The stages
1
Domain verification (TXT)
Proves you control the domain. ClickFlare gives you a host and a value to add as a TXT record.
2
Routing (CNAME or ALIAS)
Points the domain at ClickFlare so clicks resolve.
3
SSL verification (TXT)
Issues the certificate. This step only appears after the first two succeed, typically around ten minutes later.
Check in this order
1. Did you paste the host exactly?
1. Did you paste the host exactly?
The most frequent cause. DNS providers differ in whether they expect the full hostname or just the subdomain portion, and some silently append your domain to whatever you type — turning
_cf-custom-hostname.track into _cf-custom-hostname.track.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com.Check how the saved record renders in your provider’s list, not what you typed into the box.2. Has DNS propagated?
2. Has DNS propagated?
Records are not instant. Set TTL to the lowest your provider allows — one minute where possible — so changes take effect quickly rather than sitting behind a long cache.If a record was created wrong and then corrected, the old value can remain cached for the length of the original TTL. Waiting is the only fix.
3. Is the record type right?
3. Is the record type right?
Verification records are TXT. Routing is CNAME — except on providers where a CNAME cannot coexist with other records at that name.On Namecheap, use an ALIAS record instead of CNAME. It behaves the same way for routing but can sit alongside other records without conflict.See Namecheap, Cloudflare and GoDaddy.
4. Is Cloudflare proxying the record?
4. Is Cloudflare proxying the record?
If your DNS sits behind Cloudflare, the orange cloud must be off for the tracking record. Proxied records route traffic through Cloudflare rather than to ClickFlare, and verification fails.See Cloudflare.
5. Did you save the record?
5. Did you save the record?
Several providers require an explicit confirmation — Namecheap’s green tick is the usual culprit — and discard the row if you navigate away. The record looks present on screen but was never written.
6. Is the subdomain already in use?
6. Is the subdomain already in use?
If the hostname you are trying to use already has records pointing elsewhere, they conflict. Pick a subdomain dedicated to tracking rather than one already serving a site.
Verified, but clicks still fail
A domain that shows active but produces errors on click is usually an SSL problem rather than a DNS one. Certificates are issued after verification and take a few minutes; a link clicked in that window fails. If it persists well beyond that, remove the domain and add it again rather than editing records repeatedly — a half-completed verification does not always recover.Use your own domain, always
Related
Custom domains
Adding a domain and completing each verification stage.
New verification method
The current verification flow, step by step.