Yes, you can use Cloudflare with Profreehost, but there is a specific order of operations you must follow. Because Profreehost needs to “verify” your domain first using their own nameservers.
Here is the correct workflow and the limitations you need to know:
1. Nameserver Switch Rule
You cannot add a domain to Profreehost if it is already pointing to Cloudflare.
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Step A: Point your domain to ProFreeHost nameservers first (
ns1.unaux.com,ns2.unaux.com). -
Step B: Add the domain in the ProFreeHost Control Panel and wait for it to become Active.
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Step C: Once active, sign up for Cloudflare and add your domain there. Cloudflare will scan your Profreehost DNS records.
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Step D: Finally, change your nameservers at your domain registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.) to the ones Cloudflare provides.
2. Mandatory SSL Setting (Flexible Mode)
This is where most users break their site. Profreehost does not always have a SSL certificate on the server side for custom domains by default.
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The Setting: In your Cloudflare dashboard, go to the SSL/TLS tab and set the encryption mode to Flexible.
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Why? If you set it to “Full” or “Full (Strict)” without having a Let’s Encrypt certificate already installed on Profreehost, you will get a 521 Web Server is Down or 526 Invalid SSL error.
3. Important Limitations
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Subdomains: You cannot use Cloudflare with the free subdomains provided by Profreehost (e.g.,
yourname.unaux.comoryourname.liveblog365.com). Cloudflare requires you to own the “root” domain (the.comor.netpart). -
The Phishing Flag: Be aware that some users report their sites being flagged as “Phishing” by Cloudflare immediately after linking to Profreehost. This is usually because the IP addresses ProFreeHost uses are shared with thousands of other free users, some of whom may have been bad actors. If this happens, you may need to appeal to Cloudflare or use a different IP (A record) if available.