How to report abuse to Cloudflare (CDN)
Report brand-abuse sites fronted by Cloudflare's CDN and proxy.
Where to report
Report a Cloudflare-fronted site at abuse.cloudflare.com, choosing Copyright/DMCA, Trademark, Phishing & Malware, or another category. Cloudflare says emailed complaints are not processed and publishes no SLA; for CDN customers it forwards the report to the host and site operator rather than removing content.
- Abuse report form
- abuse.cloudflare.com
- Abuse email
- Not published — use the form
Include in your report
- The abuse category and the exact URLs on the Cloudflare-fronted site
- For copyright: the six DMCA elements (signature, identification of the work, identification of the infringing material, contact information, good-faith statement, accuracy statement under penalty of perjury)
- For trademark: the mark, its registration, and why the use is infringing
- Screenshots and evidence; supporting documents for an existing report can be sent to abusedocuments@cloudflare.com
- Whether you have already reported the site to its origin host, since Cloudflare will forward to that host anyway
Cloudflare (CDN) hosts or serves the content, so it can remove the infringing page or store. If the domain itself is the abuse (a typosquat or lookalike), report it to the registrar as well.
Cloudflare (CDN) also registers domains: report the domain to Cloudflare
Cloudflare sits in front of a large share of the web as a reverse proxy, CDN, and DNS provider, which means the IP you see for an abusive site is often Cloudflare's rather than the real host's. Cloudflare's abuse form accepts copyright, trademark, phishing, and other complaints, but for pass-through CDN customers its published approach is to forward the complaint to the website operator and the hosting provider rather than remove content itself.
A Cloudflare (CDN) abuse report can remove the infringing page or store. If the domain itself is the abuse (a typosquat or lookalike), report it to the domain registrar as well. For a cloned storefront, see how to remove a fake website. Payment processors are often faster than hosts — payment takedown guides cover that layer. Free takedown templates cover the wording.
Why brand-abuse sites show up on Cloudflare (CDN)
Counterfeit and phishing operators put Cloudflare in front of their sites precisely to hide the origin host. Cloudflare's abuse approach for CDN customers is to forward the complaint and give the hosting provider the origin IP so they can act; it removes content only for products it actually hosts, such as Pages, Workers, Stream, and Images. Cloudflare does not process complaints sent by email, so the form is the only route.
What a Cloudflare (CDN) abuse report can cover
- Counterfeit storefronts proxied through Cloudflare to hide the origin host
- Phishing pages using Cloudflare DNS and proxy
- Copyright-infringing sites with Cloudflare caching in front
- Trademark-infringing domains registered or proxied through Cloudflare
- Brand-abuse content actually hosted on Cloudflare Pages or Workers
How to file a Cloudflare (CDN) abuse report
- 1
Determine what Cloudflare is doing for the site
Check whether the site is merely proxied (CDN/DNS) or hosted on Cloudflare Pages, Workers, Stream, or Images. Cloudflare removes content only in the hosted case; for pass-through it forwards.
- 2
File through abuse.cloudflare.com
Choose the category (Copyright Infringement & DMCA, Trademark Infringement, Phishing & Malware, or General). Cloudflare says it is generally unable to process complaints by email and will auto-reply pointing you to the form.
- 3
Use the forwarding to find the origin host
For CDN customers, Cloudflare forwards your complaint to the hosting provider along with the origin IP. Cloudflare's published approach does not commit to disclosing that host to you, so identify the origin independently where possible and file with that host in parallel.
- 4
File with the registrar and origin host too
A Cloudflare-fronted abuse site still has a registrar and an origin host, each with its own abuse channel. Registrar-specific issues for Cloudflare Registrar domains can go to registrar-abuse@cloudflare.com, but the form is still preferred.
When a Cloudflare (CDN) abuse report is not enough
Hosting complaints remove the page, not the domain. A suspended site can reappear on a new host under the same URL within hours. If the domain itself is the abuse, file with the registrar as well. Stolen photos and copy are usually faster as a DMCA notice than as a trademark complaint — see the DMCA takedown guide.
How IPzest speeds up Cloudflare (CDN) enforcement
- Origin-host identification behind Cloudflare using DNS history, certificate data, and other technical signals where available
- Continuous monitoring for brand-abuse sites that adopt Cloudflare proxying after a takedown attempt
- Evidence packaging with the full DMCA element set Cloudflare's form requires
- Coordinated filing across Cloudflare, the origin host, and the registrar so the complaint lands everywhere at once
Frequently asked questions
How do I report abuse to Cloudflare (CDN)?
Use the form at https://abuse.cloudflare.com/ and select the category. Cloudflare states it is generally unable to process complaints submitted by email and does not publish a general abuse email; supporting documents for an existing report go to abusedocuments@cloudflare.com, and registrar-related issues can go to registrar-abuse@cloudflare.com. Legal correspondence goes to Cloudflare, Inc., Attn: Legal Department, 101 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94107.
Does Cloudflare remove content or only forward the complaint?
For pass-through CDN and security customers, Cloudflare forwards the complaint to the website operator and the hosting provider and provides the host with the origin IP; it does not remove content it does not host. For content on Cloudflare Pages, Workers, Stream, Images, and similar hosted products, it follows DMCA notice-and-takedown and removes or disables access.
Will Cloudflare tell me who the origin hosting provider is?
Cloudflare's published abuse approach says it gives the hosting provider the origin IP so they can locate the content; it does not commit to disclosing the host's identity to the complainant. Origin identification usually requires technical analysis or formal legal process.
How long does Cloudflare take to act?
No SLA is published. Cloudflare says its reporting system is designed to ensure reports are acted upon promptly. For hosted content, a customer counter-notification gives you 10 days to provide notice of a lawsuit before the content is restored.
Other hosting providers
All hosting providers we cover
- Akamai Cloud (Linode) abuse report
- Amazon Web Services abuse report
- Bluehost abuse report
- DigitalOcean abuse report
- Google Cloud abuse report
- Hetzner abuse report
- Hostinger abuse report
- Microsoft Azure abuse report
- Netlify abuse report
- OVHcloud abuse report
- Shopify abuse report
- Vercel abuse report
- Vultr abuse report
- Wix abuse report
- WordPress.com abuse report
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