Why You Should Use Cloudflare as Your Domain Name Provider

Published: 16 Dec, 2023

A domainname is one of the most important aspects of your website. It is the address that people use to find and access your site online. A domain name can also affect your site’s security, performance, and reputation.

That’s why choosing a reliable and trustworthy domain name provider is crucial for your online success. And one of the best options available today is Cloudflare.

Cloudflare is a company that offers a range of products and services to help you optimize and protect your website, including domain name services. In this article, we will explain what Cloudflare Registrar is, how it protects your domain names, how it improves your domain name performance, and how it integrates with other services that you may use for your website.

By the end of this article, you will understand the value proposition of using Cloudflare as your domain name provider and how to get started with it. Let’s dive in!

What is Cloudflare Registrar?

Cloudflaredomain registration is a service that allows you to register or transferyour domains to Cloudflare and manage it from there. Unlike other domain name registrars, Cloudflare Registrar does not charge any markup or hidden fees for your domain name. You only pay the wholesale price that the registry charges, which is usually much lower than what other registrars charge.

Register a domain name with Cloudflare also offers some unique features and advantages that make it stand out from the crowd, such as:

• One-click DNSSEC activation: DNSSEC is a security protocol that prevents hackers from hijacking your domain name and redirecting your traffic to malicious sites. Cloudflare Registrar makes it easy to enable DNSSEC for your domain name with just one click, without any technical hassle.
• Redacted WHOIS information: WHOIS is a public database that contains information about the owner of a domain name, such as name, email, phone number, and address. This information can be used by spammers, scammers, or hackers to target you or your site. Cloudflare Registrar automatically redacts your personal information from the WHOIS database, protecting your privacy and security.
• Customizable domain name services for enterprise users: If you are an enterprise user, you can customize your domain name services according to your needs and preferences. For example, you can set up custom nameservers, use your own SSL certificates, or configure advanced DNS settings.

To register or transfer a domain name to Cloudflare Registrar, you need to have an active Cloudflare account and add your site to Cloudflare. Then, you can follow the steps in this [detailed guide] to complete the process.

How Cloudflare Protects Your Domain Name

One of the main benefits of using Cloudflare as your domain name provider is that it acts as a proxy between your domain name and the rest of the world. This means that Cloudflare handles all the requests and responses that go through your domain name, filtering out any malicious or unwanted traffic.

By doing so, Cloudflare protectsyour domain name from various threats and challenges that you may face as a domain name owner, such as:

• DDoS attacks: A DDoS attack is a cyberattack that floods your site with a large amount of fake traffic, overwhelming your server and making your site unavailable. Cloudflare has a global network of over 200 data centers that can absorb and mitigate any DDoS attack, keeping your site online and secure.
• DNS hijacking: DNS hijacking is a type of attack that exploits the vulnerabilities in the DNS system and redirects your domain name to a different site, usually for phishing or malware purposes. Cloudflare uses DNSSEC to prevent DNS hijacking, ensuring that your domain name always points to the right site.
• Domain expiration: Domain expiration is a situation where you forget to renew your domain name before it expires, resulting in losing your domain name and your site going offline. Cloudflare automatically renews your domain name for you, so you don’t have to worry about missing the deadline.
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How Cloudflare Improves Your Domain Name Performance

Another benefit of using Cloudflare as your domain name provider is that it optimizes your domain name resolution and delivery, enhancing your site’s speed and performance. Cloudflare does this by using its DNS, which is one of the fastest and most reliable DNSservices in the world.

DNS, or Domain Name System, is the system that translates your domain name into an IP address, which is the actual location of your site on the internet. The faster and more accurate the DNS service is, the faster and smoother your site will load and function.

Cloudflare’s DNS offers several benefits that make it superior to other DNS services, such as:

• Fast and reliable DNS queries: Cloudflare’s DNS has an average query speed of 11 ms, which is much faster than the industry average of 68 ms. This means that your site will load faster and have less latency. Cloudflare’s DNS also has a 100% uptime guarantee, which means that your site will always be reachable and accessible.
• Anycast routing: Cloudflare’s DNS uses anycast routing, which is a technique that routes your domain name queries to the nearest and best data center, instead of the default one. This reduces the distance and hops that your queries have to travel, improving your site’s performance and resilience.
• DNS caching and prefetching: Cloudflare’s DNS caches your domain name records on its network, which means that it can serve your queries from its cache, instead of querying the authoritative server every time. This reduces the load on your server and speeds up your site. Cloudflare’s DNS also prefetches your domain name records before they expire, ensuring that they are always fresh and up-to-date.
• DNS over HTTPS and TLS: Cloudflare’s DNS supports DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT), which are protocols that encrypt your DNS queries, preventing anyone from snooping or tampering with them. This enhances your site’s security and privacy, as well as your users’.

To configure and monitor your domain name settings on Cloudflare, you can use the Cloudflare dashboard, which is a user-friendly and intuitive interface that gives you full control and visibility over your domain name. You can also use the Cloudflare API, which is a programmatic way to access and manage your domain name.

To access the Cloudflare dashboard, you need to log in to your account using your email and password, or another sign-in option such as Single Sign-On (SSO) or Apple ID. Once you are logged in, you can manage your domains, settings, and applications from the dashboard. If you want Cloudflare dashboard open external link, such as a documentation page or a support article, you can click on the link and it will open in a new tab or window. This way, you can easily switch back to the dashboard without losing your progress.

How Cloudflare Domain Name Integrates with Other Services

Cloudflare is not only a domain name provider, but also a platform that offers a variety of products and services to help you optimize and protect your website. Some of these products and services are:

• Web hosting providers: Cloudflare works with any web hosting provider that you may use for your site, such as WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, or Wix. Cloudflare acts as a layer on top of your web hosting provider, enhancing your site’s security and performance, without affecting your hosting features or functionality.
• Content management systems: Cloudflare works with any content management system that you may use for your site, such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or Magento. Cloudflare integrates with your content management system, allowing you to manage your site’s content and settings, while Cloudflare handles your site’s optimization and protection.
• E-commerce platforms: Cloudflare works with any e-commerce platform that you may use for your site, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Magento. Cloudflare boosts your site’s e-commerce performance, security, and conversion, by using features such as CDN, SSL, firewall, caching, and analytics.
• Email services: Cloudflare works with any email service that you may use for your site, such as Gmail, Outlook, or Zoho. Cloudflare protects your email delivery and reputation, by using features such as SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and BIMI.

The advantages of using Cloudflare Domain Name with these services are:

• Seamless compatibility: Cloudflare is compatible with any service or platform that you may use for your site, without requiring any code changes or complex configurations. You can simply add your site to Cloudflare and enjoy the benefits of its products and services, without affecting your existing setup or workflow.
• Enhanced security and performance: Cloudflare enhances your site’s security and performance, by using its global network, DNS, CDN, SSL, firewall, and other features. You can customize your site’s security and performance settings on Cloudflare, according to your needs and preferences.
• Easy setup and management: Cloudflare makes it easy to set up and manage your site’s optimization and protection, by using its dashboard, API, or plugins. You can also use Cloudflare’s Learning Center to learn more about Cloudflare and its products and services, or use Cloudflare’s Blog to stay updated on the latest news, updates, and insights from Cloudflare and its community.

To connect and use Cloudflare with these services, you can follow the instructions in this comprehensive resource that covers various scenarios and use cases.

Conclusion

Cloudflare is a domain name provider that offers more than just domain name services. It is a platform that helps you optimize and protect your website, by using its products and services that integrate with any service or platform that you may use for your site.