Let’s start with a simple truth: Shopify does not let you directly control its core server infrastructure. When you host a store on Shopify, Shopify manages performance, security, certificates, caching, and traffic routing for you. That includes using reverse proxy technology and global content delivery to accelerate your store and protect it. You don’t have to manually configure it because Shopify is designed as a managed platform.
Cloudflare, on the other hand, is a powerful network and security layer that can sit between a visitor and a website. It routes traffic through its own servers, hides your origin IP, and applies caching and filtering. Some people describe that as a “proxy” because Cloudflare presents itself to visitors instead of your direct origin server.
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So when we talk about “how to remove Cloudflare proxy on Shopify,” there are really two different situations we need to separate:
In the first case, you usually cannot “remove” Cloudflare-type behavior from Shopify because Shopify handles traffic the way it wants for performance and security reasons. You don’t get a toggle that says “disable proxy.” But in the second case, if you yourself put Cloudflare in front of your Shopify store with a custom domain, then yes – you can change your DNS so that traffic goes straight to Shopify without Cloudflare sitting in the middle.
This guide is focused on that second case: removing Cloudflare as the active proxy layer for a custom domain that points to Shopify.
We’ll walk through how the setup works, what changes when you turn off proxy mode, how to update DNS correctly, and what to watch out for so you don’t accidentally break checkout, SSL, or email. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to do and what not to do. We’ll also talk about when keeping a traffic management layer is actually good for you, and how services like managed proxy solutions (for example, proxy solutions) fit into the bigger technical picture of performance and traffic control.
When you connect a custom domain like yourstore.com to Shopify, Shopify asks you to update two essential DNS records at your domain registrar:
If your domain is registered at places like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc., you usually go into their DNS dashboard and enter those values directly. In this traditional setup, traffic flows like this:
Visitor → DNS resolves yourstore.com → Shopify IP → Shopify store
However, some store owners decide to manage DNS using Cloudflare instead of using the registrar’s DNS. Why? Cloudflare gives them more control: DDoS protection, caching, firewall rules, geo rules, analytics, and fast propagation of changes. In that case, the traffic path looks like this:
Visitor → Cloudflare → Shopify
That “Cloudflare → Shopify” hop is what people refer to when they mention “Cloudflare proxy.” Cloudflare sits in the middle. If you enable the orange cloud icon in your Cloudflare DNS panel for your A record or CNAME record, Cloudflare is actively proxying and inspecting that traffic.
If you’re in that model and you now want to remove Cloudflare from the path, you have to do two things:
It sounds simple, but you have to do it in the right order so your store doesn’t go down.
Before changing anything, make sure Cloudflare is really acting as a proxy for your domain. You might not even be using it.
Here’s how to tell:
If the little cloud icon next to those records is orange, Cloudflare’s proxy is ON for that record. If the icon is gray, Traffic is just being passed through without proxying – that means Cloudflare is basically acting like a DNS provider only, not an active traffic layer.
If you don’t see your domain in Cloudflare at all, and your registrar DNS points directly to Shopify, then you’re not using Cloudflare as a proxy and there’s nothing to remove. Your Shopify setup is already direct.
If you see an orange cloud next to the records that point to Shopify, click it to turn it gray. When the cloud is gray, Cloudflare is no longer acting as an active reverse proxy. It’s now just providing DNS resolution.
Why this matters: when Cloudflare is orange/proxied, visitors hit Cloudflare first. When it’s gray/not proxied, visitors connect directly to the Shopify IP or Shopify hostname you set in that DNS record.
Important: after turning the cloud gray, give DNS time to propagate. Traffic will begin going directly to Shopify. At this point, your SSL may briefly refresh, because the certificate serving your store might switch from Cloudflare’s edge SSL to Shopify’s SSL.
Some store owners don’t want to keep Cloudflare in the loop at all – not even as a DNS manager. If that’s you, you can go back to using DNS from your registrar or another provider.
That process looks like this:
This step removes Cloudflare fully: it’s no longer proxying and it’s no longer answering DNS for you. Traffic goes straight to Shopify based on standard DNS resolution.
Inside your Shopify admin:
Keep adjusting until Shopify confirms it can see your domain correctly.
After removing Cloudflare as a proxy, you want to be 100% sure customers can still:
To test this properly, open an incognito/private browser window and visit both yourstore.com and www.yourstore.com. Make sure both URLs load securely (look for the lock icon in the browser). Add an item to your cart, go to checkout, and confirm that no redirect loops happen.
If you see security warnings about certificates, that usually means the DNS changes have not fully propagated yet, or Shopify has not re-issued SSL for the domain after the proxy layer was removed. This often resolves on its own within a short period, but you should monitor it.
It’s easy to think: “Why even bother with Cloudflare at all? I’ll just point my domain straight to Shopify and stop overthinking it.” Sometimes that’s the correct move. But sometimes removing Cloudflare makes you lose benefits you didn’t even realize you had.
