Cloudflare Not Working Full Troubleshooting Guide (521, 520, CAPTCHA, SSL, Cache & More)

Cloudflare Not Working? Full Troubleshooting Guide (521, 520, CAPTCHA, SSL, Cache & More)

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Cloudflare Not Working? Full Troubleshooting Guide (521, 520, CAPTCHA, SSL, Cache & More) ranks among today’s most essential tools for fast, secure, and scalable websites. As one of the busiest content delivery networks (CDNs) and online security providers, Cloudflare powers over 25 million internet properties. It handles everything from speeding up page loads to blocking DDoS attacks and managing DNS queries within milliseconds.

However, even Cloudflare isn’t immune to occasional issues. Whether you run a business website or just visit one protected by Cloudflare, you may encounter frustrating problems like Cloudflare error 520, 403 Forbidden, or challenges such as “can’t pass Cloudflare verification”.

This guide breaks down all the major Cloudflare problems—why they happen and how to fix them, step by step.

🔎 What Does “Cloudflare Not Working” Actually Mean?

When someone says “Cloudflare not working”, they may be facing a variety of technical situations, such as:

  • Your website returns 5xx errors like 520, 521, or 525.

  • You experience issues with DNS resolution or propagation.

  • Visitors are stuck in CAPTCHA loops or see “403 Forbidden” errors.

  • Your website isn’t redirecting to HTTPS.

  • Pages don’t update because of stale Cloudflare cache.

  • API calls time out, or Cloudflare rate limiting blocks key services.

Before jumping into solutions, it’s vital to identify what’s going wrong and where—whether it’s your origin server, Cloudflare, or your DNS settings.

 Most Common Cloudflare Problems and Fixes

Let’s go through the most frequently reported Cloudflare issues based on user queries and search volume trends:

1. Can’t Pass Cloudflare Verification

Symptoms:

  • Endless CAPTCHA or human verification loops.

  • Browser shows challenge pages every time.

Fix:

  • Disable Bot Fight Mode under Security → Bots.

  • Adjust the Security Level to “Medium” or “Low” (not “High”).

  • Whitelist user agents like Googlebot, or IPs that represent legitimate visitors.

  • Check for browser plugins or VPNs that might trigger false positives.

2. Cloudflare Speed Test Issues

Many users search for ways to test Cloudflare’s speed or measure CDN impact.

Fix:

  • Use speed.cloudflare.com to test latency, jitter, and load times.

  • Compare with WebPageTest or GTmetrix to validate performance improvements.

  • Enable Rocket Loader and Auto Minify features for better JS/CSS compression.

3. Cloudflare Error 520

Symptoms:

  • Users see “520: Web server returned an unknown error.”

  • Your origin server appears to be up, but logs show nothing useful.

Fix:

  • Restart the web server to reset stale sessions.

  • Disable mod_security or similar firewall plugins temporarily.

  • Strip or fix unusual HTTP headers that might confuse Cloudflare.

  • On CMS platforms like WordPress, disable all plugins and reactivate one by one to isolate issues.

4. Cloudflare Error 521

Symptoms:

  • Page displays “521: Web server is down.”

Fix:

  • Ensure your origin server is actually running.

  • Open HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443) on your server firewall.

  • Allow all Cloudflare IP ranges on your firewall.

5. 403 Forbidden Cloudflare

Symptoms:

  • Real users get blocked with a “403 Forbidden” Cloudflare error.

Fix:

  • Go to Security → Events to see what’s triggering blocks.

  • Whitelist false positives or adjust strict firewall rules.

  • Check for WAF (Web Application Firewall) sensitivity settings.

6. Cloudflare Failing to Load

Symptoms:

  • Inconsistent website availability.

  • Errors like 520, DNS failures, or timeout errors.

Fix:

  • Run diagnostic tests with dig, nslookup, or DownForEveryoneOrJustMe.

  • Inspect Cloudflare Analytics for real-time performance stats.

  • Use curl -I to check response headers and status codes.

7. Cloudflare Family DNS Not Working

Cloudflare’s Family DNS service (1.1.1.3) blocks adult content. Some users report connection or filtering problems.

Fix:

  • Set DNS manually to 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3.

  • Clear local DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns on Windows).

  • Restart router or switch to 1.1.1.1 if filtering is too aggressive.

8. Cloudflare vs Akamai: Which Is Better?

Both Cloudflare and Akamai offer global CDN and DDoS protection. Key differences:

Feature Cloudflare Akamai
Pricing Freemium Enterprise only
Setup Easy (dashboard + API) Complex, contract-based
DNS Performance Fast and global Enterprise-grade
Use Case Small to large sites Enterprise and telco

For most startups and SMBs, Cloudflare is easier and more budget-friendly.

9. Redirect Domain in Cloudflare

Fix:

  • Go to Rules > Page Rules.

  • Set rule: example.com/* → https://www.example.com/$1 (301 Permanent Redirect).

  • Or use the Bulk Redirects feature for multiple domains.

10. Cloudflare Email Obfuscation Breaking Layouts

Symptoms:

  • Contact email doesn’t show up.

  • Page layout seems broken.

Fix:

  • Turn off Scrape Shield > Email Obfuscation.

  • Use JavaScript or contact forms for privacy without display issues.

Other Situational Fixes

Cloudflare Not Redirecting to HTTPS

  • Enable Always Use HTTPS in SSL/TLS tab.

  • Turn on Automatic HTTPS Rewrites.

  • Add .htaccess rules if using Apache.

Rocket Loader Breaking Scripts

  • Turn off Rocket Loader under Speed → Optimization.

  • Or add data-cfasync="false" to critical scripts.

Cloudflare Analytics & Tools

  • Cloudflare Ray ID – Appears in error messages; useful for debugging.

  • Cloudflare Analytics – See traffic, threats, cache rates, and errors.

  • cURL Commands – curl -I https://yourdomain.com shows status headers.

  • Traceroute/Ping – Help isolate regional network failures.

WordPress, Shopify, and Plugin Conflicts

Cloudflare can sometimes clash with CMS plugins, themes, or hosting security settings.

Fixes:

  • Use official Cloudflare WordPress plugin.

  • Disable other caching or security plugins temporarily.

  • Recheck settings after migrations or DNS changes.

Final Thoughts: Mastering Cloudflare Troubleshooting

From CAPTCHA loops to DNS misfires, many of Cloudflare’s most disruptive issues come down to simple misconfigurations.

Recap: 5-Step Troubleshooting Checklist

  1. Check DNS Records – A wrong A record or CNAME ruins everything.

  2. Firewall Settings – Don’t block your own users.

  3. SSL/TLS Setup – Ensure your origin has valid certificates.

  4. Cache Behavior – Use development mode during changes.

  5. Use Cloudflare Analytics – Monitor real-time traffic, blocks, and cache status.

By understanding what each error means and knowing exactly where to look, you’ll resolve issues faster—and ensure your site stays secure, fast, and accessible.

Why is my website not loading after connecting to Cloudflare?

Check your DNS records, SSL certificate settings, and firewall rules. Cloudflare might be blocked from reaching your origin server.

Does Cloudflare block search engine bots?

Not by default. But strict firewall or Bot Fight Mode may block crawlers like Googlebot. Whitelist their user-agent in Security settings.

How can I tell if Cloudflare is the cause of the issue?

Temporarily bypass Cloudflare by pointing DNS directly to your origin server. If the site loads normally, the issue is with Cloudflare configuration.

Is there an alternative to Cloudflare?

Yes. Competitors include Akamai, Fastly, StackPath, and Sucuri. For personal or low-budget projects, Cloudflare is still unmatched in features and price.

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