Cloudflare & CDN
3 min read
Configuring Cloudflare SSL modes
Understand Flexible, Full, and Full (Strict) SSL modes and which to use.
Cloudflare SSL modes
Cloudflare offers several SSL modes that control how traffic is encrypted between your visitors, Cloudflare, and your server.
SSL modes explained
- Off — No SSL. Not recommended.
- Flexible — HTTPS between visitor and Cloudflare only. HTTP between Cloudflare and your server. Avoid this if possible.
- Full — HTTPS everywhere, but doesn't verify your server's certificate. Fine for self-signed certs.
- Full (Strict) — HTTPS everywhere with a valid certificate. Most secure. Recommended.
Recommended setting
Use Full (Strict). This requires a valid SSL certificate on your server. Our Let's Encrypt certificates (installed via Plesk) are fully trusted by Cloudflare.
Fixing redirect loops
If your site shows a redirect loop (ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS), the SSL mode is likely wrong. Switch from Flexible to Full or Full (Strict) in Cloudflare → SSL/TLS.