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Moving DNS from Cloudflare to Gcore Managed DNS means exporting the zone file, importing records into Gcore, then switching authoritative nameservers at the domain registrar. Nameserver changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate, so plan the cutover for a low-traffic window.

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TTL preparation

Lower the TTL on every DNS record in Cloudflare before the cutover, because a shorter TTL lets resolvers refresh records faster after the switch.
  1. Log in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select the domain.
  2. Navigate to DNS > Records.
  3. Edit each record and set the TTL to 10 minutes (or the lowest available value).
  4. Wait for the current TTL to expire before continuing, so old cached records stop being served.
If DNSSEC is enabled on the domain in Cloudflare, handle it before switching nameservers. Changing nameservers while DNSSEC is active, without first removing or updating the DS record at the registrar, causes DNSSEC validation to fail, and the domain stops resolving for many clients. The safest path is to disable DNSSEC in Cloudflare, remove the DS record at the registrar, wait for the DS record TTL to expire, then proceed with the nameserver switch. Alternatively, configure DNSSEC in Gcore first, obtain the new DS record from Gcore, and update the DS record at the registrar at the same time the nameservers are switched.

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Step 1. Export DNS records from Cloudflare

Download a BIND zone file from Cloudflare so the same records can be imported into Gcore.
  1. In the Cloudflare dashboard, select the domain and navigate to DNS > Records.
  2. Click Export to download the DNS records as a BIND zone file (.txt format).
Cloudflare proxied records (those with the orange cloud icon enabled) export with Cloudflare proxy IP addresses, not the origin server IPs. Before importing into Gcore, check all proxied A, AAAA, and CNAME records in the zone file and replace any Cloudflare proxy IPs with the real origin server IP, or with the appropriate Gcore CDN address if the record should continue to be served through a CDN.To find the real origin IPs, temporarily disable the proxy (set the record to DNS-only) in Cloudflare before exporting.

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Step 2. Create a DNS zone in Gcore

Create a zone in the Gcore Customer Portal so imported records have a destination. The zone creation guide covers the same flow with screenshots.
  1. Navigate to DNS in the Customer Portal and click Add zone.
  2. Enter the domain name and click Confirm.
  3. Gcore scans and displays any existing DNS records it can detect. Review them, then click Confirm.
Check the Skip scanning box to import all records manually from the Cloudflare zone file in the next step.

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Step 3. Import DNS records

Import the Cloudflare zone file into the new Gcore zone, then review every record before changing nameservers.
  1. In the All zones tab, open the newly created zone.
  2. Click Import records.
  3. In the pop-up, either paste the contents of the Cloudflare zone file directly, or rename the exported .txt file to .zone and click Upload zone file to upload it.
  4. Click Import.
Review the imported records and confirm they look correct. Pay particular attention to A and AAAA records that were previously proxied through Cloudflare, and verify they now point to actual origin IPs.
Cloudflare supports CNAME flattening, which lets a CNAME record exist at the domain root (example.com) rather than only on a subdomain (sub.example.com). Standard DNS does not permit CNAME at the apex, so Cloudflare resolves the chain and exports the result as an A or AAAA record. Root records may look different after import, so check them carefully and confirm they resolve to the expected address.
Only DNS records are migrated. Cloudflare CDN, proxy rules, WAF, page rules, redirects, Workers, and SSL/TLS settings are not transferred automatically. Configure those services separately in Gcore or another provider after the DNS cutover.

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Step 4. Update nameservers at the registrar

Point the domain to Gcore nameservers by updating the nameserver settings at the domain registrar (the company where the domain was purchased or is managed).
Update the nameserver settings at the domain registrar, not inside Cloudflare. Adding or editing NS records inside the Cloudflare dashboard does not change which DNS provider is authoritative for the domain, because the registrar controls that setting.
Set the nameservers to the following Gcore values: Look for a Nameservers or DNS section in the registrar control panel. The exact steps vary by registrar.

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Step 5. Verify propagation

DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate globally. Check progress in both of these places:
  • Use a DNS propagation checker to verify that the domain’s NS records resolve to Gcore nameservers worldwide.
  • In the Customer Portal, a notification appears on the DNS zone until propagation is complete. This is expected and clears automatically.
Once propagation is complete, DNS for the domain is fully managed by Gcore.
Keep the Cloudflare DNS zone intact for at least 48 hours after migration. If something goes wrong, switching the nameservers back at the registrar restores Cloudflare as the authoritative DNS provider while the Gcore zone is debugged.

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Cloudflare feature comparison

After migration, DNS capabilities map between Cloudflare and Gcore as follows.