[OBSOLETE] How to get a custom domain from Freenom with SSL and CloudFlare

[WebyDev]

Now, due to DNS propagation, this could take a few hours depending on TTL (Time To Live)
If you get lucky and DNS propagates fast, this could just take +40 minutes.

Moderator Note: Due to Meta’s lawsuit against freenom, and countries taking action to regain control over their TLDs, Freenom domain registrations are no longer available.

Tools you need:

• A registered FreeNom account
• InfinityFree account with no or only 2 domains
• Patience (For DNS)
• CloudFlare account
• Knowledge

So first of all, search for your wished domain here.
I recommend using 12 months (FREE) because you don’t have to tirelessly log into FreeNom and renew it every 3 months.
TIP: Don’t use the .tk domain! It is banned from InfinityFree!
Then register and click “I agree to the Terms of Service” and then checkout.

Congrats! You got your domain name!

Now, go to and find your domain name here that you just registered. (Be logged in FreeNom for this)

You should see something similar to this:

Once you’re in, click on “Manage Domain”

You should see something like this. Short guide of the numbers:

1. Your domain status
2. Your domain’s registration date
3. Your domain’s expiry date OR before you have to renew domain.
   Now click on Management Tools and click “NameServers”

Now, click Custom Nameservers and enter the following nameservers:

NameServer 1:
ns1.infinityfree.com
NameServer 2:
ns2.infinityfree.com

Then just click “Change Nameservers” and now it’s time for the wait!

Meanwhile, you wait, you can check the propagation here.
You can also check it here
DNS propagation takes usually a few hours but can take up to 24 hours to propagate due to DNS caching.

Now, after it works in the InfinityFree Domain Checker, register the domain but this time as a Custom Domain.
After you registered your domain, wait some time, and should work as a web browser.
Now, enter your site’s URL into the search bar and it should pop up with “Let’s Create Something Awesome”
If you see that, congratulations! Your site is up and running.

Now, create a Cloudflare account and add your site to it.
Now, go back to FreeNom and replace the current NameServers with the ones Cloudflare gives you, and now wait more.

Now, go to the DNS section in Cloudflare:

and make new CNAME records as:

Name:
@
Target:
(your main domain found in Control Panel)

Now, the second CNAME record:

Name:
www
Target:
@
Note: DO NOT INSERT THE CNAME RECORDS THOUGH VPANEL, ONLY THROUGH CLOUDFLARE!

Now, wait a bit and try to ping your website through CMD:

ping (yourdomain)

If it doesn’t work, something has gone bad, try setting the records at Cloudflare again.
So, if it works, you’re done! Now, for the SSL, just go to the SSL tab:

Now, click on flexible, wait a few minutes and try entering your site with https!

Once everything is set up, you can start making your safe website today!

Credits:

• SirEpiclyDeveloper for DNS codes
• Cloudflare for protecting sites
  Warnings:
• Using Flexible SSL mode while trying to force all traffic to HTTPS can cause ERR_TIMED_OUT error.
• To use full or full (strict) you need your own SSL through InfinityFree’s SSL tool (Please set CNAME records at Cloudflare and use DNS only proxy on records, else it will not work.
• Pinging the server after adding to Cloudflare will just ping the Cloudflare side, not your origin server. (To prevent DDoS attacks)
  Questions? Ask me on Discord: VisualKitten#9739 or in the forum.

[WebyDev]

Now, if you try registering and it doesn’t work in Freenom, try a different network.

[Deveroonie]

@WebyDev

SirEpiclyDeveloper for DNS codes

Thanks for putting that in there

@WebyDev

ping (yourdomain)

Nope! Cloudflare will block the ping or let infinityfree block the ping.

[WebyDev]

Works for me idk

@Deveroonie

@WebyDev

ping (yourdomain)

Nope! Cloudflare will block the ping or let infinityfree block the ping.

