A few days ago I created a new Cloudflare account and added a domain. It all went through like clockwork, and I received confirmation of success within a few hours.
Status Active
Congratulations! You have successfully activated <example.com> …
I then proceeded to do a lot of work setting up the DNS and other settings. Next I configured my postfix SMTP server based on those settings.
Two days later I suddenly start getting errors with my mailserver. I login to my Cloudflare account to find not a trace of my domain and DNS records. What I do find is:
The following domain is unavailable for transfer: example.com
Registry status: Client transfer prohibited
Meanwhile I still have my nameservers pointing to Cloudflare. How can this happen in this order? My domain was able to be added to Cloudflare and DNS managed, and two days later it’s gone on the grounds of registrar lock. I thought we were supposed to be able to point the nameservers without transferring the domain registration.
I took a look at your account and I can see you added a domain on Dec 2nd and it’s still active and working on Cloudflare. The DNS records were all added on the same day and are still present. So I’m not sure I follow exactly what you are seeing in the dashboard - can you explain a bit more?
Note the message about “unavailable for transfer” is what we show in the Cloudflare Registrar section of the dashboard - which is only for transferring your domain registration to us. You can (and are currently) still use Cloudflare as a DNS provider without paying us for your domain registration and you will continue to be billing by whomever you purchased the domain from.
Thanks Simon. Well it truly is weird. It’s made a liar of me. But I swear it was like I said when I checked yesterday. An account with no domain or DNS records. (Though there were references to it in the audit log). And cross-my-heart, the dashboard said “no active domains”.
Yet just as you observe, it all looks like it should now. Anyway, your second paragraph has clarified the “unavailable for transfer” bit. I probably was looking in the Domains transfer submenu when I saw that. I can only say in my defence that I was lost in the menu.
Maybe this whole thing has just demonstrated what a noob I truly am.
For the record, if you do want to move your domain registration to us, you can do that via the dashboard but the message you saw just indicates the “transfer lock” is enabled at your current Registrar. You typically can unlock this using your Registrar’s control panel and then proceed:
Anyway, your second paragraph has clarified the “unavailable for transfer” bit. I probably was looking in the Domains transfer submenu when I saw that. I can only say in my defence that I was lost in the menu.