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Cloudflare DNS Dynu

Migrate DNS from Cloudflare to Dynu.

9 record types move as they are. 5 things work differently at Dynu, 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

Proxied records lose the CDN

Dynu 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

Dynu doesn't allow a CNAME at the apex and has no alias record for external hostnames. These become static A/AAAA records, which don't follow the target if its IPs change.

"Auto" TTLs get a real value

Cloudflare's automatic TTL has no equivalent, so those records get Dynu'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 Dynu

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

Cloudflare Dynu

  • UnsupportedCNAME@

    Not migrated

    @ is a CNAME at the zone apex. Dynu doesn't allow that, and app.example-host.net isn't a target it can alias.

  • 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 Dynu

    Connect Dynu (API key (API-Key header)). 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 Dynu

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

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query Dynu'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 Dynu

  • Wildcard records are a domain setting in Dynu and can't be migrated as DNS records.
  • TLSA, SSHFP, HTTPS/SVCB and other advanced types are read but not written, because the API's encoding for them is ambiguous.
  • Web redirects are separate objects and aren't migrated.

Access we need: Dynu API keys have full account access; there is no read-only key, so reset the key after the migration.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Cloudflare to Dynu?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to Dynu 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 Dynu 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 Dynu can't proxy traffic. The preview lists every proxied record and the IP it would expose.

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview