Cloudflare Error 1001: DNS resolution error
The request reached Cloudflare, but Cloudflare has no idea which website the hostname is supposed to be. That is Error 1001, and it is almost always a DNS or setup step that is missing.
What visitors see
Error 1001
DNS resolution error
Typically right after a migration, a new custom domain, or someone deleting a zone. The edge is reachable, which is why you get a Cloudflare page at all, but it cannot match the name to anything.
The usual causes
| Situation | What is missing |
|---|---|
| You pointed a domain at a platform that runs on Cloudflare (a SaaS app, a static host) with a CNAME | The platform has not added or verified your hostname yet. Finish “add custom domain” in that platform’s dashboard and wait for it to show active. |
| The CNAME target is a hostname that no longer exists | The target was renamed or deleted. dig +short TARGET returns nothing. |
| The zone was removed from Cloudflare, or the account changed | DNS (or a cached answer) still points at Cloudflare, but no active zone claims the name. |
| A brand-new zone | Nameservers have not switched yet, or the record you need has not been created in the Cloudflare DNS tab. |
Follow the chain
dig +short CNAME shop.example.com
# shops.platform.example. <- target
dig +short shops.platform.example.
# <- empty means the target does not resolve
dig +short NS example.com # whose nameservers answer for the zone?
Each hop must resolve. If the last hop gives Cloudflare addresses but you still see 1001, the hostname is not attached to any active Cloudflare zone or custom-hostname entry, which is a setup step on whichever account owns it.
Fix checklist
- Using a platform? Add the exact hostname (with or without
www, as typed by visitors) in that platform’s custom domain settings and complete its verification record. - Your own zone? Confirm the zone shows Active, and that a DNS record for this exact name exists (wildcards do not cover the bare apex).
- CNAME target? Make sure it resolves publicly. If you renamed a service, update the CNAME.
- Recently moved away from Cloudflare? Update the records at the new DNS provider so they no longer point at Cloudflare, then allow for the old TTL.
1001 vs 1016 vs 1014
- 1001: Cloudflare cannot match the incoming hostname to a site.
- 1016: the site is known, but the origin hostname it should forward to has no DNS answer.
- 1014 (CNAME cross-user banned): a CNAME points from one Cloudflare account to a proxied name in another account without the platform feature that allows it.
Related
All Cloudflare error codes · Cloudflare Error 1000 · Cloudflare Error 1016 · ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED · getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND · What is this? detector
Questions
What does Cloudflare error 1001 mean?
Cloudflare received the request but cannot match the hostname to an active site, usually because a setup step is missing or a CNAME target does not resolve.
I added a custom domain to a hosting platform and get 1001. Why?
The platform has probably not finished adding or verifying that hostname. Complete its custom domain steps and wait until it shows as active.
How do I check a CNAME chain?
Run dig +short CNAME on your hostname, then dig +short on the target. Every hop must return an answer.
Is 1001 the same as 1016?
No. 1001 means Cloudflare does not recognise the hostname. 1016 means it recognises the site but cannot resolve the origin server's hostname.
Can a visitor fix error 1001?
No. The site owner, or the platform hosting the site, has to complete the DNS or custom domain setup.
Published .