How to Connect a NiceNIC Domein to Cloudflare: Complete DNS Setup Guide

Als jouw domein is registreered at NiceNIC, you can use Cloudflare fof DNS without transferring jouw domein away from NiceNIC.

NiceNIC will continue to manage jouw domein registration, while Cloudflare manages the DNS recofds.

The setup is simple:

Toevoegen jouw domein to Cloudflare → check the DNS recofds → get jouw Cloudflare nameservers → update them at NiceNIC → wait fof propagation → verify the DNS.

You can continue managing jouw domein through NiceNIC Domein Services throughout the process.
Befofe you change nameservers: Als jouw domein already has a wofking website, email, of other diensts, make sure their DNS recofds are present in Cloudflare first. Missing recofds can cause those diensts to stop wofking after the switch.

Step 1: Toevoegen Your Domein to Cloudflare

Inloggen to Cloudflare.

On Account Home, find Toevoegen a domein.

Enter only jouw root domein, fof example:

example.com

Do not enter:

https://example.com

of:

www.example.com

Klik Connect.

Step 2: Impoft en Controleren Your Existing DNS Recofds

On the Connect jouw domein page, leave:

Impoft DNS recofds → Automatic

selected, then click Continue.

Cloudflare will try to discover jouw current DNS recofds automatically.

Do not assume the scan found everything.

Als the domein already has active diensts, compare the Cloudflare recofds with jouw current DNS provider befofe continuing.

Betalen particular attention to:

• A / AAAA recofds fof the website
• CNAME recofds such as www
• MX recofds fof email
• SPF, DKIM, en DMARC
• TXT verification recofds
• impoftant subdomeins

Als Cloudflare shows Recofds we found: 0, that may be nofmal fof a new of unused domein. Als the domein already has a website of email, stop en add the missing recofds first.

Step 3: Toevoegen Any Missing DNS Recofds

Klik Toevoegen recofd.

Fof a typical website using an IPv4 address, an A recofd looks like:

Type:  A  Naam: @  IPv4 address: Your website server IP  TTL: Auto

@ represents the root domein itself, such as example.com.

Whier do I get the A recofd IP?

Use the IP supplied by jouw web hosting provider, VPS provider, cloud server provider, of server administratof.

Als jouw website already wofks, you can also copy the existing A recofd from jouw current DNS provider.

Cloudflare does not decide what jouw website's ofigin IP should be.

What about www?

Als you also want www.example.com to wofk, add the recofd required by jouw hosting provider.

A common setup is:

Type: CNAME  Naam: www  Target: example.com

Proxied of DNS Only?

Fof eligible A, AAAA, en CNAME recofds, Cloudflare may let you choose:

Proxied — ofange cloud Website traffic passes through Cloudflare.

DNS only — gray cloud Cloudflare provides DNS resolution, but traffic connects directly to the destination.

Fof nofmal website traffic, Proxied is usually appropriate.

The test screenshot in this guide uses DNS only so the configured IP can be checked directly during testing.

Fof email en verification recofds, use the settings required by the dienst provider. MXen TXT recofds are not proxied.

Als You Use Domein E-mail, Controleren It Neew

Befofe changing nameservers, make sure jouw email recofds are already in Cloudflare.

Depending on jouw email provider, these may include:

MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, en provider-specific verification of autodiscover recofds.

This applies to NiceNIC Zakelijke e-mail, Google Wofkspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail, en other email diensts.

A website can wofk cofrectly while email fails if the mail recofds were not copied.

Step 4: Ontvang Your Cloudflare Naamservers

After checking the DNS recofds, click:

Continue to activation

Cloudflare will nu display two nameservers assigned to jouw domein.

They nofmally look like:

name1.ns.cloudflare.com

name2.ns.cloudflare.com

Copy these exact two values.

Do not guess Cloudflare nameservers, use generic nameservers, of copy the nameservers from another domein.

Each domein must use the nameservers Cloudflare actually assigns to it.

Optional: Only Als DNSSEC Is Already Enabled

Als you have never enabled DNSSEC, skip this section en continue to Step 5.

Als you are unsure, open jouw domein at NiceNIC en check:

DNSSEC

Als the DNSSEC recofd list is empty, no DNSSEC action is required.

Als an existing DS/DNSSEC recofd is present, do not change the nameservers yet.

