DNS and domain proxying
DNS, CDN & EDGECloudflareDNS, CDN, edge security & tunnels
DEVNU / TECHNOLOGY / CLOUDFLARE
Cloudflare helps when edge policy is explicit, not when every toggle is enabled without understanding it.
DNS, CDN, edge TLS, caching and traffic controls can sit in front of the origin. That advantage remains manageable only when ownership between Cloudflare, Nginx and the application is explicit.
What does Cloudflare own in a project?
In DEVNU projects, Cloudflare can provide authoritative DNS, public proxying, asset CDN, cache rules and in some architectures tunnels to origins. The origin still keeps its own firewalling, Nginx and application security.
Where the technology should solve a specific problem.
CDN for assets and media
Edge WAF and rate limiting
Edge TLS and certificates
Cloudflare Tunnel
Cache rules and redirects
When we reach for it
Public global sites, cacheable assets, managed DNS, edge-level traffic protection and reduced direct origin exposure are common fits.
When we leave it out
Cloudflare should not hide poor origin configuration. Incorrect caching on personalised routes or APIs can serve the wrong data, and a proxy does not replace origin firewalls or backend authentication.
Using the tool is easy. Operating it well is the real work.
- 01Documented DNS records and proxy state
- 02Caching only on appropriate routes
- 03Origin certificates and end-to-end TLS
- 04No security model based only on a hidden origin IP
- 05Small understandable rule sets
- 06Correct headers and real-client-IP handling
The decisions matter more than the stack badge.
Proxied or DNS-only?
Public HTTP often benefits from proxying; protocols or services outside the standard proxy path may require DNS-only records or another architecture.
Where should caching happen?
Public immutable assets are good edge-cache candidates. User-specific data and APIs are cached only with explicit cache keys and invalidation rules.
Tunnel or public origin port?
Tunnels can reduce direct origin exposure but add another dependency and incident path. The decision follows operational requirements rather than fashion.
06 / RELATED SERVICES
Technology only matters inside a useful outcome.
Common questions about Cloudflare
01Does Cloudflare replace Nginx?+
Usually not. Cloudflare sits at the public edge while Nginx at the origin can still manage routing, proxying and static delivery.
02Does Cloudflare make every API faster?+
No. An uncached dynamic API still depends on origin latency. Edge connections, protection and routing can help, but backend performance remains its own concern.
08 / NEXT STEP
Start with the problem. Choose the stack second.
If the project needs this technology, the reason should be visible in architecture, performance, user experience or maintenance cost.
Describe the project