How to report a website to Cloudflare (2026 guide)

A fake website copies your logo and product images. A phishing page imitates your customer login. A counterfeit store uses a lookalike domain and hides its hosting provider behind Cloudflare. In another case, the site was built on Wix but uses a custom domain and Cloudflare services.

These situations can look similar from the outside, but they require different reporting routes.

Cloudflare may provide security, DNS, registration, or content-hosting services. Wix may host the website itself, provide the site-building platform, or manage the domain. Identifying which provider controls each part of the website determines who can investigate the content and what action they can take.

This guide explains how to report a website to Cloudflare, when to report the same website to Wix, how to submit trademark and copyright complaints, and what to do when the first report does not remove the site.

TL;DR

• Confirm that the website uses Cloudflare before submitting a Cloudflare report.
• Determine whether Cloudflare is acting as a reverse proxy, registrar, or content host.
• Cloudflare cannot directly remove content it does not host. For most proxied websites, it forwards complete reports to the website operator and origin host.
• Cloudflare may take direct action when content is stored through services such as Cloudflare Pages, Workers, Stream, Images, or Workers KV.
• Preserve page-level URLs, screenshots, copied assets, messages, checkout details, and customer complaints before reporting the site.
• Select the Cloudflare category that matches the violation: phishing, malware, trademark, copyright, registrar abuse, or another supported category.
• Cloudflare accepts trademark reports only from trademark owners or their authorized representatives.
• A DMCA notice addresses copyright infringement. It is not a general fraud, counterfeiting, or trademark complaint.
• If the website is hosted on Wix, report it through the Wix abuse process as well.
• Wix has separate routes for general abuse, trademark infringement, and copyright infringement.
• A custom domain can involve Cloudflare, Wix, and a third-party registrar at the same time. Report each provider according to the service it controls.
• Report connected search results, advertisements, payment services, and social media accounts separately.
• Monitor for cloned domains after enforcement because scammers frequently relaunch using the same content and infrastructure.

What is Cloudflare’s role in a website?

Cloudflare provides several different internet infrastructure services. Its role can vary from one website to another.

For many websites, Cloudflare acts as a reverse proxy and content delivery network. Visitors connect to Cloudflare first, and Cloudflare passes the request to the website’s origin server.

This arrangement can make Cloudflare IP addresses appear in DNS records even though another company hosts the website content.

Cloudflare’s abuse approach distinguishes between pass-through services and products that can store content directly.

Cloudflare service	Cloudflare’s likely role	Possible response
Reverse proxy or CDN	Protects and delivers content hosted elsewhere	Forwards the report to the operator and origin host
Cloudflare DNS	Manages DNS records	May route the report but does not necessarily host the content
Cloudflare Registrar	Manages the domain registration	Investigates registrar-specific abuse
Cloudflare Pages	Can host website content	May remove or disable content that violates applicable terms
Cloudflare Workers	Can run or deliver content at the edge	May act when the reported content is stored or delivered through the service
Cloudflare Stream	Can store and deliver video	May remove or disable infringing hosted material
Cloudflare Images	Can store and deliver images	May act against hosted image content
Workers KV	Can store data used by an application	May act when the reported content is stored through the service

Cloudflare cannot take a website off the internet merely because its IP address appears in the site’s DNS records.

However, reporting Cloudflare can still be useful. For proxied sites, Cloudflare can forward the complaint to the website operator and hosting provider and may provide information that helps the reporter contact the origin host.

Can Cloudflare take down a website?

Sometimes, but not in every case.

When Cloudflare only provides reverse-proxy or CDN services, it does not control the content stored on the origin server. Its standard process is to forward a sufficiently complete complaint to the parties that can act.

Cloudflare states that its system may:

• Forward the report to the website operator
• Forward the report to the origin hosting provider
• Give the host information needed to identify the origin
• Provide the reporter with details for following up
• Apply a warning page to confirmed phishing URLs
• Block legitimate malware URLs from loading through Cloudflare
• Act directly when the content is hosted through a Cloudflare storage or hosting product

A complete fake website takedown often requires reports to several providers rather than a single Cloudflare submission.

When should you report a website to Cloudflare?

Report a website to Cloudflare when it uses Cloudflare services and contains a supported form of abuse.

Common reasons include:

• Phishing
• Malware
• Copyright infringement
• Trademark infringement
• Fake stores
• Counterfeit sales
• Brand impersonation
• Violent threats
• Harassment
• Non-consensual intimate imagery
• Child sexual abuse material
• Domain-registration abuse
• Other illegal or policy-violating content

Not every dispute belongs in the same category.

A website copying product photographs may support a copyright report. A website using your logo to pretend it is an authorized store may support a trademark report. A fake login page designed to steal passwords should be reported as phishing.

Choosing the strongest supported category helps Cloudflare route the report correctly.

Cloudflare report vs. Wix report

A website can use both providers.

For example:

• Wix hosts and manages the website.
• The site uses a custom domain.
• Cloudflare provides DNS and proxy services.
• Another company registered the domain.
• A separate provider processes payments.

