Cloudflare DNS for Hostinger AI Builder: Setup

To use Cloudflare DNS with a Hostinger AI Builder site, you change your domain’s nameservers at Hostinger to the ones Cloudflare provides, then configure the DNS records in Cloudflare to point to your Hostinger site. This article walks through the exact steps, explains what each setting does, and covers common pitfalls so your site stays online during and after the switch.

Why Add Cloudflare DNS to a Hostinger AI Builder Site?

Hostinger’s AI Builder is a website builder that includes hosting, a domain (if you bought one through Hostinger), and a drag-and-drop editor. By default, your domain uses Hostinger’s nameservers, which means Hostinger’s DNS handles all the lookups for your site. Adding Cloudflare in front of that does two useful things: it hides your origin server’s IP address from visitors, and it gives you access to Cloudflare’s CDN, which caches static files (images, CSS, JavaScript) on servers around the world. For most small sites, the main benefit is faster load times for visitors far from your hosting location, plus a small layer of protection against DDoS attacks.

You can also use Cloudflare purely for DNS management—even if you don’t enable the proxy (orange cloud) feature—which gives you a single place to manage records if you have multiple domains. But the typical reason people set it up is to get the CDN and security features.

What You Need Before You Start

• Your domain name (e.g., example.com) registered either through Hostinger or with access to its DNS settings.
• A Hostinger AI Builder site that is already published and working on its default domain (like yoursite.hostinger-site.com).
• Access to the email account associated with your domain registration, because Cloudflare will send a verification email.
• Your Hostinger login credentials—you’ll need to change nameservers there.

If you bought your domain from Hostinger, you’ll do the nameserver change in the Hostinger hPanel. If your domain is registered elsewhere (like Namecheap or GoDaddy), you’ll do it there instead, but the Cloudflare steps are identical.

Step-by-Step: Point Your Domain to Cloudflare

1. Create a Cloudflare account (free) at cloudflare.com and log in.
2. Click Add a site and enter your domain name (e.g., example.com). Choose the free plan—it’s sufficient for most AI Builder sites.
3. Cloudflare will scan existing DNS records. It should automatically find the A/AAAA and CNAME records that Hostinger uses. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to add them manually (next section).
4. Cloudflare will show you two nameservers that look like abc.ns.cloudflare.com and xyz.ns.cloudflare.com. Copy these.
5. Log in to your Hostinger hPanel, go to Domains → select your domain → DNS / Nameservers → choose Change nameservers and paste the two Cloudflare nameservers. Save.
6. Return to Cloudflare and click Done, check nameservers. Cloudflare will periodically check; propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours, though it’s usually under an hour.
7. Once Cloudflare confirms the nameservers are active, you’ll receive an email to verify your email address. Click the link, and your site is now on Cloudflare DNS.

Important: do not delete any DNS records that Cloudflare imported unless you are certain they are wrong. Deleting the A record that points to your Hostinger server will take your site offline.

Configuring DNS Records for Hostinger AI Builder

After adding your site, go to the DNS tab in Cloudflare. You should see at least these records for a typical Hostinger setup:

• A record for the root domain (@) pointing to your server’s IPv4 address (e.g., 145.14.144.xxx).
• AAAA record for the root domain pointing to the IPv6 address (if your server has one).
• CNAME record for www pointing to your domain (or to the Hostinger-provided hostname).

If Cloudflare didn’t import them, you can find the correct IP addresses in your Hostinger hPanel under Websites → select your AI Builder site → Details or DNS. The IP is usually listed as “Server IP” or “IPv4 address.” Add an A record with name @ and that IP, and a CNAME for www pointing to @ (or to your domain).

For the AI Builder specifically, there is often a CNAME record pointing to a hostname like sites.hostinger.com or similar. If you see that in your Hostinger DNS settings, replicate it in Cloudflare. When in doubt, keep the records exactly as they were in Hostinger.

Orange Cloud vs. Grey Cloud: What Each Means

In Cloudflare’s DNS table, each record has a cloud icon next to it. Clicking it toggles between Proxied (orange) and DNS only (grey).

