You’ve just ordered your free CloudFlare DNS service from HostGuru. Now what?
Good news: it takes only about five minutes to go from “ordered” to “my website is live on Cloudflare.”
Here’s the simple checklist. Follow these steps in order and you won’t miss anything.
- Activate your service.
- Check your nameservers.
- Add or check your DNS records.
- Give the changes a moment to go live.
Let’s go through each one.
Minute 0: Find Your CloudFlare DNS Service
- Log in to your HostGuru Client Area.
- Go to Services → My Services.
- Find CloudFlare DNS – Free and click Manage or View Details.
This opens your CloudFlare DNS dashboard — the control room where you manage your domain’s DNS settings.
Minute 1: Activate Your Service
On your dashboard, you should see the Overview page for your domain.
- If you see a page asking you to Activate the service, click the
Activate Free button. HostGuru will then create your DNS zone in Cloudflare. - In most cases, the service activates automatically as soon as you order it. If you do not see an activation button, simply continue to the next step.
Minute 2: Check Your Nameservers
This is the most important step.
Your domain must point to the Cloudflare nameservers assigned to it before Cloudflare DNS can control your website traffic.
Look at the Zone Details section on the Overview page.
- If you see two Cloudflare nameservers listed under Nameservers, your zone has been created successfully. Continue to Minute 3.
- If you see a yellow “Action Required: Update Nameservers” warning, your domain is still using nameservers from another registrar or DNS provider.
If your domain was registered with another company, log in to that registrar and replace the existing nameservers with the two Cloudflare nameservers shown inside your HostGuru dashboard.
The actual change normally takes only a few minutes to make.
Follow our step-by-step guide:
How to Point Your Domain’s Nameservers to Cloudflare.
Minute 3: Check or Add Your DNS Records
Your DNS records are what connect your domain to your website, email server and other online services.
After ordering CloudFlare DNS, your dashboard may already contain some DNS records. In other cases, the DNS zone may be empty.
Either way, start by checking what is currently configured.
- Click the DNS tab at the top of your CloudFlare DNS dashboard.
- Review the DNS Records table.
If You Have a Website
If your website is hosted with HostGuru or another hosting provider, make sure there is an A record for your main domain.
The record will normally look like this:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | A |
| Name | @ |
| Content | Your website’s server IP address |
| TTL | Auto |
| Proxy | Enabled, where appropriate |
Your hosting provider will give you the correct server IP address. It may look something like 192.0.2.1.
If the record is missing, add it and click Add Record.
If You Use Email
Make sure your MX records are also present.
MX records tell the internet where email for your domain should be delivered. Missing or incorrect MX records can stop your email from working even when your website is online.
If you are unsure which MX records you need, contact HostGuru support before changing them.
Minute 4: Let the Changes Go Live
DNS changes are not always instant, so don’t worry if your website does not switch over immediately.
- Nameserver changes can begin working within minutes.
- In some cases, full DNS propagation can take up to 24-48 hours.
- Once Cloudflare detects the correct nameservers, the Update Nameservers warning should disappear.
Any DNS records you configure while waiting will become active once the nameserver change has propagated.
You can continue adding or correcting DNS records during this period.
You’re Done
Once the nameservers are active and your DNS records are correct, your domain is now using Cloudflare DNS through HostGuru.
From the HostGuru dashboard you can manage:
- DNS records — add, edit and remove records whenever you need to.
- Website routing — point domains and subdomains to your hosting server.
- Email routing — manage MX and related email records.
- Cloudflare proxy services — where supported, route traffic through Cloudflare’s network.
Quick CloudFlare DNS Checklist
Before you leave the dashboard, confirm the following:
- ☐ CloudFlare DNS service is Active
- ☐ Domain nameservers point to Cloudflare
- ☐ No Update Nameservers warning remains
- ☐ Your website A record points to the correct server
- ☐ Your MX records are present if you use email
- ☐ You have allowed enough time for DNS propagation
Need a Hand?
If something doesn’t look right, HostGuru support can help you check your DNS configuration.
- Open a support ticket through your HostGuru Client Area.
- Or contact us through the HostGuru contact page.
When contacting support, include your domain name and explain which step you have reached. That makes it much easier for our team to identify the problem quickly.
Related Guides
- How to Point Your Domain’s Nameservers to Cloudflare
- How to Add Cloudflare DNS to a Domain You Already Registered
- How to Manage Your Website’s DNS Records
