Cloudflare Batch record changes: A Guide for Website Owners

If several DNS records need to change in Cloudflare, its batch feature lets you submit them together. Use the dashboard for bulk proxy-status edits on A, AAAA, and CNAME records or for deleting multiple records. Use the API for larger or automated batches that include deletes, patches, replacements, and new records. Treat bulk deletion carefully: Cloudflare warns that it can cause downtime and cannot be reverted.

Dashboard batch changes#

Cloudflare’s dashboard supports two documented batch actions:

• Bulk-editing proxy status for A, AAAA, and CNAME records.
• Deleting multiple DNS records at once.

Before submitting a deletion, review every selected record and confirm that the affected website or service no longer needs it. A mistake can remove the DNS information needed to make a resource available.

API batch requests#

For larger or automated changes, Cloudflare documents an API batch request. It supports four operation types: deletes, patches, replacements, and new records. Cloudflare processes these operation types in a defined order. If an individual operation fails, Cloudflare states that the API applies no changes.

This workflow requires familiarity with API concepts. Each record and operation should be identified precisely before the request is sent.

A successful batch is not simultaneous DNS visibility#

Cloudflare’s DNS documentation explains that DNS records help make domain resources available and configure services such as email. It also states that propagation of individual record changes is not atomic.

Therefore, a completed batch does not mean every record will become visible everywhere at exactly the same time. Treat the completed request and the subsequent visibility of the records as separate checkpoints, especially when the records support a website or email service.

Practical sequence#

1. Identify each record and decide whether it needs a proxy-status edit, deletion, patch, replacement, or creation.
2. Use the dashboard for the supported bulk proxy-status or deletion actions, or use the API when the change is larger or automated.
3. Recheck all deletion targets before submitting; Cloudflare says bulk deletions cannot be reverted.
4. If using the API, confirm that the batch completed successfully and remember that a failed individual operation results in no applied changes.
5. Allow for non-atomic propagation when checking the website and related services.