Moving DNS elsewhere.
BEFORE STARTING
Export the zone from Cloudflare. That file is your record of every DNS entry.
Note any Cloudflare-specific configuration: page rules, firewall rules, SSL settings. None of it transfers.
THE PROCEDURE
- Create the zone at the new provider.
- Recreate every record from the export.
- Lower TTLs at Cloudflare if possible, though for proxied records this is managed automatically.
- Change nameservers at the registrar.
- Wait for propagation.
- Test the site, mail and cPanel.
WHAT CHANGES IMMEDIATELY
Records that were proxied now resolve directly to our server address.
Confirm that address is correct in the new zone, since the proxied record at Cloudflare did not contain it.
This is the step people miss: the proxied record showed Cloudflare's address, and you need ours.
Find it in cPanel or ask us.
SSL
Run AutoSSL after the change and confirm certificates are valid.
DO NOT DELETE THE CLOUDFLARE ZONE
Until the new nameservers are fully in effect and everything is confirmed.
