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At TrophyHost, we want you to have more control over how your domain works. While you can update your domain nameservers through your TrophyHost client area, managing individual DNS records—such as A, CNAME, MX, TXT, and SRV records—requires access to a DNS management service.

Cloudflare is a popular service that allows you to manage your domain's DNS records, improve website performance, enable security features, and protect your website from certain online threats.

This guide explains how to connect your domain to Cloudflare and manage its DNS records.

What Is the Difference Between Nameservers and DNS Records?

Nameservers tell the internet which DNS provider is responsible for managing your domain's DNS records.

DNS records determine where different services associated with your domain should point.

For example:

• A record: Points your domain to an IPv4 address, usually your web server.

• AAAA record: Points your domain to an IPv6 address.

• CNAME record: Points a hostname to another hostname.

• MX record: Specifies the mail servers responsible for receiving your emails.

• TXT record: Used for domain verification, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and other purposes.

• SRV record: Specifies the location and port of certain services.

Your TrophyHost client area allows you to update your domain's nameservers. To manage individual DNS records through Cloudflare, you must first connect your domain to Cloudflare and change its nameservers to those assigned by Cloudflare.

Requirements

Before you begin, make sure you have:

1. An active domain name registered with TrophyHost or another domain registrar.

2. Access to your TrophyHost client area.

3. A Cloudflare account.

4. The correct DNS records for your website, email, and other services.

Step 1: Create a Cloudflare Account

1. Visit https://dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up.

2. Create your Cloudflare account or sign in if you already have one.

3. Follow the instructions to verify your email address, if required.

Cloudflare offers a free plan that is sufficient for basic DNS management for many websites.

Step 2: Add Your Domain to Cloudflare

1. Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard.

2. Select the option to add or connect a domain.

3. Enter your domain name, for example, yourdomain.com, without https:// or a page path.

4. Select the available plan that meets your needs.

5. Allow Cloudflare to scan your existing DNS records, if this option is available.

6. Review the imported records carefully before proceeding.

Important: Do not assume that Cloudflare has imported every DNS record correctly. Check your existing DNS configuration and manually add any missing records, especially email-related records.

Step 3: Review and Configure Your DNS Records

In the Cloudflare dashboard:

1. Select your domain.

2. Open DNS and then Records.

3. Review the records that Cloudflare discovered.

4. Add, edit, or remove records as required.

For a typical website hosted with TrophyHost, your DNS configuration may include:

These are examples only. Use the actual DNS values provided for your hosting account and email service. Your domain may require additional records, and not every domain uses the same configuration.

If your website is hosted with TrophyHost, obtain the correct server IP address and any required DNS values from your hosting welcome email or hosting control panel, or contact TrophyHost Support.

Understanding Cloudflare's Proxy Setting

Cloudflare may display an orange cloud or a grey cloud beside supported DNS records.

• Proxied (orange cloud): Web traffic passes through Cloudflare, allowing eligible services such as its CDN and web security features to operate.

• DNS only (grey cloud): Cloudflare provides DNS resolution, but traffic goes directly to the destination server.

For most standard website A and CNAME records, you may enable the proxy if your website and hosting configuration support it.

For mail-related records, including MX records and hostnames used for email delivery, use DNS-only configurations where applicable. Do not proxy mail services or other services that require direct connections unless Cloudflare explicitly supports that configuration.

Step 4: Change Your Domain Nameservers in TrophyHost

After reviewing your DNS records, Cloudflare will provide two authoritative nameservers for your domain.

You must replace the existing nameservers with the exact pair assigned by Cloudflare.

To do this through TrophyHost:

1. Visit the TrophyHost website and open your Client Area.

2. Sign in using your account credentials.

3. Navigate to Domains and select the domain you want to configure.

4. Open the domain management page.

5. Locate the Nameservers section.

6. Select the option to use custom nameservers, if necessary.

7. Replace the existing nameservers with the two nameservers displayed in your Cloudflare dashboard.

8. Save your changes.

For example, Cloudflare may assign nameservers in a format similar to:

• alice.ns.cloudflare.com

• bob.ns.cloudflare.com

These are illustrative examples, not actual nameservers to use. Always enter the exact nameservers assigned to your domain by Cloudflare.

Important: Do not enter Cloudflare nameservers unless you have already added the domain to Cloudflare and reviewed its DNS records.

Step 5: Wait for Cloudflare Activation

After updating your nameservers, return to your Cloudflare dashboard.

