One of the main perks of having a WordPress site is the variety of plugins available. If you’re interested in installing the Cloudflare WordPress plugin on your website, you’ll be happy to discover it’s possible with just a few simple steps.
This post will walk you through how to install the Cloudflare WordPress plugin. You’ll also learn more about how to use it to its fullest potential.
- What is the Cloudflare WordPress plugin?
- Before Installing Cloudflare WordPress Plugin
- How to Install & Active Cloudflare WordPress Plugin
- Configure Cloudflare WordPress Plugin
- Get Started Using the Cloudflare WordPress Today
What is the Cloudflare WordPress plugin?
Cloudflare, a company that offers security and performance services, developed this plugin that features settings to optimize and protect your WordPress site. To get an idea of how many people use the Cloudflare WordPress plugin, look at how many installations it boasts — over 200,000. You can install this plugin if you have version 3.4 of WordPress or higher. You’ll also need to create a Cloudflare account to get started.
The Cloudflare WordPress plugin is free and can benefit your site in various ways. Let’s dive into some of them.
Makes Pages Load Faster
The first five seconds it takes your page to load have the highest impact on your site’s conversion rates, according to a study by Portent. And did we mention that almost 70% of consumers say that page speed affects their decision to purchase from an online retailer?
The reality is that just a few seconds can have a tremendous impact on if your website converts. If your site doesn’t load quickly, your bounce rate will reflect that. You can use the Cloudflare plugin on your WordPress site to increase your page load speed.
Improves Search Engine Optimization
Developing your site’s search engine optimization (SEO) strategy helps ensure visitors find your site. However, you don’t need to navigate the world of SEO alone — plugins like this one from Cloudflare can help. (Plus, we’ve created this handy guide on all things SEO.)
Safeguards Attacks from DDoS Attacks
A DDoS, or distributed denial-of-service attack, attempts to make your website inaccessible to visitors. It can cause severe problems for your business, leading to a lack of credibility and may result in lost revenue. Luckily, with the help of this plugin, you can safeguard your WordPress site from experiencing these attacks.
Before Installing Cloudflare WordPress Plugin
Ready to start using the Cloudflare WordPress plugin? You’ll need to take a few steps before you can begin the installation. Let’s walk through them.
Sign up for a Cloudflare account.
If you don’t already have a Cloudflare account, visit their website and register. (Yes, it’s free.) It only takes a few seconds.
Add Cloudflare IPs.
Adding Cloudflare’s IPs to your allowlist will prevent rate-limiting or blocking. Doing this will protect your site from unauthorized users gaining access to your account. Here’s a list of the Cloudflare IPs you should allow.
How to Install & Activate Cloudflare WordPress Plugin
Once you’ve walked through these steps, you can begin to install and activate your plugin. Let’s get started.
1. Login to your WordPress account and navigate to plugins.
Once you’ve logged into your WordPress site, navigate to Plugins on the left side of the screen.
2. Click add new plugin and search for Cloudflare.
Click Add New in the top left corner. Then, type Cloudflare in the search bar. Select the plugin and click Install Now.
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3. Activate the plugin.
Once you install the plugin, click Activate. WordPress will bring you to the plugin homepage, where you should see the plugin is now active. You can choose to enable auto-updates, deactivate the plugin, or learn more by visiting settings.
Configure Cloudflare WordPress Plugin
Congratulations; you’ve successfully installed the Cloudflare WordPress plugin! Now it’s time to quickly configure it so you’re all set up and ready to use it.
Once you’ve installed the plugin, WordPress brings you to the plugin dashboard.
You should see the plugin name listed. Click Settings.
WordPress prompts you to sign up or sign into your Cloudflare account.
To log in, provide your email and API key. Once you have, select Save API Credentials. Check out this step-by-step guide if you need help learning how to retrieve your Cloudflare API key.
Be sure to apply the default plugin settings under settings to ensure it works to its fullest potential.
Get Started Using the Cloudflare WordPress Today
Now that you have a more thorough understanding of why this plugin is beneficial and how to install it, you can get started today. By installing this Cloudflare plugin, you'll find that you have greater peace of mind that your WordPress site is protected from attacks and visitors will enjoy a seamless user experience.
