS in Cloudflare, not in your hosting panel.
1. Before you start
Changing nameservers moves all of your DNS to Cloudflare, including the records that deliver your email. Two things decide whether the move is smooth:
- Your records. Everything that exists today in your hosting control panel's DNS zone must exist in Cloudflare before you switch.
- Your certificate. Your website should already load over HTTPS on your hosting. Domain India hosting includes free SSL (AutoSSL on cPanel, Let's Encrypt on DirectAdmin), so this is normally already done.
Write down the domain's current nameservers from the Nameservers tab too, so you can switch back if something goes wrong.
2. Add the domain to Cloudflare
- Create a Cloudflare accountat cloudflare.com and choose to add a domain. Enter the bare domain, such as
yourbusiness.in, withoutwww. - Pick a plan.The Free plan is enough for most small business websites.
- Review the imported records.Cloudflare scans your DNS, but the scan can miss records. Open the DNS zone in your hosting control panel and compare it line by line. Add anything missing, most often
_dmarc, the DKIM record (default._domainkeyon cPanel,x._domainkeyon DirectAdmin) and TXT verification records. - Set the proxy status.Website records (
@,www) can be Proxied (orange cloud). Setmail,webmail, FTP and any control-panel hostnames to DNS only (grey cloud). MX and TXT records are never proxied. - Note the two nameserversCloudflare assigns to your account. Copy them exactly from the Cloudflare dashboard.
Cloudflare's proxy handles web traffic only. If the hostname your MX record points to is orange-clouded, email stops arriving and mail apps can't connect. Keep every mail-related record on DNS only.
3. Change the nameservers at Domain India
These steps are for domains registered with Domain India, and match How do I change my nameservers.
- Sign into the client area.
- Open Domains → My domainsand select the domain.
- Open the Nameservers taband click Edit.
- Replace the current entrieswith the two Cloudflare nameservers, one per field, with no spaces or trailing dot.
- Click Save.The client area confirms "Nameservers updated".
The transfer lock does not block nameserver changes, so you don't need to unlock the domain. If the domain is registered with another company, change the nameservers in that company's panel instead.
4. Wait for Cloudflare to activate
Back in Cloudflare, ask it to check the nameservers. The change usually spreads within a few hours and can take up to 24-48 hours; Cloudflare emails you when the domain is active. During that window some visitors still reach your site through the old DNS, which is fine because both point to the same hosting.
To check from your own computer:
dig NS yourbusiness.in +short # should show the two Cloudflare nameservers
curl -sI https://yourbusiness.in | grep -i cf-ray # a cf-ray header means Cloudflare is in front5. Set SSL/TLS correctly
In Cloudflare, open SSL/TLS and set the encryption mode to Full (strict). Cloudflare then connects to your hosting over HTTPS and checks the certificate there, which your free hosting certificate satisfies.
| Mode | What happens | Use it? |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible | Cloudflare talks to your server over plain HTTP | No. Often causes a "too many redirects" loop |
| Full | HTTPS to your server, certificate not checked | Only as a temporary step |
| Full (strict) | HTTPS to your server with a valid certificate | Yes |
Then turn on Always Use HTTPS and Automatic HTTPS Rewrites under Edge Certificates.
6. After the switch: where to edit DNS
From now on Cloudflare answers for your domain. New records, such as a subdomain, a verification TXT or a changed mail record, must be added in Cloudflare. Edits in your hosting panel's DNS zone no longer have any effect. If you add a subdomain in your control panel, also add an A record for it in Cloudflare with your server's IP address, which is shown on the Point a domain to this hosting card on your hosting service page in the client area.
To stop using Cloudflare, put the original nameservers back in the Nameservers tab. Copy them from that same card, not from an old article.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Cloudflare with Domain India hosting?
Yes. Add the domain to Cloudflare, copy your DNS records, then change the domain's nameservers to the two Cloudflare assigns. Your website and email stay on your Domain India hosting.
Where do I change nameservers for a domain registered with Domain India?
In the client area, open Domains, My domains, select the domain, open the Nameservers tab, click Edit, enter the new nameservers and click Save.
My email stopped working after I enabled Cloudflare. Why?
Usually the mail hostname is proxied (orange cloud) or the MX, SPF or DKIM records were not copied. Set mail records to DNS only and make sure every mail record from your hosting DNS zone exists in Cloudflare.
Why do I get "too many redirects" after enabling Cloudflare?
The SSL/TLS mode is set to Flexible while your site redirects to HTTPS. Set the mode to Full (strict) in Cloudflare.
How long does it take for Cloudflare to become active?
A nameserver change usually spreads within a few hours and can take up to 24-48 hours. Cloudflare emails you when the domain is active.
I changed a DNS record in cPanel and nothing happened. Why?
Once the domain uses Cloudflare's nameservers, Cloudflare answers for its DNS. Make the change in the Cloudflare dashboard instead.
Ready to connect Cloudflare? Open your domains in the client area, or read How to change your domain DNS settings first. If you're unsure which records you need, open a support ticket.
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