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Cloudflare DNS Porkbun

Migrate DNS from Cloudflare to Porkbun.

12 record types move as they are. 6 things work differently at Porkbun, 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
  • HTTPS
  • SVCB
  • TLSA
  • SSHFP

Proxied records lose the CDN

Porkbun 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

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

TTLs below 600s are raised

Porkbun's minimum TTL is 600 seconds. Shorter TTLs are raised to 600s and shown as translated.

"Auto" TTLs get a real value

Cloudflare's automatic TTL has no equivalent, so those records get Porkbun's default of 600s.

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 Porkbun

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

Cloudflare Porkbun

  • TranslatedALIAS@

    app.example-host.net.

    Apex CNAME stored as a Porkbun 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.

  • TranslatedAmail

    203.0.113.25

    TTL 300s is outside the allowed range. Set to 600s.

  • ReviewAshop

    203.0.113.10

    TTL was "auto". Set to 600s.

  • ExactCNAMEwww

    example.com.

How the move works

  1. 1

    Connect Cloudflare

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

  2. 2

    Connect Porkbun

    Connect Porkbun (API key + secret API key). 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 Porkbun

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

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query Porkbun'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 Porkbun

  • API Access must be turned on per domain, and only domains registered at Porkbun can be managed.
  • The minimum TTL is 600 seconds and a zone holds at most 2,500 records.
  • URL forwarding is not migrated; the ALIAS/CNAME records Porkbun creates for it are copied as plain records.

Access we need: Porkbun keys have no read-only mode. Restrict the key to the domains you move and turn on API Access for each of them.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Cloudflare to Porkbun?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to Porkbun 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 Porkbun 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 Porkbun 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