How to Use Cloudflare with a WordPress Website

Cloudflare is a content delivery network (CDN) and security service that helps to speed up and protect your WordPress website. This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide on how to integrate Cloudflare with your WordPress site, complete with screenshots.

Step 1: Create a Cloudflare Account

1. Go to Cloudflare’s website.
2. Click on Sign Up and create an account.
3. Enter your email and create a strong password.
4. Click Create Account.

Step 2: Add Your Website to Cloudflare

1. After logging in, click Add a Site.
2. Enter your WordPress website’s domain name and click Continue.
3. Cloudflare will scan your DNS records. Wait for the process to complete, then click Continue.

Step 3: Choose a Cloudflare Plan

1. Select a plan (Free is sufficient for most websites).
2. Click Continue.

Step 4: Update Your DNS Records

1. Review the DNS records detected by Cloudflare.
2. Ensure your main domain and subdomains are set to “Proxy status: Orange cloud” to enable Cloudflare.
3. Click Continue.

Step 5: Change Nameservers

1. Cloudflare will provide new nameservers.
2. Log in to your domain registrar (e.g., Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Bluehost).
3. Find the DNS Settings or Nameserver Settings.
4. Replace the existing nameservers with the ones provided by Cloudflare.
5. Save the changes.

Step 6: Verify Cloudflare Setup

1. Return to Cloudflare and click Done, Check Nameservers.
2. It may take a few hours for changes to propagate.
3. Once verified, Cloudflare will activate for your website.

Step 7: Configure Cloudflare Settings for WordPress

1. Go to Speed > Optimization in Cloudflare dashboard.
   • Enable Auto Minify for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
   • Enable Brotli Compression.
   • Enable Rocket Loader to improve page load speed.
2. Navigate to Caching > Configuration.
   • Set Caching Level to “Standard”.
   • Enable Always Online to keep a cached version available if your site goes down.
3. Go to SSL/TLS > Overview.
   • Set SSL mode to Flexible if you don’t have an SSL certificate.
   • Set SSL mode to Full (strict) if you have a valid SSL certificate installed.

Step 8: Install Cloudflare WordPress Plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins > Add New.
3. Search for Cloudflare and install the official plugin.
4. Activate the plugin.
5. Go to Settings > Cloudflare.
6. Click Sign in and enter your Cloudflare credentials.
7. Click Apply Recommended Settings.

Step 9: Test Your Website

1. Clear your WordPress and Cloudflare cache.
2. Open your website in incognito mode or use a different browser.

Step 10: Monitor and Optimize

1. Regularly check Cloudflare’s Analytics tab for performance and security insights.