> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://info.techup.live/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://info.techup.live/admin-instructions/tooling-and-software/cloudflare.md).

# Cloudflare

## Creating a Cloudflare account

Follow the instructions in this page below to create your Cloudflare account.

{% embed url="<https://developers.cloudflare.com/fundamentals/setup/account/create-account/>" %}

## Registering a Domain Name (also known as buying a domain name)

### 1. Login to Cloudflare Dashboard ([dash.cloudflare.com](https://dash.cloudflare.com/)) and click on Register Domains in the sidebar

<figure><img src="/files/G5DCahELFtSkGjU7jQBg" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on Register Domains to bring you to this page</p></figcaption></figure>

### 2. Type in a domain name of your choice and click purchase

<figure><img src="/files/q23NX8Epsm7s3JK9PW2p" alt=""><figcaption><p>Enter a domain name and click on purchase</p></figcaption></figure>

### 3. Select a 1 year registration and fill in your registrant information

<figure><img src="/files/JEG8fwnZN2l7wX6096tC" alt=""><figcaption><p>Select 1 year and fill in the registrant information section</p></figcaption></figure>

### 4. Select the payment method of your choice

<figure><img src="/files/CALSXyZJ8BOjShqARaLz" alt=""><figcaption><p>Select your payment method</p></figcaption></figure>

### 5. Click on Complete Purchase to buy your domain name

<figure><img src="/files/VuBBmixtOMtFguTCdurB" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on complete purchase </p></figcaption></figure>

### 6. Congrats you've just purchased your domain name!

<figure><img src="/files/zaETAIJdwn87VusL5eyy" alt=""><figcaption><p>You should see this screen once you have purchased your domain name</p></figcaption></figure>

## Linking my domain name to my web app (using the Sample Web App as an example)

{% hint style="info" %}
You should have already set up your Sample Web App before linking your domain name. If you have yet to do so, please follow the instructions here [Sample Web App](/programme-essentials/sample-web-app.md).
{% endhint %}

To link your domain name to the sample web app, there are three things you will need to do:

* Enable full SSL/TLS encryption on Cloudflare
* Setup Render to use a custom domain name for your Sample Web App
* Setup Cloudflare's DNS to point to the Sample Web App deployed on Render

### 1. Go to Cloudflare Dashboard ([dash.cloudflare.com](https://dash.cloudflare.com)) and click on the domain name you purchased

<figure><img src="/files/nLd5INCerVFuihYxirqj" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on your domain name</p></figcaption></figure>

### 2. Click on the SSL/TLS tab in the sidebar

<figure><img src="/files/7uKzsKMw6RA3u8FUN70w" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on the SSL/TLS tab in the sidebar</p></figcaption></figure>

### 3. Set the SSL/TLS encryption mode to Full

<figure><img src="/files/4fahMAmXDhMiluX5hbf0" alt=""><figcaption><p>Select Full to change SSL/TLS encryption mode</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/z7tc0KO3RNIHkHz8beER" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on Confirm to continue</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/sUOJjLbOFGpcJfOzZ9jQ" alt=""><figcaption><p>Your SSL/TLS encryption mode should now be set to full</p></figcaption></figure>

### 4. Go to Render Dashboard ([dashboard.render.com](https://dashboard.render.com/)) and click on your web app (in this example the sample web app is selected)

<figure><img src="/files/cxQB8URoMBIwL7OFnTwu" alt=""><figcaption><p>Select your web application on Render</p></figcaption></figure>

### 5. Click on Settings to Add a Custom Domain Name&#x20;

<figure><img src="/files/Ko835a4mlwAE4nPPZa3G" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on Settings</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/x0Tw1aT27litVWd3RAKd" alt=""><figcaption><p>Scroll down to the section on custom domains </p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/hNvDuCc2xEr7jyvTk2Oz" alt=""><figcaption><p>Enter your domain name and click save</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/PXbTd6NgxP8eGzzbtGbM" alt=""><figcaption><p>You should see something similar, click on the copy icon to copy the onrender.com URL which will be used for the nest step</p></figcaption></figure>

### 6. Go to Cloudflare Dashboard ([dash.cloudflare.com](https://dash.cloudflare.com/)) and click on your domain name

<figure><img src="/files/Ac6udtkkCXwwvNv6Y4CD" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on your domain name</p></figcaption></figure>

### 7. Click on DNS to go to the page to edit your DNS Records, then click on Add Record

<figure><img src="/files/3wUpEGQyfPFZzrzjvbRO" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on DNS in the sidebar then click on Add Record</p></figcaption></figure>

### 8. Add a new DNS Record

<figure><img src="/files/CaHOwSUpNDDu7sl8iBH6" alt=""><figcaption><p>Add a new CNAME record with the Target being the onrender.com URL you copied earlier in Step 5, then click Save</p></figcaption></figure>

### 9. Go back to your Render Dashboard and click on Verify

<figure><img src="/files/lemfQoL8qcPYnA9I6P89" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on Verify</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/FoFJwBjyXAIVvpIVgZmh" alt=""><figcaption><p>It may take some time for the domain to be verified and for a certificate to be automatically generated</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/mkS1xVtVfTVUb2fKuZnj" alt=""><figcaption><p>Congrats! You have now set up a custom domain name for your app!</p></figcaption></figure>