Skip to main content

Migrating from SafeDNS to Co-Managed Cloudflare

If your domain is currently managed in SafeDNS and you want to move it to Co-Managed Cloudflare, ANS provides a guided migration so your existing DNS records carry over automatically.

Before you start​

  • Make sure the site/domain already exists in SafeDNS with its current DNS records — these are what will be copied across.
  • Choose a low-traffic period if possible. DNS changes can take time to propagate fully — see What factors affect DNS propagation time?.
  • Have your domain registrar access ready in case you need to update nameservers afterwards.

Migration steps​

  1. Log in to Glass and go to Cloudflare under the Services menu.
  2. Select the site you want to migrate, then choose Migrate from SafeDNS.
  3. Review the DNS records that will be copied from SafeDNS into Cloudflare. Confirm the migration when you're ready.
  4. Once migration completes, update your domain's nameservers to point to Cloudflare if you haven't already — Cloudflare will show you the nameservers to use.
  5. Monitor your site to confirm everything resolves correctly before decommissioning the SafeDNS zone.

After migrating​

  • Your domain's DNS records are now managed in Cloudflare rather than SafeDNS — use Managing DNS records in Co-Managed Cloudflare going forward.
  • Keep the SafeDNS zone in place until you've confirmed the migration is working as expected; you can remove it once you're confident the cutover is complete.

If you run into an issue partway through, see FAQs and troubleshooting or contact ANS support.