Cloudflare: speed, security, and network services for the web

From speeding up sites to blocking massive DDoS attacks, Cloudflare keeps many sites online and fast. On this tag page you’ll find the latest news, practical guides, outage reports, and easy fixes related to Cloudflare services.

We collect fast-breaking updates about major outages and security incidents so you can act quickly. If Cloudflare has a widespread problem, expect immediate summaries, verified status links, and steps to reduce impact. We also explain product changes, pricing updates, and new features like Workers, Pages, or Zero Trust in plain language you can use today.

Quick troubleshooting tips

Start at Cloudflare’s status.cloudflare.com page to see global incidents. Then check your dashboard for any error messages or rate-limit logs. If your site shows 5xx errors, purge the cache, pause the proxy (orange cloud off) to test direct origin response, and review firewall rules that might block legitimate traffic. For SSL problems, confirm your certificate setting—Flexible, Full, or Full (Strict)—matches your origin server certificate.

Speed and performance

Enable automatic platform optimization for common CMS platforms, set appropriate cache TTLs, and use Brotli compression. Use Cloudflare’s CDN analytics to spot slow assets and reduce third-party scripts that delay page loads. For API-driven sites, consider Cloudflare Workers to move logic closer to users and cut latency.

Security is a big reason sites trust Cloudflare. Turn on DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall (WAF) managed rules. Use rate limiting on login endpoints and sensitive APIs. Enable bot management if you face scraping or credential-stuffing attacks. For teams, Zero Trust access controls and Access policies protect admin panels without exposing them to the public internet.

If you manage DNS here, remember Cloudflare can be both DNS host and reverse proxy. DNS-only records (grey cloud) will bypass Cloudflare’s protections and caching. That’s useful for email servers and certain API endpoints but risky for web traffic you want accelerated or shielded. Always keep your origin IPs private when possible to reduce direct attacks.

Common pitfalls include exposing origin servers, misconfiguring Page Rules, and forgetting to rotate API keys. Test changes on a staging subdomain before applying them to production. Monitor analytics weekly for sudden traffic or error spikes. If you depend on third-party services like payment gateways, allowlist their IPs in Cloudflare so they don't get blocked. For major upgrades, schedule maintenance windows and inform users via a status page to reduce support load. Stay informed and proactive daily.

We publish how-to posts, interviews, and explainers that break down technical changes into clear steps. Expect quick headlines when major incidents happen, and deeper guides for configuration, migration, and cost control. You’ll also find watchdog pieces that explain privacy and policy changes affecting users and businesses in South Africa and beyond.

Have a Cloudflare question or a story tip? Use the tag page to browse related articles and submit feedback on pieces that matter to you. Bookmark this page for live updates and practical tips to keep your sites fast, secure, and online.