I have set up Cloudflare 2 days ago because https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/ is showing a bad score on my website and the main reason seems to be the “server response time” so I figured that using a CDN would help me with that but there is no difference since I get the same score and the same server response time of 1.1
Is there any difference in terms of site speed/delivery of content from the free account to the PRO? I am currently using WP Fastest Cache to improve my score and I also already have Image Optimization ready so is it worth getting the pro version?
My website already had an SSL certificate and I noticed Cloudflare issued a new one. I am pretty sure mine was better (even if I don’t really know the details but it must be since I pay $90/year and yours is free). Is there a way I could keep my original SSL certificate?
PS. In the welcoming email I got this message: “If you hit any bumps in the road, simply reply to this email to reach one of our dedicated support engineers.” - Well, I did reply but nobody answered
There’s not much difference between Free and Pro in terms of basic performance. A cached asset on Pro isn’t going to be faster than a cached asset on Free, with some few exceptions, such as some datacenters catering more toward Pro accounts (this isn’t a common occurrence).
To route data through Cloudflare, you need to use Cloudflare’s SSL certificate, since now you visitors are hitting a Cloudflare server and not your origin server. Only Enterprise customers can put their own certificates on Cloudflare servers.
I tested SSL with Qualys SSL labs and didn’t notice any difference between my server configuration and CF. (SSL is set to “Full”). Still have an A+, and if I remember correctly, there’s still the HSTS max-age that I’ve configured on my Apache. (HSTS is deactivated here)
The only thing I am a bit concerned about is that the Cloudflare cert contains a lot of alternate names from other websites.
My website is on wordpress so content is dynamic but I’m using a caching plugin (wp fastest cache) that should deliver a static version. So as far as Cloudflare is concerned, I’m having a static website so my server should not execute php/mysql queries anymore but only deliver the cached pages so why isn’t the server response time any better.
@MarkMeyer I still didn’t completely understand what is the difference between various SSL certificates. I’m not using a shop and not processing payments on my website, I’m only using SSL as I’ve heard it would help with SEO.
That’s partly true. Cloudflare will still fetch that WP-cached file from your web server on every request of that url. That’s why your TTFB is not any better. It’s probably worse.
As @sdayman hinted, you’ll need to set a page rule on that URL to cache everything. Only then will Cloudflare use it’s own cache, bypassing the need to fetch the html on every request of that url.
Domain validated: (DV)
Verifacation is done in different ways:
1:There will be an E-Mail sent to a default address (hostmaster, postmaster, webmaster and so on) which contains a link. Only the domain owner or the administrative contact should be able to create and access these adresses.
2: DNS validation: The CA will gadvise you to set a special DNS A or TXT Record
3: The Domain the cert was requested for, must be accessible from the internet via an existig A-Record (see Let’s Enrycpt )
Available as wildcard, single and multi domain
Organizaltinal validated (OV):
same as DV + postal adress check
Available as wildcard, single and multi domain
Extended validated (EV):
Extremely long validation process. You need an exerpt from the commercial register, the requester will be called from the CA (not on his own phone number.
They will call the reception or another official phone number and ask them to be conntected to Mr. or Mrs. or…)
postal address check and so on. This cert has the highest trust level. Additionally the company name is visible within the adress bar:
Available as single and multi domain. No wildcards!
I am not pretty sure if SEOs also look for certificates which contain a lot of different domain names i guess they don’t because i know companies that have dozens of different names added to an EV cert. I think it’s all abput the validation level and maybe things like activated HSTS or something else. But i am not a SEO pro
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