Integrating Cloudflare with Staq

Cloudflare integration into Staq will provide you additional security and performance gains. It’ll automatically set your Cloudflare “website” or DNS to their best practices to ensure optimized caching inside their edges. Also, with this integration, the Cloudflare proxy will be enabled and our system will communicate with them to ensure that SSL certificates are deployed and renewed automatically.

This KB provides a step-by-step guide to integrate Cloudflare with Staq. By following these instructions, users can seamlessly connect their Cloudflare account to Staq for streamlined management.

Steps to Integrate Cloudflare with Staq:

Staq Cloudflare Integration

Inside Global Settings > Cloudflare is where the integration will occur. Follow the steps below on how to generate the API token and then adding it into Staq.

Access Cloudflare Dashboard:

Sign in to your Cloudflare account using your credentials. Alternatively, you can access the Cloudflare dashboard directly here.

Create API Token:

In the Cloudflare dashboard, navigate to “My Profile” and click on “API Tokens“.

Click on “Create Token” to begin the token creation process.

Use Template:

Under “Create Additional Tokens”, click on “Use template” to select predefined settings:

Rename Token (Optional):

While optional, you can rename the token from “Create Additional Tokens” to something more descriptive, such as “Staq-Token”.

Set Permissions:

Please add 4x entries. Ensure the following permissions are granted:

• User → API Tokens → Edit (self-generated; leave as is)
• Account → Account Settings → Read
• Zone → DNS → Edit
• Zone → Zone → Edit
• Zone → Zone Settings → Edit

Select Account Resources:

Choose the appropriate account under “Account Resources”. You can select one account OR all of them:

Zone Resources

For our Cloudflare integration to work into Staq, you must leave Zone Resources set to “Include” followed by All zones. Setting limitations here will prevent the integration from working.

Review Settings and click Continue to Summary:

Verify that all settings are configured correctly. Make any necessary adjustments if needed. Once settings are reviewed, click on “Continue to summary” to proceed.

Generate API Token:

Cloudflare will generate a unique “User API Token“. Copy this token as it will be used to integrate with Staq.

Add API Token to Staq

Inside Global Settings > Cloudflare, click Connect Account:

Then, paste the copied Cloudflare API token into the designated field in Staq and click Save:

How to enable Cloudflare CDN

This guide tells you how to enable Cloudflare CDN now for each site:

How to enable Cloudflare CDN on Staq

Conclusion

By following these steps, users can seamlessly integrate Cloudflare with Staq, leveraging the benefits of Cloudflare’s robust performance and security features alongside Staq’s powerful hosting platform. This integration enhances website performance, security, and management capabilities for a seamless user experience.

FAQ’s

Can I use a Cloudflare account that is not connected to Staq?

Yes, you can use a Cloudflare account that is not connected to Staq. However, for proxy functionality to work, the Cloudflare domain or site must be part of the specific Cloudflare account associated with the API key that has been added to Staq. All future sites you add to the Cloudflare account associated with the API key will automatically appear as an available domain to be assigned to a future site.

What happens if the Cloudflare proxy is enabled in an external Cloudflare account not linked to Staq?

If the Cloudflare proxy is enabled in an external account not linked to Staq:

• SSL Auto-Renewal Will Fail: Staq cannot auto-renew the SSL certificate.
• Caching Issues: Staq’s system is configured to automatically clear Cloudflare’s cache when needed. Without integration, cache clearing will not work, leading to caching problems.

I have Cloudflare integrated into Staq, but during the GoLive process, I cannot see my domain.

If you cannot see your domain in the GoLive process, consider these two possibilities:

1. Domain Not Linked to the Correct Cloudflare Account:
   Ensure that the domain is part of the Cloudflare account associated with the API key integrated into Staq.
2. The Domain Is Already Live with Cloudflare:
   If the website is already live on Staq and integrated with Cloudflare, you need to disable Cloudflare first. After releasing it, repeat the GoLive process to reconnect the domain.

Do I use my own Cloudflare account or Staq’s managed Cloudflare account?

Staq does not manage Cloudflare accounts. Therefore, you must use your own Cloudflare account for integration.