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dnsmigrator

Cloudflare DNS ClouDNS

Migrate DNS from Cloudflare to ClouDNS.

13 record types move as they are. 5 things work differently at ClouDNS, and the preview shows exactly which of your records they affect.

Free preview. Read-only. Nothing changes until you apply.

What works differently

Generated from the same provider capability data the migration engine uses.

Moves as-is

  • A
  • AAAA
  • CNAME
  • MX
  • TXT
  • NS
  • SRV
  • CAA
  • PTR
  • DS
  • TLSA
  • SSHFP
  • NAPTR

Proxied records lose the CDN

ClouDNS has no equivalent of Cloudflare's proxy. Proxied records move as plain records pointing at your origin, which exposes the origin IP. Put a CDN in front before cutting over if that matters.

Apex CNAMEs need a different shape

ClouDNS doesn't allow a CNAME at the zone apex, but its ALIAS record does the same job. We convert them automatically.

"Auto" TTLs get a real value

Cloudflare's automatic TTL has no equivalent, so those records get ClouDNS's default of 3600s.

Domains registered at Cloudflare must transfer out

Cloudflare Registrar only allows Cloudflare's nameservers. If the domain is registered there, transfer it to another registrar before switching.

A typical Cloudflare zone at ClouDNS

Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.

Cloudflare ClouDNS

  • TranslatedALIAS@

    app.example-host.net.

    Apex CNAME stored as a ClouDNS ALIAS record.

  • ExactMX@

    10 mx1.mail.example.net. +1

  • ExactTXT@

    "v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net -all"

  • ExactCAA@

    0 issue "letsencrypt.org"

  • ExactTXT_dmarc

    "v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"

  • ExactSRV_sip._tls

    100 1 443 sip.example.net.

  • ExactAmail

    203.0.113.25

  • ReviewAshop

    203.0.113.10

    TTL was "auto". Set to 3600s.

  • ExactCNAMEwww

    example.com.

How the move works

  1. 1

    Connect Cloudflare

    Connect Cloudflare with read-only access (Scoped API token).

  2. 2

    Connect ClouDNS

    Connect ClouDNS (API user auth ID (or sub-user ID/name) + password). Write access is only used when you apply.

  3. 3

    Review the preview

    Check every record marked Review or Unsupported. Each one explains what changes and why.

  4. 4

    Apply to ClouDNS

    We snapshot the ClouDNS zone, write in batches, and leave Cloudflare untouched.

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query ClouDNS's own nameservers for every record and compare the answers before you switch.

  6. 6

    Switch nameservers

    Lower TTLs a day or two ahead, remove any DS record if DNSSEC is on, then point the domain at the new nameservers at your registrar.

Good to know about Cloudflare

  • Proxied (orange-cloud) records hide the origin IP. Moving them to another provider sends traffic straight to the origin.
  • Apex CNAMEs are flattened by Cloudflare. Other providers need an ALIAS record or static A/AAAA records instead.
  • Cloudflare Registrar only allows Cloudflare nameservers, so domains registered there must be transferred out first.

Access we need: Zone → DNS → Read for the preview, Zone → DNS → Edit to apply.

Good to know about ClouDNS

  • TTLs must be one of ClouDNS's fixed values (60, 300, 900, 1800, 3600, 21600 … 2592000); other TTLs are rounded up.
  • Web redirects (CLOUDNS_WR) are ClouDNS-only and are written as plain 301 redirects without frame options.
  • The API is rate limited to about 20 requests per second per IP, so large zones apply record by record and take a while.

Access we need: A read-only API sub-user with the zones delegated is enough for the preview; applying needs a read-and-write sub-user or a main API user.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Cloudflare to ClouDNS?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to ClouDNS and verified before you change nameservers, so resolvers get the same answer from either side while caches expire.

Do I have to delete anything at Cloudflare?

No. We never write to Cloudflare. Keep the old zone for a week after cutover so you can switch back instantly if anything looks wrong.

What about DNSSEC?

If DNSSEC is on, remove the DS record at your registrar and wait for it to expire before switching nameservers. Then enable DNSSEC at ClouDNS and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.

What happens to Cloudflare proxied records?

They move as ordinary records pointing at your origin server, because ClouDNS can't proxy traffic. The preview lists every proxied record and the IP it would expose.

Related migrations

Ready to see your own zone?

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