# Query regarding adding Cloudflare
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/query-regarding-adding-cloudflare/143369
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Created:** [March 5, 2020, 4:08am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/query-regarding-adding-cloudflare/143369 "2020-03-05T04:08:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Akash\_Raju\_M](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Akash_Raju_M)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2020, 4:08am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/query-regarding-adding-cloudflare/143369/1 "2020-03-05T04:08:13Z")
Hello,
I have installed Discourse using docker installation from Github.
I wanted to setup Cloudflare and came across this guide: [Full site CDN acceleration for Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/t/full-site-cdn-acceleration-for-discourse/21467)
I have added `cloudflare.template.yml` to `app.yml` file.
I have set up **`https://forum-direct.example.com/`** to point to IP address of my VPS hosting discourse and have turned off orange cloud in cloudflare and added this to discourse settings `long polling base url`
Is that all the settings I have to do to get cloudflare free to work with my site or do i need to configure anything else?
Also since `https://forum-direct.example.com/` points to IP of my VPS, people can get my IP, correct? Can i prevent this somehow?
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2020, 6:39am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/query-regarding-adding-cloudflare/143369/2 "2020-03-05T06:39:49Z")
The initial issuance of a certificate will fail if Cloudflare is proxying your domain. Make sure the orange cloud is turned **off**.
> [@Akash\_Raju\_M](#):
>
> people can get my IP, correct? Can i prevent this somehow?
Could you explain why this is a problem? Do you plan on securing the server? Cloudflare isn’t a firewall, even if you proxy traffic the VPS itself isn’t afforded any additional protection.
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### Author:  [@Akash\_Raju\_M](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Akash_Raju_M)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2020, 7:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/query-regarding-adding-cloudflare/143369/3 "2020-03-05T07:06:16Z")
> [@Stephen](#):
>
> Could you explain why this is a problem? Do you plan on securing the server? Cloudflare isn’t a firewall, even if you proxy traffic the VPS itself isn’t afforded any additional protection.
I thought it would provide basic ddos protection
Also, Will having cloudflare break any functionality?
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### Author:  [@hawm](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hawm)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2020, 8:02am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/query-regarding-adding-cloudflare/143369/4 "2020-03-05T08:02:32Z")
You don’t have to make a direct access domain for your discourse for cloudflare in my experience，add the template file is enough.
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2020, 1:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/query-regarding-adding-cloudflare/143369/5 "2020-03-05T13:08:50Z")
> [@Akash\_Raju\_M](#):
>
> I thought it would provide basic ddos protection
Discourse provides basic protections. Unless you are running a community that is likely to make you a target, you are wasting your time.
> [@Akash\_Raju\_M](#):
>
> Also, Will having cloudflare break any functionality
Unless you are careful to turn off some of the optimizations it will break your site. There are many topics on the issue.
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### Author:  [@Akash\_Raju\_M](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Akash_Raju_M)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2020, 6:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/query-regarding-adding-cloudflare/143369/6 "2020-03-05T18:38:40Z")
Okay I think I’m fine without cloudflare for now based on feedback, thanks for all the answers.
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### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2020, 6:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/query-regarding-adding-cloudflare/143369/7 "2020-04-04T18:38:53Z")
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