How to Point a Cloudflare Domain to Your VPSGrid VPS

If your domain’s DNS is managed in Cloudflare, you can point that domain to a VPSGrid VPS by creating the correct DNS records. This guide covers DNS pointing only — not installing a web server, WordPress, or an SSL certificate on the VPS.

Cloudflare is optional. VPSGrid does not require Cloudflare.

What you need

• An active VPSGrid VPS (Linux, Windows, or WordPress)
• The VPS public IPv4 address
• Access to the Cloudflare account that manages DNS for your domain

Find your VPS IP in the Client Area: open Services (or My Services), select your VPS, then note the Primary IP / Assigned IPs. On the dashboard, active services also show an IP Address label.

Use documentation examples only below (for example example.com and 203.0.113.10). Replace them with your real domain and VPS IP.

Open Cloudflare DNS

1. Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard.
2. Select your domain.
3. Go to DNS → Records.

Point the root domain (apex)

To point example.com to your VPS:

1. Select Add record.
2. Set Type to A.
3. Set Name to @ (Cloudflare’s value for the zone apex / root domain).
4. Set IPv4 address to your VPS public IPv4 (example: 203.0.113.10).
5. Choose Proxy status (see the next section).
6. Select Save.

If an A, AAAA, or CNAME record already exists for @ / the apex pointing somewhere else, edit that conflicting hostname record — or replace it carefully — so only the intended target remains. Do not delete unrelated records such as MX, TXT, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or email verification entries.

Proxied vs DNS only

For A, AAAA, and CNAME records, Cloudflare shows a Proxy status:

• Proxied (orange cloud): HTTP/HTTPS web traffic goes through Cloudflare’s network. Public DNS answers typically show Cloudflare addresses, not your VPS origin IP.
• DNS only (gray cloud): Cloudflare returns your record’s actual IP. Traffic goes directly to the VPS for that hostname.

Proxied TTL is managed by Cloudflare (Auto; commonly a short value such as 300 seconds) and is not freely editable while proxied.

For a basic website on your VPS, Proxied is often appropriate once the site answers correctly for that hostname over HTTP/HTTPS. You may prefer DNS only first to confirm the origin works, then enable Proxied if you want Cloudflare’s web proxy features.

Cloudflare’s standard proxy is for supported web traffic. It does not mean arbitrary VPS ports, SSH, RDP, or mail protocols are proxied the way a website is. Keep non-web hostnames DNS only when you use them, or connect to those services by IP as appropriate. Creating a DNS hostname does not open a port on the VPS firewall.

Add www

To make www.example.com resolve as well:

1. Select Add record.
2. Set Type to CNAME.
3. Set Name to www.
4. Set Target to example.com (your apex domain).
5. Match the apex Proxy status if this hostname should behave the same for web traffic.
6. Select Save.

Alternatively, you can create an A record for www with the same VPS IPv4. Either approach is valid DNS routing.

DNS itself does not perform an HTTP redirect between www and the apex. Choosing which hostname redirects to the other is a web-server or application setting after DNS resolves.

IPv6 (AAAA)

Create an AAAA record only if your VPSGrid service actually has an assigned IPv6 address that you intend to use. Do not invent an AAAA entry.

If an old AAAA record still points elsewhere, some visitors may reach the wrong server. Fix or remove that conflicting AAAA for the same hostname — without deleting unrelated records.

DNS timing

DNS changes are not always instant everywhere. Resolvers and local caches may keep older answers until their TTL expires. Proxied records use Cloudflare’s short Auto TTL, but your device or ISP cache can still delay what you see.

For a fuller explanation, see DNS Propagation Explained.

SSL / HTTPS

Pointing DNS does not install an SSL certificate on the VPS.

1. Confirm the domain resolves as intended.
2. Configure the origin web server or site for that hostname.
3. Then configure HTTPS/SSL on the origin (and review Cloudflare SSL/TLS settings separately if you use Proxied).

Cloudflare edge certificates do not automatically mean your VPS origin has a valid origin certificate. Do not treat Flexible SSL as a universal fix. For general SSL concepts, see SSL Certificates Explained. On Linux with Certbot, see Let’s Encrypt SSL with Certbot.

WordPress VPS note

A VPSGrid WordPress VPS is provisioned first. You then point domain DNS to the VPS IP. Changing the Cloudflare A record does not automatically update WordPress Address / Site Address settings.

Initial WordPress install is served over HTTP. SSL is not configured automatically at provision time — configure HTTPS after DNS works. Full steps: WordPress VPS — Setup, Management & Troubleshooting.

Linux and Windows VPS note

DNS can point a hostname to either a Linux or Windows VPS public IP. DNS pointing alone does not install Nginx, Apache, IIS, WordPress, or a website. The server and application must already be configured to answer for that hostname.

For a general (non-Cloudflare-specific) domain guide, see How to Point a Domain to Your VPS IP.

Verify DNS

From a computer, you can check resolution:

nslookup example.com
dig example.com A

• If the record is DNS only, you should normally see your VPS public IPv4 (for example 203.0.113.10).
• If the record is Proxied, DNS will normally return Cloudflare addresses — not your VPS origin IP. That is expected. Do not treat that as a failed point-to-VPS configuration.

Also open the hostname in a browser (start with HTTP if HTTPS is not configured yet) to confirm the origin responds.

Troubleshooting

• Still on the old server: Confirm you edited the authoritative Cloudflare zone, and that conflicting A/CNAME/AAAA records for the same hostname are updated.
• Wrong IP: Recheck Primary IP / Assigned IPs in the Client Area.
• DNS looks right, site fails: The web server or app may not be bound/configured for that hostname yet.
• Hard to diagnose with Proxied: For web troubleshooting only, you can temporarily set the website hostname to DNS only, verify the origin, then return to Proxied if desired. Do not expose SSH, RDP, or database ports through proxy instructions.
• HTTPS errors after DNS works: Fix origin SSL and hostname configuration; DNS alone is not the certificate.

If you are stuck after checking the above, open a support ticket.

Security reminders

• Creating a hostname does not open SSH, RDP, or database ports.
• Cloudflare DNS and your VPS firewall/security settings are separate.
• Do not publish management ports through public DNS/proxy guidance meant for websites.

Related articles

• How to Point a Domain to Your VPS IP
• How to Point a Domain to a VPS
• DNS Propagation Explained
• WordPress VPS — Setup, Management & Troubleshooting
• SSL Certificates Explained