How to Set Up Cloudflare with Host Dada

How to Set Up Cloudflare with Host Dada

Cloudflare is a free content delivery network (CDN) and security service that sits in front of your website. It speeds up your site by caching content worldwide, protects against DDoS attacks, and provides a free SSL certificate. This guide covers adding Cloudflare to a domain hosted on Host Dada.

Step 1 — Create a Cloudflare Account

1. Go to cloudflare.com and sign up for a free account.
2. After logging in, click Add a Site.
3. Enter your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.co.uk) and click Continue.
4. Select the Free plan and click Continue.

Step 2 — Review Your DNS Records

Cloudflare will scan your existing DNS records and import them automatically.

1. Review the list of imported records. Compare them against your current DNS zone in cPanel → Zone Editor.
2. Ensure these records are present and correct:
   • A record pointing your domain to your Host Dada server IP
   • MX records for email (these should not be proxied — the cloud icon should be grey, not orange)
   • CNAME records for subdomains (e.g. www)
3. Important: Set your mail-related records (MX, mail subdomain) to DNS Only (grey cloud) — proxying mail through Cloudflare will break email.
4. Click Continue when done.

Step 3 — Update Your Nameservers at Host Dada

Cloudflare will give you two nameservers to use (e.g. aria.ns.cloudflare.com and bob.ns.cloudflare.com). You need to replace your current nameservers with these.

1. Log in to your Host Dada control panel.
2. Go to Domains and find your domain.
3. Click Manage Nameservers.
4. Replace the existing nameservers with the two Cloudflare nameservers shown on your screen.
5. Save the changes.

Nameserver changes take 24–48 hours to propagate. Once active, Cloudflare will show your domain as Active on its dashboard.

Step 4 — Configure SSL Settings

Once Cloudflare is active, configure SSL to avoid certificate errors and redirect loops.

1. In the Cloudflare dashboard, go to SSL/TLS.
2. Set the encryption mode to Full (Strict) — this is the recommended setting if your Host Dada hosting already has a valid SSL certificate (AutoSSL provides this by default).

Do not use Flexible SSL — this causes redirect loops with WordPress sites that have HTTPS enforced.

Step 5 — Recommended Cloudflare Settings

After activation, apply these settings for best results:

• Speed → Optimization → Auto Minify: Enable for JavaScript, CSS, and HTML to reduce file sizes.
• Caching → Configuration → Browser Cache TTL: Set to 4 hours or more for static assets.
• Security → Settings → Security Level: Medium is suitable for most sites.
• Speed → Optimization → Rocket Loader: Leave off initially — it can conflict with some WordPress plugins.

Common Issues and Fixes

Redirect loop (ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS)

This is caused by using Flexible SSL on a site that also redirects HTTP to HTTPS. Switch to Full (Strict) in Cloudflare SSL settings, and clear your browser cache.

Email stops working after enabling Cloudflare

Email records (MX, mail subdomain) must not be proxied through Cloudflare. In your Cloudflare DNS settings, click the orange cloud icon next to these records to change them to DNS Only (grey cloud).

WordPress admin shows cached/old content

Add a Cloudflare Page Rule to bypass cache for the WordPress admin area: set the URL pattern to yourdomain.co.uk/wp-admin/* and set the action to Cache Level: Bypass.

Site shows Cloudflare error 521 (web server is down)

Cloudflare can reach your server but the server is refusing the connection. This usually means the server's firewall is blocking Cloudflare's IP ranges. Contact Host Dada support to whitelist Cloudflare IPs in the firewall.

Related Articles

• How to Run AutoSSL on Your Domain
• Changing Domain Nameservers on Host Dada
• How to Set Up SPF, DKIM and DMARC Records