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How to obtain a free SSL certificate from Cloudflare

1. By using Cloudflare, you can obtain a free SSL certificate for your website. While we also provide SSL certificates, the process may take longer, as we only add SSL certificates to domains during business hours on business days. Cloudflare's SSL certificate is a better option if you need to add SSL to your website quickly.

2. To obtain an SSL certificate, you need to create a Cloudflare account and navigate to the dashboard.

3. Click "Add site"

Screenshot of: Click

4. Click this text field.

Screenshot of: Click this text field.

5. Type in your website name

Screenshot of: Type in your website name

6. Click "Add site"

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7. Scroll down to the page and select the Free plan.

Screenshot of: Scroll down to the page and select the Free plan.

8. Click "Continue"

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9. Now, Cloudflare will scan your domain for existing DNS records and provide you with a list of the records it found. Please verify that the DNS records are correct, and then click on the "Continue" button.

Screenshot of: Now, Cloudflare will scan your domain for existing DNS records and provide you with a list of the records it found. Please verify that the DNS records are correct, and then click on the

10. Next, you will need to change your domain's nameservers.

11. Since GoDaddy is my domain provider, I will demonstrate how to change the nameservers in GoDaddy. However, if you're using another domain provider, you can refer to this article to learn how to change nameservers in various providers.

12. Now, log in to your GoDaddy account and navigate to the DNS settings of your domain.

13. Scroll down until you see the option for "Nameservers," and then click on "Change."

Screenshot of: Scroll down until you see the option for

14. Click "Enter my own nameservers (advanced)"

Screenshot of: Click

15. Now, go to the Cloudflare page we were setting up earlier and copy the first Cloudflare nameserver.

Screenshot of: Now, go to the Cloudflare page we were setting up earlier and copy the first Cloudflare nameserver.

16. Click on the "Nameserver 1" field and paste the first Cloudflare nameserver.

Screenshot of: Click on the

17. Next, go back to the Cloudflare and copy the second Cloudflare nameserver.

Screenshot of: Next, go back to the Cloudflare  and copy the second Cloudflare nameserver.

18. Click on the "Nameserver 2" field and paste the second Cloudflare nameserver.

Screenshot of: Click on the

19. Click "Save"

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20. Click the "Yes, I consent to update Nameservers for the selected domain(s)." field.

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21. Click "Continue"

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22. Click "Done, check nameservers"

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23. After some time, you will receive an email similar to the one below confirming that you have successfully changed the nameservers:

Screenshot of: After some time, you will receive an email similar to the one below confirming that you have successfully changed the nameservers:

24. Now, go to your Cloudflare domain dashboard and click on "SSL/TLS".

Screenshot of: Now, go to your Cloudflare domain dashboard and click on

25. Select the "Flexible" option under the SSL/TLS section.

Screenshot of: Select the

26. Now, click on "Edge Certificates" under the SSL/TLS section.

Screenshot of: Now, click on

27. Next, turn on the "Always Use HTTPS" option.

Screenshot of: Next, turn on the

28. Now, the required steps to obtain an SSL certificate from Cloudflare are complete.

29. To confirm that the SSL is activated, navigate to the SSL/TLS section and click on the "Edge Certificates" tab. If the status is shown as "Active", then your SSL is successfully activated.

Screenshot of: To confirm that the SSL is activated, navigate to the SSL/TLS section and click on the
 

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