Step-by-Step Guide: Point Hostinger Domain to Cloudflare

Step 1: Sign Up or Log In to Cloudflare

1. Sign up for a Cloudflare account if you don’t have one already. Go to Cloudflare and create an account using your email.

2. If you already have an account, log in to your Cloudflare account.

Step 2: Add Your Hostinger Domain to Cloudflare

1. Once logged in, click “Add a Site” on your Cloudflare dashboard.

2. Enter your Hostinger domain name (e.g., yourdomain.com) and click “Add Site”.

3. Cloudflare will automatically scan your existing DNS records (from Hostinger). This may take a few seconds.

4. After the scan is complete, Cloudflare will show the DNS records it found. Review these records to ensure everything is correct.

5. Click “Continue” to move to the next step.

Step 3: Choose a Cloudflare Plan

1. Cloudflare offers several plans, including a Free Plan. For most websites, the Free Plan is sufficient. You can always upgrade to a premium plan later if needed.

2. Select the Free Plan or another plan that suits your needs, and click “Confirm Plan”.

Step 4: Update Your Domain’s Nameservers in Hostinger

Cloudflare will provide two nameservers that you need to use to point your domain to Cloudflare. These nameservers will look something like:

• ns1.cloudflare.com

• ns2.cloudflare.com

Now, you need to update these nameservers in your Hostinger account.

How to Change Nameservers in Hostinger:

1. Log in to your Hostinger account and open hPanel.

2. Go to the Domains section and select your domain.

3. Click on DNS / Nameservers.

4. Select the option to Use Custom Nameservers.

5. Replace the current nameservers with the two nameservers provided by Cloudflare (e.g., ns1.cloudflare.com and ns2.cloudflare.com).

6. Click Save to confirm the changes.

Note: DNS propagation can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, but in many cases, the update happens quickly.

Step 5: Confirm Cloudflare Activation

After updating the nameservers, Cloudflare will start to process the change. You’ll see a status update on Cloudflare’s dashboard. Once the nameservers are pointing correctly to Cloudflare, Cloudflare will verify the change, and your site will be active.

• You’ll receive an email once Cloudflare has successfully activated your domain.

Step 6: Activate Cloudflare Features (Optional)

Once your domain is pointing to Cloudflare, you can activate various features to optimize and secure your site:

1. Enable CDN (Content Delivery Network)

• Cloudflare acts as a proxy between your visitors and the Hostinger server, delivering cached content closer to visitors from its global servers. This boosts your site speed.

2. Enable SSL/TLS Encryption

• Go to the SSL/TLS tab in Cloudflare.

• Set the SSL Mode to Full (Strict) for end-to-end encryption.

• Enable Always Use HTTPS to force HTTPS on all pages of your website.

3. Activate DDoS Protection

• Cloudflare automatically provides protection from DDoS attacks, which will enhance your site’s security.

Troubleshooting Tips

• DNS Propagation Time: After changing the nameservers in Hostinger, wait up to 48 hours for the DNS to fully propagate.

• Website Not Showing: If your website doesn’t appear after DNS propagation, ensure that Cloudflare is active, and that the DNS settings in Cloudflare are correct.

• SSL Errors: If SSL isn’t working correctly, check your Cloudflare SSL/TLS settings and ensure that SSL is properly configured on your Hostinger account.

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