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How to Enable or Disable Proxy Status in Cloudflare

When using Cloudflare for managing your website’s DNS settings, you have the option to enable or disable the proxy status for each DNS record. Enabling the proxy (represented by the orange cloud icon) routes traffic through Cloudflare, providing security and performance benefits. Disabling the proxy (gray cloud icon) sends traffic directly to your origin server without passing through Cloudflare. This guide will walk you through the steps to enable or disable proxy status for your DNS records in Cloudflare.

Step 1: Log in to Cloudflare

  1. Navigate to the Cloudflare Dashboard.
  2. Enter your email and password, then click Log In.

Step 2: Select Your Domain

  1. Once logged in, you will be directed to the Cloudflare dashboard.
  2. From the list of domains, select the one for which you want to modify the proxy status.

Step 3: Access DNS Settings

  1. In the navigation bar at the top of the page, click on DNS.
  2. This will take you to the DNS management page, where you can view and edit your DNS records.

Step 4: Locate the DNS Record & Edit It

  1. In the DNS management page, you’ll see a list of your existing DNS records.
  2. Identify the DNS record (A, CNAME, etc.) for which you want to enable or disable the proxy status.

Step 5: Toggle Proxy Status

  1. To change the proxy status, click the cloud icon next to the DNS record:
    • Orange Cloud: Proxy enabled (traffic routes through Cloudflare).
    • Gray Cloud: Proxy disabled (traffic bypasses Cloudflare).
  2. Click on the cloud icon to toggle between the two statuses.
    • If the icon turns orange, the proxy is enabled.
    • If the icon turns gray, the proxy is disabled.

Step 6: Save Changes

Once you’ve updated the proxy status for your desired records, your changes are saved automatically. There’s no need for additional steps.

Step 7: Verify DNS Propagation (Optional)

To ensure that the DNS changes have propagated, you can use a DNS propagation checker or simply wait for the DNS to update globally, which typically takes a few minutes to a few hours depending on the TTL settings.

When to Enable or Disable Proxy

  • Enable Proxy (Orange Cloud): Use this for improved security (DDoS protection, WAF, etc.), performance optimization (caching), and enhanced privacy (obfuscates your origin IP).
  • Disable Proxy (Gray Cloud): Use this if you want Cloudflare to only provide DNS services without routing your traffic through their network, which is useful when troubleshooting origin server issues.
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