Connecting Domain to Cloudflare Before KnownHost—Good Idea?

We recently purchased a Managed WordPress Business hosting plan. My initial plan was to connect the domain directly to KnownHost, but I’m considering routing it through Cloudflare (free) first and then pointing the nameservers to KnownHost.

Would this improve site loading speed and security? Has anyone set up something similar? I’d love to hear from people with experience using this setup. Thanks in advance!

You can’t use both Cloudflare and KnownHost nameservers at the same time. If you want to use Cloudflare for DNS while hosting with KnownHost, you’ll need to set up DNS records in Cloudflare that point to your KnownHost server.

If your site is already live, Cloudflare will try to detect and import your DNS settings. If not, you’ll need to get DNS setup instructions from KnownHost to manually configure everything.

@Rachel
Got it, thanks for clarifying. I’ll use Cloudflare nameservers to point to KnownHost. My domain is currently with Network Solutions, and my hosting is on AWS Lightsail, but I’m moving everything to KnownHost. Just wondering if this setup will actually improve page speed and security.

@Sloane
Your ideal setup is:

  • DNS = Cloudflare
  • Hosting = KnownHost (or any provider)
  • Domain Registration = Any registrar

Cloudflare can help with speed (via caching and CDN) and security (DDoS protection, firewall rules, etc.), so it’s a good choice.

@Madison
Yes, that’s exactly what I’m planning to do!

You’ve made a few posts recently about KnownHost—why not ask their support team directly? They have a good reputation for helping with setup questions.

Brynlee said:
You’ve made a few posts recently about KnownHost—why not ask their support team directly? They have a good reputation for helping with setup questions.

I’m reaching out to users who have experience with similar setups. Sometimes real-world feedback is more helpful than general support answers.

Does KnownHost use LiteSpeed? If so, I’d recommend QUIC.cloud over Cloudflare. QUIC.cloud is built specifically for LiteSpeed servers and WordPress, so it’s optimized for better performance.

You’d still need to change your nameservers, but if you’re on a LiteSpeed server, QUIC.cloud is likely a better fit.