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dnsmigrator

Cloudflare DNS NextDNS rewrites

Migrate DNS from Cloudflare to NextDNS.

3 record types move as they are. 5 things work differently at NextDNS, 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

Proxied records lose the CDN

NextDNS 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.

TTLs below 300s are raised

NextDNS's minimum TTL is 300 seconds. Shorter TTLs are raised to 300s and shown as translated.

"Auto" TTLs get a real value

Cloudflare's automatic TTL has no equivalent, so those records get NextDNS's default of 300s.

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 NextDNS

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

Cloudflare NextDNS

  • ReviewCNAME@

    app.example-host.net.

    TTL was "auto". Set to 300s.

  • UnsupportedMX@

    Not migrated

    NextDNS doesn't support MX records through its API.

  • UnsupportedTXT@

    Not migrated

    NextDNS doesn't support TXT records through its API.

  • UnsupportedCAA@

    Not migrated

    NextDNS doesn't support CAA records through its API.

  • UnsupportedTXT_dmarc

    Not migrated

    NextDNS doesn't support TXT records through its API.

  • UnsupportedSRV_sip._tls

    Not migrated

    NextDNS doesn't support SRV records through its API.

  • ExactAmail

    203.0.113.25

  • ReviewAshop

    203.0.113.10

    TTL was "auto". Set to 300s.

  • TranslatedCNAMEwww

    example.com.

    TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 300s.

How the move works

  1. 1

    Connect Cloudflare

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

  2. 2

    Connect NextDNS

    Connect NextDNS (API key + profile ID). 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 NextDNS

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

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query NextDNS'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 NextDNS

  • NextDNS is a filtering resolver, not an authoritative DNS host: only the profile's rewrites are managed, and they answer only for devices that use that profile.
  • Rewrites map a name to an IP address (A/AAAA) or another name (CNAME); MX, TXT, SRV, CAA and all other types cannot be migrated, and rewrites have no TTL setting.
  • Zones are grouped from rewrite names (a rewrite for example.com also covers www.example.com rewrites); there are no nameservers to delegate to.

Access we need: The account API key (X-Api-Key). NextDNS keys cannot be scoped or made read-only, so the same key is used for preview and apply.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Cloudflare to NextDNS?

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

Related migrations

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview