--- title: "How to Add Cloudflare WAF Protection to Your EasyDNS Domain (Partial CNAME Setup from Scratch)" type: "knowledge" post_id: "5898" slug: "how-to-add-cloudflare-waf-protection-to-your-easydns-domain-partial-cname-setup-from-scratch" canonical: "https://kb.easydns.com/knowledge/how-to-add-cloudflare-waf-protection-to-your-easydns-domain-partial-cname-setup-from-scratch/" markdown_url: "https://kb.easydns.com/knowledge/how-to-add-cloudflare-waf-protection-to-your-easydns-domain-partial-cname-setup-from-scratch.md" json_url: "https://kb.easydns.com/knowledge/how-to-add-cloudflare-waf-protection-to-your-easydns-domain-partial-cname-setup-from-scratch.json" txt_url: "https://kb.easydns.com/knowledge/how-to-add-cloudflare-waf-protection-to-your-easydns-domain-partial-cname-setup-from-scratch.txt" published: "2026-06-12T19:21:35+00:00" modified: "2026-06-12T19:21:35+00:00" author: "Peter" categories: tags: site_name: "easyDNS Knowledge Base" publisher: "easyDNS Technologies Inc." language: "en-US" generator: "easyPress Markdown" generator_version: "1.0.6" --- ### What This Guide Does This guide shows EasyDNS customers how to add **Cloudflare protection** (WAF, CDN, DDoS protection, and security features) to their domain **without changing nameservers**. You will keep managing DNS in EasyDNS while routing web traffic through Cloudflare using a **Partial (CNAME) Setup**. This setup uses: - **ANAME** record for the root domain (example.com) - **CNAME** records for subdomains (e.g. www, app) **Important:** This requires a **Cloudflare Business** plan or higher. --- ### Requirements Before you begin, you need: - A domain managed in your **EasyDNS** account - A **Cloudflare account** (you will need to upgrade to Business plan) - Access to both dashboards - Approximately 30–60 minutes (plus time for DNS propagation) --- ### Step 1: Create a New Zone in Cloudflare (From Scratch) 1. Log in to your [Cloudflare dashboard](https://dash.cloudflare.com). 2. Click the **+ Add a Site** button. 3. Enter your full domain name (example: example.com) and click **Continue**. 4. Select the **Business** plan (or Enterprise). 5. Review the pricing and click **Confirm plan**. 6. On the DNS scan screen, Cloudflare may detect some records. You can review them, then click **Continue**. 7. Cloudflare will display two nameservers. **Ignore these** — do **not** change your nameservers in EasyDNS. Your domain is now added to Cloudflare as a new zone. --- ### Step 2: Convert the Zone to Partial (CNAME) Setup 1. In the Cloudflare dashboard, go to your domain’s **Overview** page. 2. Look for the option **Convert to CNAME DNS Setup** (it may appear as a card or button on the Overview page). 3. Click **Convert**. 4. Confirm the conversion. 5. Cloudflare will now display a **Verification TXT Record**. **Copy the entire record** — you will need the Name and Content values in the next step. --- ### Step 3: Add the Verification TXT Record in EasyDNS 1. Log in to your EasyDNS account and click **MANAGE** next to your domain. 2. Click **DNS SETTINGS**. 3. Scroll to the **TXT Records** section. 4. Click **Add** (or the edit icon). 5. Enter the verification record from Cloudflare: - **Host**: Use the name provided by Cloudflare (usually starts with \_cfverify) - **Value**: Paste the long verification string exactly as shown in Cloudflare - **TTL**: 300 (5 minutes) 6. Click **Next**, then **Confirm** to save the record. > **Note:** Wait 5–15 minutes before proceeding to allow the record to propagate. --- ### Step 4: Add ANAME Record for the Root Domain in EasyDNS This allows your root domain (example.com) to work with Cloudflare. 1. In EasyDNS **DNS SETTINGS**, go to the **CNAME / ALIAS Records** section. 2. Click **Add** or the edit icon. 3. Create the ANAME record: - **Host**: @ - **Address**: example.com.cdn.cloudflare.net *(Replace example.com with your actual domain name)* - **TTL**: 300 4. Click **Next** → **Confirm**. EasyDNS will automatically handle this as an **ANAME** record. --- ### Step 5: Add CNAME Records for Subdomains in EasyDNS Add a CNAME record for every subdomain you want to protect with Cloudflare (commonly www). 1. In **DNS SETTINGS**, go to the **CNAME Records** section. 2. Click **Add**. 3. Create the record: - **Host**: www (or app, shop, api, etc.) - **Address**: www.example.com.cdn.cloudflare.net *(Replace with the correct subdomain + .cdn.cloudflare.net)* - **TTL**: 300 4. Click **Next** → **Confirm**. 5. Repeat for any other subdomains you want to protect. **Recommended starting records:** HostRecord TypeTargetPurpose@ANAMEexample.com.cdn.cloudflare.netRoot domainwwwCNAME[www.example.com.cdn.cloudflare.net](http://www.example.com.cdn.cloudflare.net)Main website --- ### Step 6: Remove Conflicting Records in EasyDNS For the hostnames you just configured (root and subdomains), remove any old records that could conflict: - Delete any existing **A** or **AAAA** records for @ and www. - Leave other records (MX for email, SPF, DKIM, etc.) in place. This prevents DNS conflicts. --- ### Step 7: Verify Everything Is Working 1. **Check DNS Resolution** - Use [DNSChecker.org](https://dnschecker.org) or run these commands: Bash ``` dig example.com dig www.example.com ``` 2. **Test Your Website** - Visit https://example.com and https://www.example.com in a browser. - The site should load normally. 3. **Check Cloudflare Dashboard** - Return to Cloudflare. - Your domain should show as **Active**. - You can now begin configuring security features. --- ### Next Steps After Setup Once the basic proxy is working, you can enable Cloudflare features such as: - Web Application Firewall (WAF) - Bot Fight Mode - Caching rules - Page Rules - SSL/TLS settings These are all configured inside the Cloudflare dashboard under the **Security** and **Caching** tabs. --- ### Important Notes - **DNS Propagation**: Full propagation can take up to 48 hours, but most changes appear within 30–60 minutes. - **Email Services**: MX records and email-related settings remain in EasyDNS and are unaffected. - **SSL Certificate**: Cloudflare will automatically provision a free SSL certificate. - **Reverting Changes**: You can remove the ANAME/CNAME records in EasyDNS at any time to go back to your previous setup. - **Support**: Contact **EasyDNS support** for DNS record issues. Contact **Cloudflare support** for issues with the Partial setup or security features. ---