Here’s a comparison:
| Factor | Keeping Cloudflare Proxy Active | Removing Cloudflare Proxy (Direct to Shopify) |
| Traffic Routing | Traffic is routed through Cloudflare first | Traffic goes directly to Shopify |
| DDoS / Bot Filtering | Cloudflare can block known abusive traffic before it hits Shopify | Shopify still has protection, but you lose Cloudflare’s extra filtering layer |
| Custom Firewall Rules | You can create IP rules, country rules, rate limiting | You rely fully on Shopify’s built-in protections |
| SSL Certificate | Served by Cloudflare’s edge, then forwarded to Shopify | Served by Shopify directly |
| DNS Tweaks and Fast Propagation | Very fast DNS changes and analytics from Cloudflare | DNS controlled by domain registrar or other DNS provider |
| Complexity | Slightly more complex setup, more “moving parts” | Simpler and easier to explain to team members |
| Debuggability | Sometimes harder: you’re debugging two layers (Cloudflare + Shopify) | Easier: you’re only debugging Shopify + registrar DNS |
| Performance Tuning | Cloudflare-level caching for static assets (like images, CSS, JS) can improve global response | You rely on Shopify’s own CDN and global edge delivery |
If your store deals with aggressive scraping, fake traffic, or high-volume seasonal spikes, keeping Cloudflare can act like a safety net and a performance booster. If your store is small, local, or you just don’t want the overhead of managing multiple dashboards, removing it can make life simpler.
There is no single “right” answer for everyone. The best approach depends on the size of your brand, your tolerance for complexity, and how much abuse your domain tends to attract.
When people turn off Cloudflare or move DNS away from it, they sometimes run into problems that feel scary at first but are actually very fixable. Let’s go through the usual ones you should be ready for.
Why it happens: Before, Cloudflare was presenting its own SSL at the edge, instantly covering your domain. After switching off proxy, your domain is now expected to use Shopify’s SSL directly. If DNS hasn’t fully propagated, your browser might still be seeing a partial or mismatched certificate.
What to do: Give DNS changes time to settle, then recheck in an incognito window. Also go to Shopify → Settings → Domains and make sure Shopify shows the domain as “Connected” and “SSL provisioned.” If it says “SSL pending,” just allow it to finish.
Why it happens: You pointed www.yourstore.com correctly with a CNAME to Shopify, but you forgot to update the A record for yourstore.com itself – or the other way around.
What to do: Make sure both records match Shopify’s instructions. You need:
Why it happens: When you moved DNS away from Cloudflare, you may not have rebuilt some MX or TXT records that control email sending (especially if you’re using a custom sender domain for order confirmations, marketing newsletters, etc.).
What to do: In your new DNS control panel (registrar or other DNS host), make sure:
If you forget this step, customers may stop receiving order confirmations, and your outbound domain reputation can suffer.
Why it happens: Some third-party payment or fraud-prevention tools rely on seeing the original visitor IP. When Cloudflare is removed, those IPs may show differently. Usually this resolves automatically, but you may have to update an allowlist, depending on the provider.
What to do: Check any payment gateways, anti-fraud tools, or tax calculation apps after you switch off proxy mode. Run one test order and see if they still approve/settle the payment instantly.
There are some cases where you might want to pause before removing Cloudflare as a proxy for your Shopify store. If any of these sound familiar, consider leaving it in place until you plan a controlled migration window:
If any of the above are critical to the way you operate, removing Cloudflare without planning an alternative can expose you to performance loss, inflated ad spend, or higher fraud risk overnight.
In these situations, a better approach is controlled reduction instead of instant removal. For example, you can selectively gray out certain DNS records while keeping others proxied, or you can gradually migrate individual protections into Shopify apps or other network-level tools you trust.
Here’s a clear, actionable list you can follow. Treat it like a mini playbook:
That’s all you actually need to do. If you can complete that list without errors, then effectively you have removed Cloudflare’s proxy layer from your Shopify domain.
At the end of the day, this decision is about control versus convenience. Keeping Cloudflare in front of Shopify gives you extra control. You get fine-grained visibility of traffic, you can shape behavior, and you can apply rules that Shopify alone does not expose at the storefront level. This matters a lot for stores at scale. It matters if you’re fighting bots. It matters if you’re expanding internationally and you want predictable performance and threat filtering.
Removing Cloudflare simplifies your life. Your DNS lives in one place. Your store points directly to Shopify. There’s no “mystery middle layer” to debug when something goes wrong. If you’re a smaller brand or you don’t have an in-house technical person, that simplicity is worth real money because downtime costs sales. Fewer moving parts means fewer surprises at 2 a.m.
There’s also a middle path: you can move away from Cloudflare’s full proxy but still make smart use of managed traffic tools when you actually need them. For example, controlled network routing and IP management can be handled by specialized proxy solutions that give you performance, stability, and targeting logic for specific workflows like analytics, QA testing, ad verification, or regional traffic evaluation – without forcing those rules directly onto your live store.
So here’s the honest summary: you absolutely can remove Cloudflare proxy from Shopify if you’re using Cloudflare for DNS, and you can do it safely. Just follow the steps, re-verify DNS, and retest checkout. But before you do, pause and ask yourself what Cloudflare was doing for you. If it was just “something I turned on one night,” feel free to switch it off. If it was quietly protecting your revenue, think twice and plan the transition instead of ripping it out instantly.
Need more ideas and information? Visit Din Studio’s blog and gain inspiration!
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