• Proxied (orange): Traffic flows through Cloudflare’s network. Your site’s IP is hidden, and caching/CDN features are active. This is what most people want.
• DNS only (grey): Cloudflare only answers DNS queries; traffic goes directly to your Hostinger server. No CDN, no IP hiding. Use this if you have a specific reason (e.g., troubleshooting a connection issue).

For a Hostinger AI Builder site, you can safely proxy the A and CNAME records. If you later have trouble with SSL or the site not loading, temporarily set them to DNS only to isolate the issue.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Site says “This site can’t be reached” after switching. This usually means the nameservers haven’t propagated yet, or you missed a DNS record. Wait a few hours, then check that the A record points to the correct IP. You can verify by using a tool like dig or an online DNS checker.

SSL errors (NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID). Cloudflare’s SSL settings might be set to “Flexible” while your Hostinger site already has its own SSL certificate. Change Cloudflare’s SSL/TLS mode to Full (or Full (strict) if you have a valid origin cert). Go to SSL/TLS → Overview and select the appropriate mode.

Email stops working. If you use email with your domain (e.g., through Hostinger or Google Workspace), you must add the MX records to Cloudflare. Cloudflare’s scan usually imports them, but double-check. Also, if you proxy the root domain, some email services may have issues—set the root A record to DNS only if you encounter problems.

Site loads but images are broken. This can happen if your AI Builder site uses absolute URLs that point to the old domain (e.g., yoursite.hostinger-site.com). After the DNS switch, those URLs may still work, but if you see mixed content (HTTP vs HTTPS), enable Cloudflare’s “Always Use HTTPS” under SSL/TLS → Edge Certificates.

Comparing Cloudflare DNS to Hostinger’s Default DNS

Hostinger’s own DNS is perfectly reliable and fast for most sites. The main differences are:

• Performance: Cloudflare’s anycast network has more edge locations globally, so static content may load faster for international visitors.
• Security: Cloudflare offers a free Web Application Firewall (WAF) with basic rules, plus DDoS protection. Hostinger also has some protection, but Cloudflare’s is more granular.
• Control: Cloudflare gives you more DNS features like CNAME flattening, which lets you use a CNAME at the root domain (some DNS providers don’t allow that).
• Complexity: Hostinger’s DNS is simpler—one less account to manage. Cloudflare adds a step but also gives you analytics and caching controls.

For a simple AI Builder site, Hostinger’s DNS is fine. But if you want the CDN, extra security, or plan to add more services later, Cloudflare is a solid upgrade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my Hostinger AI Builder site break if I switch to Cloudflare?

No, as long as you copy the DNS records correctly and wait for propagation. The site will continue to work because the DNS records still point to the same Hostinger server—only the nameservers change. There may be a brief downtime of a few minutes to an hour during propagation, but that’s normal.

Do I need to buy Cloudflare’s paid plan?

No. The free plan includes CDN, SSL, DDoS protection, and basic caching—everything a typical AI Builder site needs. Paid plans add advanced WAF rules, image optimization, and more, but they are not required for basic setup.

How long does it take for Cloudflare DNS to start working?

Nameserver changes typically propagate within 24 hours, but often within 1–2 hours. Cloudflare will email you when the site is active. You can check status in the Cloudflare dashboard under “Overview.”

Can I use Cloudflare with a domain bought from Hostinger?

Yes. You change the nameservers in Hostinger’s hPanel to the Cloudflare ones. The domain stays registered with Hostinger, but DNS is managed by Cloudflare. You can also keep using Hostinger’s email and other services—just make sure to add the necessary MX records.

What if I want to go back to Hostinger DNS?

Simply change the nameservers back to Hostinger’s (they are listed in hPanel under DNS/Nameservers). Propagation will take a few hours again. Your site will work exactly as before, as long as you didn’t delete any required records during the Cloudflare period.

Does Cloudflare cache my AI Builder site’s dynamic content?

By default, Cloudflare only caches static files (CSS, JS, images). Dynamic content (like HTML pages generated by the AI builder) is passed through to Hostinger. You can adjust caching rules in Cloudflare’s “Caching” section, but for a typical site, the default is fine.

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