Subject: Cloudflare Nameservers
How are Cloudflare's nameservers different from the DNS provided by Google DNS or OpenDNS? Can I delegate to Cloudflare nameservers while still using my host’s DNS?
Hi there,
Thank you for your question!
Cloudflare’s nameservers differ from public DNS resolvers like Google DNS or OpenDNS because they are authoritative (meaning they store and respond with the DNS records for your domain) while Google DNS and OpenDNS are recursive resolvers that help users look up domain names but don’t host your records.
Using Cloudflare’s authoritative nameservers also provides additional features such as CDN integration, DDoS protection, caching, and performance optimizations. Public resolvers do not provide these services.
Regarding delegating to Cloudflare while keeping your host’s DNS, this isn’t possible. You must point your domain’s NS records at Cloudflare’s authoritative nameservers. However, you can manually replicate any records from your host’s DNS into Cloudflare before delegation to ensure continuity.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Best regards,
Lejla Vejzović | Cloudflare Support
I reviewed the distinction between authoritative nameservers and recursive DNS resolvers. I also considered practical deployment: for Cloudflare features to work, your domain must delegate authority to Cloudflare nameservers. This explanation guides the customer to understand the technical difference and practical implications while ensuring smooth deployment.