In this situation, Cloudflare and Wix control different parts of the operation.

Issue	Report Cloudflare	Report Wix
Site uses Cloudflare proxy services	Yes	Only if the site uses Wix
Content is hosted on Wix	Yes, when Cloudflare is involved	Yes
Wix subdomain contains phishing	Only if Cloudflare is involved	Yes
Custom domain is registered through Wix	Only if Cloudflare is involved	Yes
Cloudflare is the registrar	Yes	Only if Wix hosts the site
Trademark appears on a Wix site	Yes, when Cloudflare is involved	Yes
Copyrighted images appear on a Wix site	Yes, when Cloudflare is involved	Yes
Suspicious email was sent using Wix services	Usually not	Yes
Content is stored in Cloudflare Pages or Workers	Yes	Only if Wix is also involved

Reporting both providers is not unnecessary duplication when each company supplies a different service.

How to confirm that a website uses Cloudflare

Use several indicators rather than relying on the site’s appearance.

Check:

• DNS nameservers
• IP address ownership
• HTTP headers
• SSL certificate information
• Domain-registration records
• Error pages
• Cached-content behavior
• Technical scripts and assets

Cloudflare nameservers often contain cloudflare.com, but nameservers alone do not tell you whether Cloudflare hosts the content.

Check the registrar separately

Use ICANN Lookup to identify the domain registrar.

If Cloudflare Registrar is listed, use the registrar-specific reporting category for registration abuse. If another registrar is listed, report that company separately when the domain itself is deceptive or malicious.

Do not confuse Cloudflare with the origin host

A basic IP lookup may return a Cloudflare address because the origin server is hidden behind the proxy.

Cloudflare’s presence should therefore be treated as one piece of the infrastructure map, not proof that Cloudflare hosts the website.

How to confirm that a website uses Wix

A free Wix site may use a wixsite.com address, making the platform easy to identify.

Custom-domain sites can be less obvious. Check for:

• Wix references in the page source
• Static assets delivered from Wix domains
• Wix scripts or application files
• Wix-specific page structures
• Wix checkout or form elements
• Wix nameservers or DNS records
• Wix listed as the registrar
• A previous or connected Wix subdomain

Do not rely on the visual template alone. Website designs can be copied or recreated on other platforms.

What evidence should you collect?

Preserve the website before submitting any report.

The operator may delete pages, change the domain, replace copied content, or block your location after receiving notice.

Collect:

• The full domain
• The homepage URL
• Every relevant page-level URL
• Screenshots showing the browser address
• Dates and times
• Copied logos and brand names
• Copied product images
• Copied text, videos, and designs
• Links to the original material
• Trademark registrations
• Copyright ownership records
• Fake login and checkout pages
• Payment information
• Advertisements promoting the site
• Emails and messages
• Customer complaints
• Examples of confusion
• Malware or browser warnings
• Redirect destinations
• Related social profiles
• Connected domains
• Shipping or transaction evidence

For phishing, record the exact page where information is collected. Reporting only the homepage may prevent the reviewer from reaching the malicious form.

Create an evidence table when several URLs are involved.

Reported URL	Violation	Supporting evidence
Fake login page	Phishing	Genuine login page and screenshots
Product page	Trademark infringement	Registration and false affiliation
Image gallery	Copyright infringement	Original photographs
Checkout page	Fraud	Customer complaint and payment details
Contact page	Impersonation	False company address and email

How to report a website to Cloudflare

Step 1: Classify the abuse

Identify the main reason for the complaint.

Choose from the available categories based on what is happening on the website:

• Phishing
• Malware
• Trademark infringement
• Copyright or DMCA infringement
• Registrar abuse
• Threats or harassment
• Other supported abuse

Do not select phishing merely because a site looks fake. Phishing normally involves deceiving users into disclosing credentials, financial data, or other sensitive information.

Step 2: Confirm Cloudflare’s service

Determine whether Cloudflare is:

• Providing CDN or reverse-proxy services
• Acting as the registrar
• Hosting content through Pages, Workers, Stream, Images, or another product
• Performing more than one of these roles

The service type affects what Cloudflare can do with the complaint.

Step 3: Preserve page-level URLs

List every URL containing the reported content.

Include:

• The exact phishing form
• Each copied product page
• Every infringing image or video
• The checkout page
• Redirect URLs
• Download links
• Pages making false claims of affiliation

Cloudflare’s forms allow multiple URLs, so group related pages into a single well-organized report where appropriate.

Step 4: Open the Cloudflare abuse form

Use Cloudflare’s abuse form rather than sending a general email.

Cloudflare states that it is generally unable to process abuse complaints sent by email and will usually direct the sender back to the form.

Step 5: Select the correct category

Choose the route that matches your evidence.

Cloudflare’s current complaint types include dedicated requirements for phishing, malware, trademark infringement, and DMCA complaints.

Selecting the wrong category can delay the report or produce a request to resubmit it.

