Cloudflare works differently from many traditional domain providers. Your domain can stay registered with another registrar while Cloudflare manages the DNS, or the domain itself can be registered through Cloudflare Registrar.
First, identify your Cloudflare setup
If you added a domain to Cloudflare while keeping it registered elsewhere, Cloudflare normally assigns authoritative nameservers and you update the domain to use those values at the registrar where the domain is registered.
If the domain is registered through Cloudflare Registrar, it already uses Cloudflare nameservers. Cloudflare's current policy does not allow Cloudflare Registrar domains to use a third-party DNS provider's nameservers. If you need to move authoritative DNS away from Cloudflare, the normal route is to transfer the domain to another registrar first.
Find the nameservers Cloudflare assigned
- Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard ↗.
- Select the relevant domain.
- Open the zone Overview page. Cloudflare also shows the assigned values in the Cloudflare Nameservers card on the DNS Records page.
- Copy the exact nameserver values shown for that domain. Do not assume another Cloudflare domain uses the same pair.
If the domain is registered somewhere else
Review the DNS records in Cloudflare before changing authoritative nameservers. This is particularly important for business email and verification records.
- Copy the Cloudflare-assigned nameservers.
- Sign in to the company that actually registers the domain.
- Open that registrar's nameserver settings.
- Replace the current authoritative nameservers with the exact Cloudflare values shown for this domain.
- Save and complete any security confirmation required by the registrar.
Cloudflare says registrar updates can take time to become active, and its current full-setup guidance allows up to 24 hours for the nameserver update to be detected.
Protect website and email DNS
Changing authoritative nameservers changes which DNS zone answers for the domain. Before switching, make sure the Cloudflare zone contains the records needed for the website, business email and any other domain-connected services.
Do not delete MX, TXT, SPF, DKIM, DMARC or other mail-related records just because you are moving DNS. See Will changing my website affect my email? and What is DNS propagation?.
Cloudflare Registrar limitation
If the domain is registered through Cloudflare Registrar, do not try to work around Cloudflare's nameserver restriction. Cloudflare currently requires those domains to remain on Cloudflare nameservers. If your project genuinely requires another authoritative DNS provider, contact Toolbelt Websites support before taking action.
Official Cloudflare resource
Cloudflare also publishes current guidance for this area. If the interface has changed since this Toolbelt Websites guide was updated, use the provider's own documentation as the authoritative interface reference.
Last updated: 8 September 2026