Secure Your Custom Domain with Cloudflare

If you are a Blogger user looking to enhance your blog with a custom domain while ensuring optimal performance and security, this guide is for you. Using Cloudflare, you can protect your blog against DDoS attacks, enable a free SSL certificate, and improve loading speeds all for free. 

Step 1: Purchase a Domain Name

Start by purchasing a custom domain name from any domain registrar of your choice, such as Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains. You can also register a free .com.np domain for personal or organisational use by visiting register.com.np or check out this detailed guide on how to register a free .np domain. For this guide, we’ll assume you’ve registered the domain.

Step 2: Add Your Domain to Cloudflare

Create a Cloudflare Account:

• Visit Cloudflare and sign up for a free account.

Add Your Site:

• Once logged in, click on Add a Site.
• Enter bikrambhujel.com and click Begin Scan.
• Cloudflare will scan your DNS records. Review and confirm them.

Update Your Nameservers:

• Cloudflare will provide you with new nameservers (e.g., ns1.cloudflare.com and ns2.cloudflare.com).
• Go to your domain registrar’s dashboard and update the nameservers to the ones provided by Cloudflare.

Wait for Propagation:

• It may take a few hours for the DNS changes to propagate. You’ll receive an email from Cloudflare once the setup is complete.

Step 3: Connect Your Domain to Blogger

1. Go to Blogger Settings:

• Log in to your Blogger account.
• Navigate to Settings > Custom Domain.
• Enter your custom domain, e.g., www.bikrambhujel.com.np. Click Save.

2. Get CNAME Records:

• Blogger will show you two CNAME records:
• The first is www pointing to ghs.google.com.
• The second is a unique string (e.g., abcd1234) pointing to another string (e.g., gv-xyz12345).

3. Add CNAME Records to Cloudflare:

• Go to your Cloudflare dashboard and click on DNS.
• Add the two CNAME records provided by Blogger.
• Type: CNAME
• Name: www
• Target: ghs.google.com
• Type: CNAME
• Name: (the unique string provided by Blogger)
• Target: (the other unique string provided by Blogger)
• Add A record and add 4 IP's provided by Google 216.239.38.21,216.239.34.21,216.239.32.21,216.239.36.21

4. Enable Proxying:

• Make sure the cloud icon next to each CNAME record is orange, indicating that Cloudflare’s proxy is active.

5. Verify the Connection:

• Return to Blogger and click Save again to verify the domain connection

Step 4: Enable SSL in Cloudflare

1. Set SSL Mode:

• In the Cloudflare dashboard, go to the SSL/TLS tab.
• Set the SSL mode to Full.

2. Force HTTPS:

• Navigate to Edge Certificates under the SSL/TLS tab.
• Enable Always Use HTTPS and Automatic HTTPS Rewrites.

3. Enable HTTPS on Blogger:

• Go to Settings > HTTPS in your Blogger dashboard.
• Turn on HTTPS Availability and HTTPS Redirect.

Step 5: Optimise Performance with Cloudflare

1.Enable Caching:

• In the Cloudflare dashboard, go to the Caching tab and enable the default caching settings.

2. Turn on Brotli Compression:

• Go to the Speed tab and enable Brotli for faster loading times.

3.Configure Page Rules:

• Create a page rule for your site to cache everything and enhance speed:
• URL: www.bikrambhujel.com.np
• Settings: Cache Everything and Edge Cache TTL (set to a month).

4.Enable Rocket Loader:

• Still in the Speed tab, enable Rocket Loader to optimise JavaScript loading.

Step 6: Test Your Setup (Optional)

• Visit your website to ensure your blog is accessible via HTTPS.
• Use tools like GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights to check the performance and loading speed of your site.

Benefits of Using Cloudflare for Blogger

1. DDoS Protection:

• Cloudflare shields your site from malicious traffic and DDoS attacks.

2. Free SSL:

• Secure your site with HTTPS without any additional cost.

3. Improved Speed:

• Faster loading times thanks to caching, compression, and Cloudflare’s global CDN.

4. Better SEO:

• HTTPS and fast loading speeds contribute positively to search engine rankings.

Conclusion

By following this guide, you’ve successfully connected your custom domain bikrambhujel.com to Blogger using Cloudflare. Your blog is now secure, fast, and protected against threats, all while leveraging Cloudflare’s free services. Take advantage of these features to provide an excellent user experience and improve your blog’s visibility in search engines. Happy blogging