Cloudflare will check whether the nameserver change has taken effect. Follow any remaining activation instructions displayed there.

Nameserver changes can take up to 24–48 hours to propagate fully, although activation often happens much sooner. The actual time depends on registrar processing and DNS caching.

Once Cloudflare confirms that your domain is active, you can manage its DNS records through the Cloudflare dashboard.

Step 6: Manage Your DNS Records in Cloudflare

After activation, you generally no longer manage individual DNS records through your hosting provider's DNS editor. Instead, Cloudflare becomes the authoritative DNS provider for your domain.

To manage your records:

1. Sign in to https://dash.cloudflare.com.

2. Select your domain.

3. Open DNS → Records.

4. Add a record to create a new DNS entry.

5. Select an existing record to edit or delete it.

6. Save your changes.

DNS record updates often become visible quickly, but caching may affect when changes are observed across the internet.

Example: Point Your Domain to a New Hosting Server

If you move your website to a different hosting server:

1. Obtain the new server IP address from your hosting provider.

2. Open your domain's DNS records in Cloudflare.

3. Find the A record for @.

4. Update its content with the new server IP address.

5. Check the www record and any other hostnames that should point to the website.

6. Save the changes and test your website.

You normally do not need to change your nameservers again when moving your website between servers, as long as Cloudflare remains your DNS provider.

Example: Add a TXT Record for Domain Verification

If an external service asks you to verify your domain:

1. Copy the TXT record name and value supplied by that service.

2. Open Cloudflare's DNS records page.

3. Select Add record.

4. Choose TXT as the record type.

5. Enter the exact name and content provided.

6. Save the record and return to the external service to complete verification.

Follow the external service's instructions regarding the record name, formatting, and verification time.

Important Information About Email and Hosting

Changing nameservers affects the DNS provider responsible for your domain. It does not automatically move your website files, email accounts, databases, or hosting subscription to Cloudflare.

To avoid service interruptions:

• Website: Ensure that your A, AAAA, CNAME, and other required website records point to the correct destination.

• Email: Preserve your MX records and the necessary SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and other email-related DNS records.

• Subdomains: Re-create required records for subdomains such as mail.yourdomain.com, webmail.yourdomain.com, or shop.yourdomain.com.

• Third-party services: Preserve verification and service records used by external platforms.

• DNSSEC: If DNSSEC is enabled at your registrar, check Cloudflare's DNSSEC instructions before changing nameservers. An outdated DS record can make your domain fail to resolve. Follow the appropriate disable-and-re-enable procedure for your setup.

If you are unsure which records your domain requires, contact TrophyHost Support before changing your nameservers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I manage DNS records directly from my TrophyHost client area?

Your TrophyHost client area allows you to manage domain nameservers. When Cloudflare is configured as your authoritative DNS provider, individual DNS records should be managed in Cloudflare.

Do I need to transfer my domain to Cloudflare?

No. You can keep your domain registered with TrophyHost and use Cloudflare solely for DNS management. You only need to change the nameservers to the ones Cloudflare assigns.

Will Cloudflare host my website?

Not automatically. Connecting a domain to Cloudflare does not move your website files or hosting account. You can continue hosting your website with TrophyHost while using Cloudflare for DNS and eligible performance and security services.

Will my website go offline when I change nameservers?

A correctly configured migration can usually be completed without significant downtime. However, missing or incorrect DNS records, email configuration problems, or DNSSEC issues can cause interruptions. Review your records before switching nameservers.

Can I use Cloudflare for email hosting?

Cloudflare DNS can direct your domain to an email provider, but DNS management alone does not provide a mailbox. You must have an email hosting service and configure its required DNS records.

What happens if I change a DNS record in the wrong place?

If Cloudflare is authoritative for your domain, changes made only in the old DNS zone at your hosting provider will generally not affect public DNS resolution. Make changes in the active Cloudflare DNS zone instead.

Can I return to TrophyHost nameservers later?

Yes. You can change your nameservers back to those provided by TrophyHost, provided the domain supports the change and the correct DNS zone is configured with TrophyHost. Before switching back, ensure all necessary DNS records exist in the destination zone and check any DNSSEC requirements.

Need Help?

If you need help identifying your hosting server IP address, confirming your existing DNS records, or configuring your domain for Cloudflare, please contact TrophyHost Support through your client area.

Our team can help you identify the correct hosting DNS values so you can configure your domain properly.

TrophyHost — Reliable Hosting. Simplified Domain Management.