Step-by-step instructions for connecting your Cloudflare-managed domain to WedSites.

If your domain's DNS is managed by Cloudflare, follow these steps to add the DNS records needed to connect it to your WedSites wedding website.

Make sure you've added your domain to WedSites first. Go to Settings > General and enter your custom domain, then save. Then come back here to set up your DNS records.

You'll need access to your Cloudflare account. Make sure you can log in and that you have permission to manage DNS for your domain.

Note about Cloudflare: Cloudflare is a DNS provider and CDN service, not a domain registrar. Your domain may be registered elsewhere (like Namecheap or GoDaddy) but use Cloudflare for DNS management.

You'll be adding these two records to your Cloudflare DNS:

Important: You only need the A record if you're using an apex domain (like yourwedding.com). You only need the CNAME if you're using a subdomain (like www.yourwedding.com). We recommend adding both so both versions of your domain work.

Critical: Disable Cloudflare proxy (orange cloud). You must set both records to "DNS only" (gray cloud icon). If you leave the proxy enabled (orange cloud), your domain won't connect to WedSites.

Go to cloudflare.com and sign in to your account.

This will take you to the domain overview page.

Look through your DNS records for any existing A records with @ or your root domain name in the Name column.

If you see existing A records for @:
- You need to delete any A records that don't point to 37.16.10.26
- Having multiple A records causes your domain to only work sometimes
- Click Edit on each conflicting record, then click Delete

Common conflicting records to look for:
- Cloudflare parking page A records
- Old website hosting A records
- Multiple A records with different IP addresses

Important: Make sure the cloud icon is gray (DNS only), not orange (Proxied). The orange cloud will prevent your domain from connecting to WedSites.

Using a custom subdomain? If you're using something like wedding.yourwedding.com instead of www, replace "www" with "wedding" in the Name field.

Important: Again, make sure the cloud icon is gray, not orange.

After saving both records, look at your DNS records list and confirm:
- Both the A record and CNAME record show a gray cloud icon
- If you see orange clouds, click on each record and toggle the proxy status to "DNS only"

Wait for DNS propagation. Cloudflare's DNS changes usually take effect very quickly (often within 5-10 minutes), but it can take up to 24 hours in some cases.

SSL certificate is automatic. Once your domain connects, we'll automatically add an SSL certificate so your site works with https. This happens within a few hours of your domain connecting.

Test your domain. After waiting, try visiting your domain in a browser. You should see your wedding website!

Domain not working?
- Most common issue: Proxy is enabled (orange cloud). Go back and make sure both records show gray clouds.
- Double-check that you entered the DNS records exactly as shown above
- Make sure you deleted any conflicting A records for @
- Verify you entered your domain in WedSites under Settings > General

Getting "Error 1014: CNAME Cross-User Banned"?
- This happens when the proxy (orange cloud) is enabled
- Edit your records and toggle to "DNS only" (gray cloud)

SSL certificate issues?
- If you're using Cloudflare's SSL, it might conflict with WedSites SSL
- With proxy disabled (gray cloud), this shouldn't be an issue
- Make sure SSL/TLS mode is not set to "Flexible" in Cloudflare

Still showing old website?
- Clear Cloudflare's cache: Go to Caching > Configuration > Purge Everything
- Wait a few minutes and try again
- Clear your browser cache or test in incognito mode

Need to verify DNS setup?
- In Cloudflare, you can see DNS records immediately after saving
- For external verification, use dnschecker.org
- Enter your domain and select "A" record type
- You should see 37.16.10.26 in the results

Proxy status (orange vs gray cloud):
- Orange cloud = Cloudflare's proxy and CDN features are active
- Gray cloud = DNS only (what you need for WedSites)
- You can't use Cloudflare's proxy with third-party hosting like WedSites

CNAME flattening:
- Cloudflare supports CNAME flattening, but for WedSites we still recommend using an A record for your apex domain
- The A + CNAME combination ensures maximum compatibility

Page Rules:
- If you have Cloudflare Page Rules set up for your domain, they won't apply when proxy is disabled
- Make sure you don't have redirect rules that might interfere

Cloudflare SSL:
- When proxy is disabled, Cloudflare's SSL certificate isn't used
- WedSites provides SSL automatically, so you don't need to configure anything

If you're stuck or something isn't working, reach out to our support team and we'll help you get your domain connected!