Cloudflare API

Set up API access for Cloudflare, enabling management of DNS, CDN, Workers, and security settings programmatically.

⏱ 5 minutes cdn edge dns dash.cloudflare.com

getapi cloudflare

Prerequisites

Variable	Description	Sensitive
`CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN`	Scoped API token for Cloudflare API access	Secret

1 Info

We'll create a scoped Cloudflare API token. Cloudflare recommends API tokens over the legacy Global API Key because tokens can be scoped to specific permissions and zones.
2 Open URL

Opening the Cloudflare API tokens page. Sign in if prompted.
https://dash.cloudflare.com/profile/api-tokens
3 Info

Click 'Create Token'. You can use a template (e.g. 'Edit zone DNS', 'Read All Resources') or click 'Create Custom Token' for fine-grained control. Select the permissions and zones your app needs.
4 Confirm

Token created? (You should see a summary page with the token value.)

Checkpoint — confirm before continuing
5 Input

Copy the API token and paste it here:

→ CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN

40 characters
6 Validate

Checking your API token works...

API token verified. You're all set.

Couldn't verify the API token. Make sure you copied it correctly and it hasn't been revoked.

API tokens are only shown once when created. If you lose it, you'll need to create a new one.
Always use scoped API tokens instead of the Global API Key. Tokens can be limited to specific zones and permissions.
Cloudflare's free plan includes CDN, DNS, DDoS protection, and basic WAF rules.
The API has a rate limit of 1,200 requests per 5 minutes. Batch operations where possible.
Token permissions are additive — start with minimal permissions and add more as needed.