SSL/TLS and HTTPS

Cloudflare gives free certificates and secures traffic.

📖 Key ideas

Universal SSL gives your domain a free edge certificate.
Flexible mode encrypts only browser to Cloudflare; avoid it.
Full (strict) encrypts end to end and checks the origin certificate.
Origin CA certificates from Cloudflare can secure your server.
Always Use HTTPS and HSTS push browsers to HTTPS.

💡 Real-life example: Like a sealed courier bag: Full (strict) seals it from your hand all the way to the receiver, Flexible only for half the trip.

Universal SSLFree edge certificate

Full (strict)End-to-end with a valid origin certificate

FlexibleEncrypted only to Cloudflare

HSTSTells browsers to use HTTPS only