Cloudflare is a powerful tool that offers a range of features to optimize and secure your website. One important aspect of using Cloudflare is adding subdomains to your domain. In this article, we will provide a detailed guide on how to add subdomains to Cloudflare and explain how to use Cloudflare effectively.
What is a subdomain?
A subdomain is an extension of your domain name and can offer a separate section or functionality within your website. For example, if your domain is example.com, a subdomain could be blog.example.com or shop.example.com. Subdomains are commonly used to organize and manage different sections of a website.
Why use subdomains with Cloudflare?
Adding subdomains can provide several benefits when used in conjunction with Cloudflare. By adding subdomains to Cloudflare, you can extend the performance and security features of Cloudflare to all sections of your website. This means that each subdomain will benefit from Cloudflare’s global network, content delivery optimization, caching, and security measures.
How to add a subdomain to Cloudflare:
Adding a subdomain to Cloudflare is a relatively straightforward process. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Log in to your Cloudflare account.
If you don’t have a Cloudflare account, you can create one for free.
Step 2: Select your domain.
On the Cloudflare dashboard, click on the dropdown menu and select the domain you want to add a subdomain to.
Step 3: Navigate to the DNS settings.
Click on the “DNS” tab at the top of the dashboard. This will display a list of DNS records for your domain.
Step 4: Add a new DNS record.
To add a subdomain, click on the “Add record” button. This will open a form where you can enter the details of the new DNS record.
Step 5: Enter the subdomain and IP address.
In the “Name” field, enter the desired subdomain name (e.g., “blog” or “shop”). In the “IPv4 address” field, enter the IP address where the subdomain points to (e.g., the A record for your server).
Step 6: Configure additional settings (optional).
You can also configure additional settings such as the TTL (Time-to-Live) value, proxy status (orange cloud), and SSL mode. The default settings usually work fine, but you can adjust them based on your specific requirements.
Step 7: Save the DNS record.
After entering all the necessary details, click on the “Save” button to add the new DNS record. The subdomain will now be added to Cloudflare.
Using Cloudflare effectively:
Now that you have added a subdomain to Cloudflare, let’s explore how you can use Cloudflare effectively to enhance your website’s performance and security.
1. Utilize Cloudflare’s caching features: By default, Cloudflare caches static content from your main domain. However, you can also configure Cloudflare to cache static content for your subdomains. This can significantly improve the load times for your subdomain pages.
2. Enable Cloudflare’s security features: After adding your subdomain to Cloudflare, make sure to enable the security features provided by Cloudflare. These include protection against DDoS attacks, SSL encryption, and Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules. Enabling these features will help safeguard all sections of your website, including the subdomains.
3. Create separate page rules: Page rules allow you to customize the behavior of Cloudflare for specific URLs or subdomains. By creating separate page rules for your subdomains, you can configure individual settings for each section of your website. For example, you can set different cache settings or enable specific security features.
4. Monitor your subdomains: Cloudflare provides various analytics tools that can help you monitor the performance and traffic of your subdomains. Utilize these tools to identify any performance bottlenecks or issues with your subdomains and take appropriate actions to optimize them.
In conclusion, adding subdomains to Cloudflare is a simple yet effective way to extend the performance and security benefits of Cloudflare to different sections of your website. By following the steps mentioned above and utilizing Cloudflare’s features effectively, you can provide a faster and more secure browsing experience to your website visitors.