With Google Domains migrating to Squarespace, I lost access to a critical feature I rely on for my domains: Dynamic DNS. Hosting a website from home requires dynamic DNS due to changing IP addresses or even changes with the ISP. While searching for a registrar that supports this feature, I came across Cloudflare’s free plan, which not only met my needs without requiring a domain transfer but also offered a suite of other useful tools, backed by extensive documentation—all at no cost.

How I Configured Cloudflare

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of how I set up Cloudflare to manage Dynamic DNS for my home-hosted website.

1. Adding Domains to Cloudflare

First, I created an account with Cloudflare and added my domains. Upon doing this, Cloudflare provided me with a set of custom nameservers, which I needed to configure with my domain registrar.

2. Setting Up Nameservers on Squarespace

Configuring the nameservers on Squarespace was straightforward. From the Domains > DNS > Domain Nameservers section, I updated the nameservers to those provided by Cloudflare. Keep in mind that this operation can take some time to propagate fully, and until it completes, your domain will appear as "pending" in the Cloudflare dashboard.

3. Configuring DNS Records

Cloudflare’s documentation is thorough, covering almost every aspect of DNS configuration. For setting up dynamic DNS, I added an A-type DNS record pointing to my current IPv4 address.

Additionally, although not mandatory for dynamic DNS, I opted to enable the proxied DNS records feature. This allows me to take advantage of Cloudflare's additional features.

4. Installing ddclient on the Host

Since my IP address can change unpredictably, I needed a way to automatically update my DNS records whenever this happens. To achieve this, I installed ddclient on my hosting machine. Tools like ddclient ensure that DNS records are kept up-to-date without manual intervention. Cloudflare supports a variety of solutions for automatic DNS updates, so you have plenty of options to choose from depending on your environment.

Conclusion

Cloudflare has been a game-changer for me, providing seamless dynamic DNS configuration without the need for a domain transfer. Beyond dynamic DNS, I’m excited about the added benefits Cloudflare offers in terms of monitoring, security, and caching.

In the next part of this series, I’ll cover how I configured SSL between Cloudflare and my home server to ensure secure communication.