Email Routing with CloudFlare

Email routing with Cloudflare can require special configuring to ensure that email routes work properly. This is because our spam filter uses the root of your domain to route messages by default.

There are a couple of solutions to address this.

If you expose your ‘mail’ subdomain at CloudFlare, you can set it to point directly to your Rochen server to be used instead. This allows more straightforward configuration of email clients. The drawback is that it does allow visitors to identify the origin IP address for your account. 

You can also use your server’s hostname for email routing.

Instructions for fixing your email routing using either method are below.

Email routing with a custom ‘mail’ subdomain:

1. Find your account’s IP address on the MyRochen Manage Hosting page.  The IP will be used for your ‘mail’ subdomain record. 
2. Log in to CloudFlare and navigate to your DNS management page. Check for an existing ‘mail’ DNS record.
3. If one exists already, make sure it is an ‘A’ type, not CNAME, record mapping your account’s IP address. If it is not already listed, add it.
4. The cloud icon proxy toggle should be disabled so the mail subdomain resolves directly to your Rochen server. For further usage information, please see this page at CloudFlare.
5. Log in to your Rochen cPanel account. You can use the cPanel URL link from your MyRochen Manage Hosting page.
6. Go to the Professional Spam Filter page and choose your domain.
7. Click the Destinations tab, then click the Search icon to see your configured current destinations.
8. Click the drop-down next to your existing destination, then choose Edit. Change the Host field to mail.<yourdomain> and save.

Email routing with the server’s hostname:

1. Find your server’s hostname on the MyRochen Manage Hosting page. It will be listed next to cPanel URL and should look similar to ‘uk123.directrouter.com’.
2. Log in to your Rochen cPanel account. You can use the cPanel URL link from your MyRochen Manage Hosting page.
3. Go to the Professional Spam Filter page and choose your domain.
4. Click the Destinations tab, then click the Search icon to see your configured current destinations.
5. Click the drop-down next to your existing destination and choose Edit. Change the Host field to the hostname that you found in step 1, and save.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the risk when exposing an account IP via an unmasked “A” record?

Your account’s IP address will be exposed so that it can be easily discovered and CloudFlare can be bypassed using a method like a modified hosts file. That isn’t necessarily a problem but it will limit the additional privacy from CloudFlare.

Can a different, potentially randomized, subdomain be used instead of ‘mail’ for added security? 

Absolutely! You’ll need to use the randomized subdomain instead when you adjust the destination in the spam filter. 

Please open a support ticket with us if you encounter any difficulties or need additional clarification about email routing with CloudFlare.