If you’re hosting a website on Hostinger, integrating it with Cloudflare CDN is one of the smartest moves you can make. Cloudflare improves site speed, strengthens security with free SSL, and enhances SEO performance. In this guide, I’ll show you step-by-step how to set up Cloudflare with Hostinger, configure DNS records, and optimize your website for maximum performance.
Why Cloudflare?
Before I dive into the setup, here’s why I chose Cloudflare:
- Free CDN and SSL: Speed and security without paying a dime? Yes, please.
- DNS Management: Cloudflare’s dashboard is intuitive and powerful.
- DDoS Protection: Even small blogs deserve enterprise-grade protection.
- Performance Boost: Their caching and optimization tools help my site load faster, especially on low-spec devices.
Step 1: Create a Cloudflare Account
Go to Cloudflare and sign up for a free account. Cloudflare offers:
Free SSL certificates
DDoS protection
Performance optimization tools
At this point, I paused to double-check the DNS records Cloudflare pulled from Hostinger. I always verify that my A records, CNAMEs, and MX entries match what I had set up previously. I don’t trust auto-imports blindly, especially when email routing is involved.
Step 2: Add Your Website to Cloudflare
Click “Add a Site” and enter your domain. Cloudflare will automatically import your existing DNS records. Double-check that your A record points to your Hostinger IP address and that your MX records are correct for email delivery.
Step 3: Update Hostinger Name Servers
Log in to your Hostinger dashboard → Domains → DNS/Nameservers. Replace Hostinger’s default name servers with the Cloudflare name servers provided. This connects your site to the Cloudflare CDN, reducing latency worldwide:
- abby.ns.cloudflare.com
- dave.ns.cloudflare.com
These would replace the default Hostinger name servers.
Step 4: Changing Name Servers on Hostinger
This part required precision. I logged into my Hostinger dashboard and navigated to:
Domains → My Domain → DNS / Name Server Settings
- Selected “Use custom name servers”
- Deleted Hostinger’s default entries (usually something like ns1.dns-parking.com)
- Pasted in the Cloudflare name servers exactly as provided
- Saved the changes
After about 30 minutes, it flipped to “Active” a good sign that the switch was successful.
🔒 Step 5: Enabling SSL and HTTPS
This ensures that traffic between Cloudflare and your origin server (Blogger, in this case) is encrypted.
Step 5: Optimize Performance
Cloudflare offers several speed-enhancing features:
Auto Minify → Compress HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Brotli Compression → Faster than GZIP, improves load times.
Rocket Loader → Optimizes JavaScript delivery.
Caching Rules → Use “Cache Everything” for static content.
FAQs
Is Cloudflare free SSL secure? Yes, it provides strong encryption for most websites.
Does Cloudflare improve SEO? Absolutely faster load times and HTTPS boost rankings.
Can I use Cloudflare with Hostinger shared hosting? Yes, it works seamlessly.