rr2.dev: GoDaddy → Cloudflare migration
Migrated rr2.dev's DNS and registration from GoDaddy/Netlify to Cloudflare with zero downtime.
TL;DR: Moved rr2.dev's DNS and domain registration from GoDaddy/Netlify to Cloudflare in two stages — DNS first, registrar second — with zero downtime throughout.
Why: Consolidating DNS and registration onto Cloudflare instead of split GoDaddy (registrar) + Netlify (DNS).
How
- DNS Audit & Clean-Up — Replaced Netlify's dynamic CNAMEs with clean records for
@andwww, using Cloudflare's automatic CNAME flattening at root. Carried over all Zoho India mail records — MX, SPF, DKIM, verification tokens. Kept everything on DNS Only (grey cloud) initially so Netlify's SSL stayed valid during propagation. - Nameserver Cutover — Swapped Netlify's nameservers for Cloudflare's in GoDaddy's domain panel.
- Registrar Transfer — Unlocked the domain on GoDaddy, generated an EPP auth code, initiated transfer via Cloudflare Registrar, then manually approved "Transfer Out" in GoDaddy to skip the 5-day ICANN wait.
Gotchas
- Grey-clouding web/mail records first was what made zero downtime possible — proxying too early would've broken cert issuance mid-migration.
- Manually approving the transfer-out in GoDaddy is what skips the default 5-day ICANN hold.
- Follow-up: the old Netlify DNS zone later blocked a certificate renewal. See part 2.
Result
Domain and DNS fully on Cloudflare, mail uninterrupted, no downtime observed.