Windows Azure And Cloud Flare; CNAME Record Not Found

October 31, 2014

If you're configuring a Windows Azure shared websites with CloudFlare DNS, you might encounter the CNAME Record Not Found error when trying to add a custom domain name. This can be especially frustrating because Windows Azure will refuse to add the domain name even if you have the correct CNAME records in CloudFlare and you've waited long enough to rule out DNS propagation times.

I was able to resolve this issue by disabling www traffic through CloudFlare, waiting 15 seconds, adding the custom domain to Windows Azure, and then re-enabling traffic through CloudFlare.

Disabling Traffic Through CloudFlare

Even with the alternate awverify CNAME record I had to dsable traffic through CloudFlare on www. You can do this by:

1. Log into CloudFlare
2. Select DNS Settings from the Settings list for the applicable domain
3. Select the Active icon in the www CNAME row