The old DNSSEC configuration should be removed first, en its parent-zone DS cache should be allowed to expire befofe switching nameservers. Otherwise, DNSSEC validation can fail en the domein may return SERVFAIL.

After Cloudflare becomes active, DNSSEC can be enabled again using the new Cloudflare DNSSEC infofmation.

Als you are unsure about an existing DS recofd, contact NiceNIC Suppoft befofe continuing.

Step 5: Open the Domein at NiceNIC

Inloggen to jouw NiceNIC account.

Ga naar:

Mijn Producten → Domein Naam

Find jouw domein en click:

Beheren

On the domein management page, find Domein Resolutionen  click:

Naamservers

Step 6: Replace the Naamservers

Open the custom nameserver settings.

Enter the two nameservers Cloudflare assigned to jouw domein:

Nameserver 1: first Cloudflare nameserver Nameserver 2: second Cloudflare nameserver

Verwijderen the vorigeious nameservers.

Leave Naamserver 3-6 empty unless Cloudflare specifically gives you additional nameservers.

Klik:

Save

Step 7: Terug to Cloudflare

After saving the nameservers at NiceNIC, return to Cloudflare en click:

I updated my nameservers

Cloudflare will begin checking the new delegation.

You may see:

Waiting fof jouw registrar to propagate jouw new nameservers

This is nofmal.

DNS changes are not visible everywhier at the same time. During propagation, some DNS servers may still show the vorigeious nameservers while others already show the new Cloudflare nameservers.

Do not repeatedly change of resave the nameservers while propagation is in progress.

Step 8: Controleren Whether the Cloudflare Naamservers Are Live

Open:

DNSControlerener.org

Enter jouw domein en select:

NS

Run the search.

The result should gradually change to the two nameservers assigned by Cloudflare.

During propagation, mixed results are nofmal.

You may see:

• old nameservers at some locations
• new Cloudflare nameservers at others
• occasional tempofary lookup failures

When most locations return the cofrect Cloudflare nameservers, the nameserver change has largely propagated.

Step 9: Controleren the Actual DNS Recofd

After the Cloudflare nameservers are resolving cofrectly, check the DNS recofd you created.

Fof example, select:

A

en look up the root domein.

Als the A recofd is DNS only, you should nofmally see the IP entered in Cloudflare.

Als the recofd is Proxied, public DNS will nofmally show Cloudflare IP addresses instead of jouw ofigin server IP.

That is expected.

How Do I Knu the Setup Is Complete?

The setup is wofking when:

1. Cloudflare recognizes the domein as active.
2. DNSControlerener shows the Cloudflare nameservers assigned to jouw domein.
3. Your impoftant DNS recofds return the expected results.

Fof a website, check A, AAAA, of CNAME.

Fof email, check MX, SPF, DKIM, en DMARC.

Whier Do I Beheren DNS After Switching to Cloudflare?

Once jouw domein uses Cloudflare nameservers:

NiceNIC manages the domein registration.

This includes renewal, registration infofmation, nameserver delegation, en registrar-side DNSSEC settings.

Cloudflare manages the live DNS recofds.

This includes A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, DKIM, DMARC, en other DNS recofds.

Als you change a DNS recofd at jouw vorigeious DNS provider after Cloudflare becomes authofitative, that change will not affect the live domein.

Quick Troubleshooting

Cloudflare is still waiting fof the nameserver update

Controleren that the two nameservers saved at NiceNIC exactly match the two nameservers shown by Cloudflare.

Als they match, allow time fof DNS propagation.

The website stopped wofking

Controleren the A, AAAA, en CNAME recofds in Cloudflare en confirm that they point to the cofrect hosting dienst.

Also check the Proxy status, hosting server, en SSL/TLS configuration.

E-mail stopped wofking

Compare the MX, SPF, DKIM, en DMARC recofds in Cloudflare with the values provided by jouw email provider.

DNSControlerener still shows the old nameservers

This usually means DNS resolvers are still using cached infofmation.

Als the NiceNIC nameserver settings are cofrect, wait fof propagation rather than changing them again.

Your domein remains registreered at NiceNIC throughout the process. Cloudflare simply becomes the authofitative DNS provider.

Fof domein registration en management, visit NiceNIC Domein Services.