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Linking your domain with Cloudflare: DNS and SSL settings

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The advised way to link your own domain to your brand is through a Cloudflare account with the proxy enabled. This guide walks through the full setup: the DNS record that points your domain at your brand, the optional members area record, and the SSL, caching and redirect settings that make everything serve correctly.

Point your domain at your brand

Linking works with a single CNAME record for the subdomain you want your landing pages on. We use join.mydomain.com as the example throughout, but any subdomain works. The guidance on your brand's domain linking page in the portal walks the same steps.

  1. In your Cloudflare account, open the DNS Records section (1).
  2. Press Add record (2).
  3. Set the record Type to CNAME (3).
  4. In Name, enter the subdomain you want to use, for example join (4).
  5. In Target, enter dns-proxy.hubpeople.ai (5).
  6. Make sure the Proxy setting is enabled, the orange cloud showing Proxied (6).
  7. Save the record.
Cloudflare's DNS management screen. Markers show the domain (1), the Add record button (2), the CNAME type (3), the subdomain name join (4), the target dns-proxy.hubpeople.ai (5), and the Proxy status toggle set to Proxied (6).
The CNAME record: type (3), your subdomain (4), the HubPeople target (5), and the proxy enabled (6).
Propagation takes time. A new DNS record can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours to reach all DNS servers, so do not worry if the domain does not resolve immediately.

Linking a members area domain

If you also want your members area on the same parent domain as your landing pages, add one more CNAME record. The target depends on your brand's business type:

Brand typeCNAME target
Mainstreamaffinity.thehubpeople.com
Adultexcite.thehubpeople.com

The Proxy setting must be enabled on this record too.

SSL settings

Three settings under SSL/TLS in Cloudflare's left-hand menu make sure your site serves securely:

1. Encryption mode: Full

On the SSL/TLS Overview, set the encryption mode to Full. New Cloudflare zones sometimes sit on Flexible, which is not what you want here.

Cloudflare's SSL/TLS overview with the encryption mode options: Off, Flexible, Full (selected), and Full (strict).
SSL/TLS encryption mode set to Full.

2. Always Use HTTPS: on

Under SSL/TLS › Edge Certificates, make sure Always Use HTTPS is switched on, so every plain-http request is redirected to https.

Cloudflare's Always Use HTTPS setting with the toggle switched on.
Always Use HTTPS enabled.

3. Minimum TLS Version: 1.2

On the same Edge Certificates page, change Minimum TLS Version from its default to TLS 1.2.

Cloudflare's Minimum TLS Version dropdown open, with TLS 1.2 among the options.
Set the minimum TLS version to 1.2.

Caching: respect existing headers

Under Caching › Configuration, change Browser Cache TTL from its default to Respect Existing Headers. This lets the platform control how long browsers cache your pages, so content updates reach your visitors when they should.

Cloudflare's Browser Cache TTL setting with the dropdown open and Respect Existing Headers selected.
Browser Cache TTL set to Respect Existing Headers.

The www redirect rule

Finally, under Rules › Overview, apply the rule template Redirect from WWW to Root. This sends anyone typing www. in front of your domain to the clean address, so both forms work and search engines see one site.

Cloudflare's Rules Overview page with the rule templates grid. Arrows point to the Rules Overview menu item and the Redirect from WWW to Root template.
Apply the Redirect from WWW to Root template from the Rules Overview.
Rules is also where redirects live. The same Rules area can hold your own redirect rules at the Cloudflare edge. For when that is the right tool versus the portal's built-in Redirect Rules, see the comparison in the deep dive.

Quick checklist

WhereSetting
DNS RecordsCNAME, your subdomain, target dns-proxy.hubpeople.ai, Proxied
DNS Records (members area)CNAME to affinity.thehubpeople.com (mainstream) or excite.thehubpeople.com (adult), Proxied
SSL/TLS › OverviewEncryption mode Full
SSL/TLS › Edge CertificatesAlways Use HTTPS on, Minimum TLS 1.2
Caching › ConfigurationBrowser Cache TTL: Respect Existing Headers
Rules › OverviewTemplate: Redirect from WWW to Root
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