certbot-dns-cloudflare
certbot-dns-cloudflare is a Certbot DNS authentication plugin that automates DNS-01 challenges in Cloudflare by creating and removing the required TXT records so Let’s Encrypt certificates can be issued/renewed.
Score Breakdown
⚙ Agent Friendliness
🔒 Security
This plugin relies on Cloudflare API credentials to create/delete DNS TXT records. Security depends on how credentials are provided (e.g., least-privilege API tokens vs. broad credentials) and on safe handling of secrets on the host. TLS usage is expected for API calls, but specific dependency/security practices and secret-handling guarantees are not verifiable from the provided information.
⚡ Reliability
Best When
You’re already using Certbot and need automated DNS-01 validation specifically for Cloudflare-managed DNS records (including wildcard certificates).
Avoid When
You cannot grant the required Cloudflare DNS permissions to the credentials used by certbot, or you cannot run Certbot with the plugin on a system that can reach Cloudflare’s API.
Use Cases
- • Issue or renew Let’s Encrypt certificates using DNS-01 challenges with domains managed in Cloudflare
- • Automate certificate management for wildcard domains (e.g., *.example.com) hosted on Cloudflare
- • Run certbot in environments where HTTP-01 validation is not feasible (locked-down ports, custom ingress, etc.)
Not For
- • Domains not managed in Cloudflare
- • Use cases requiring API access to certificate issuance directly via a programmatic service (this is a local Certbot plugin, not a hosted API)
- • Organizations that cannot store/manage Cloudflare credentials on the machine running Certbot
Interface
Authentication
Auth is performed against Cloudflare’s API using credentials that must be provided to the plugin (typically via a credentials file or environment variables, depending on documented setup). No OAuth flow is indicated for this plugin.
Pricing
No service pricing is implied by the plugin itself; costs (if any) are generally limited to Certbot usage and any Cloudflare API/plan considerations.
Agent Metadata
Known Gotchas
- ⚠ This is a local Certbot plugin (invoked by Certbot) rather than a standalone network API; agent integration is mainly via running/templating certbot CLI and handling credentials/ENV files.
- ⚠ DNS-01 depends on propagation timing; transient failures may occur if TXT records are not visible yet.
- ⚠ Correct cleanup of TXT records is critical; if runs are interrupted, stale records may remain.
Alternatives
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Scores are editorial opinions as of 2026-04-04.