[anon77371365]

@WebyDev

Works for me idk

Cloudflare doesn’t block pings, but IF does

[WebyDev]

Epic!

[NexusSpace]

Your website gives me 1016 lma0

[Senor_e474]

“Now, create a Cloudflare account and add your site to it.”

This is where I am stuck. I’m at the “2) Review your DNS records” stage - but if I put in the CNAME records as described, I get a red error bar with DNS error 1004.

Any chance of padding out the “add your site to it” bit?

[Greenreader9]

This article explains the general process more in-depth:

A Full Guide To Cloudflare

Hello, I will show you how to easily set up Cloudflare, Edit Records, and Troubleshoot with images! PLEASE READ BEFORE STARTING!!! Cloudflare cannot be used on free subdomains from InfinityFree. You can use Cloudflare on Custom Domains (yoursite.com) and with Custom Sub-Domains (subdomain.yoursite.com). A video tutorial can be found at the end of this guide, should you get stuck. You must connect your domain to your InfinityFree account first. Read more here. Set-Up Cloudflare Go to Dash…

[Oxy]

@Senor_e474

DNS error 1004

“main domain” (CNAME) is mentioned in this topic
and I think you misinterpreted it

The “main domain” we’re talking about here is the main domain of the hosting account. That’s an internal identifier for your hosting account and it should look like asdfasdf.epizy.com or another random 8 character subdomain.

[Oxy]

The tutorial is old - so some locations are no longer current.
I edited it so it wouldn’t confuse someone else

[userbung]

the freenom page isnt loading at all? im clicking “check availability” but its not doing anything

edit: it worked after i waited 10 minutes

[ChrisPAR]

This tutorial is very old; Freenom doesn’t accept new registrations anymore, .ml and .ga are no longer controlled by them, and .cf and .gq are expected to follow as well, leaving only .tk that isn’t accepted on free hosting.

You can read more about that situation on the following topics:

All Freenom .ga domains are taken down by registry

Many of you are using free .ga domains provided by Freenom. If you are using using a .ga domain, you may notice that the domain is down right now. What happened? The reason for this is that ANINF, the National Agency for Digital Infrastructure and Frequencies of the Gabonese Republic, is reclaiming ownership of the .ga extension, and will be managed by the French registry Afnic. They also wrote that: As part of this switch-over operation, several million domain names will be deleted as the p…

All .ml domains are down due to registry transfer

Many of you are using free domains from Freenom with the .ml extension. However, most if not all sites using this domain extension are down right now. What happened? The contract between Freenom and the Malinese government that gave Freenom technical control over the domain extension and give out the domains for free, has expired on Monday July 17. The contract was not renewed, which means that the control of the .ml domain extension is returned back to the government of Mali. What this means …

[userbung]

So all domains who use it will get taken down soon?

Also didnt freenom get sued by Meta?

Also, if this doesnt work at all anymore, cant you add [OBSOLETE] at the start of the title?

And is there any other way to get a custom domain like this?

[JxstErg1]

@userbung

So all domains who use it will get taken down soon?

I think they will.

@userbung

Also didnt freenom get sued by Meta?

Yeah, it did.

@userbung

Also, if this doesnt work at all anymore, cant you add [OBSOLETE] at the start of the title?

Some moderator can do that as well, since the OP doesn’t have access or is inactive…

@userbung

And is there any other way to get a custom domain like this?

To get a free domain that is also supported by Cloudflare you could make do with EU.org or PP.UA, though they’re second-level and not top-level as opposed to Freenom, but they’re still compatible with any service that requires a valid domain and not a subdomain.

[Greenreader9]

@userbung

cant you add [OBSOLETE] at the start of the title?

Good point. Added!

[userbung]

But arent those sub-domains?

[Frank419]

These are subdomains that works like regular top level domains, as you can have custom nameservers for them.

[userbung]

Yes, but dont I have to abandon my already existing domain (belk.epizy.com) for the eu.org or PP.UA sub domains?