Step 6: Enter your contact information

Provide accurate contact details.

Depending on the category, the form may ask for:

• Name
• Organization
• Email
• Address
• Telephone number
• Authority to act
• Signature
• Country
• Relevant rights-holder details

Use a monitored email address so the team can respond to follow-up questions.

Step 7: Add the domain and exact URLs

Enter the main domain and every relevant page.

For phishing, Cloudflare requires the domain and the specific phishing URL. A homepage-only report may be insufficient when the credential form is located elsewhere.

Step 8: Describe the violation

Explain:

• What the site is doing
• Who is affected
• Why the content violates a right or policy
• Which URLs contain the violation
• Which evidence supports the report
• Whether customer data or payments are at risk
• Whether the abuse is urgent

Keep the description specific and factual.

Step 9: Choose the forwarding options carefully

For services Cloudflare does not host, the report may be forwarded to the site operator and origin host.

The form may allow you to specify:

• Whether the report should be forwarded
• Which party should receive it
• Whether your name and contact details should be included

Review these options carefully before submission, particularly when the operator may retaliate or destroy evidence.

Step 10: Save the confirmation

Record:

• Submission date
• Report category
• Reported URLs
• Confirmation number
• Evidence provided
• Forwarding choices
• Follow-up date
• Response
• Outcome

Do not rely on your email inbox as the only record.

How to report phishing to Cloudflare

Use Cloudflare’s phishing category when the page attempts to steal sensitive information through deception.

Examples include:

• Fake account logins
• Fake payment pages
• False identity-verification forms
• Credential-harvesting forms
• Fake cloud-storage access
• Fraudulent customer-support portals

A valid phishing report should include the domain and exact malicious URL.

After Cloudflare confirms a phishing page, it may display a warning to visitors and notify the website owner. Cloudflare documents this response in its phishing process.

Also follow the broader phishing reporting workflow. Report the page to the origin host, registrar, browser-security services, search engines, and other providers involved.

How to report malware to Cloudflare

Select the malware category when the website:

• Distributes malicious files
• Installs unwanted software
• Redirects users to malware
• Runs malicious scripts
• Compromises visitors’ devices
• Hosts exploit pages

Include the exact URLs and explain how the malicious behavior can be reproduced.

Cloudflare states that legitimate malware URLs may be blocked from loading through its network. The underlying content may still need to be reported to the origin host.

How to report trademark infringement to Cloudflare

Use the trademark form when a website uses your protected mark without authorization in a way that creates confusion or supports counterfeiting, impersonation, or false affiliation.

Cloudflare only acknowledges trademark reports from the trademark holder or a legally authorized representative.

Prepare:

• Trademark owner’s name
• Reporter’s authority
• Registration number
• Registration jurisdiction
• Protected goods or services
• Infringing URLs
• Explanation of the confusing use
• Genuine website or authorized use
• Supporting screenshots
• Signature

A strong complaint does more than state that a logo appears on the website. Explain how the use misleads visitors or infringes the registered rights.

For example:

The reported website uses our registered trademark in its domain, header, product listings, and checkout to present itself as an authorized store. It is not owned, operated, or approved by our company. The trademark registration, genuine website, screenshots, and affected URLs are provided below.

Continuous trademark protection can help identify repeat use across new domains and platforms.

How to submit a DMCA complaint to Cloudflare

Use Cloudflare’s DMCA form when the website copies protected material such as:

• Product photographs
• Videos
• Website copy
• Artwork
• Graphics
• Catalogues
• Illustrations
• Software
• Downloadable documents

Cloudflare requires the standard elements of a valid DMCA notice, including:

• A signature
• Identification of the original work
• Identification of the infringing material
• Contact information
• A good-faith statement
• An accuracy and authority statement

Cloudflare explains these requirements in its DMCA guidance.

A DMCA notice is not the correct route solely because:

• A domain resembles your brand
• The website sells counterfeit goods
• The operator is unauthorized
• The site uses your trademark
• The business is fraudulent

Use the copyright takedown process only for material protected by copyright.

How to report a domain registered through Cloudflare

Use the registrar category when Cloudflare Registrar manages the domain and the complaint concerns domain-registration abuse.

Cloudflare identifies the registrar category as the appropriate route for issues specifically connected to its registrar services.

Examples may include:

• Phishing domains
• Malware domains
• Fraudulent registrations
• Registration-data issues
• Abusive lookalike domains
• Domains supporting criminal activity

A registrar does not normally control the content stored on a separate hosting server. Report the host as well when the complaint concerns website content.

How to report a Wix site

If the website is hosted on Wix, report it through Wix even when the domain also uses Cloudflare.

Wix’s abuse page accepts reports concerning content published on Wix websites and domains registered through Wix.

Step 1: Confirm Wix is involved

Identify whether Wix:

• Hosts the website
• Provides the site builder
• Registered the domain
• Sends the reported email
• Processes a Wix-specific service

Include evidence of the connection where possible.

Step 2: Open the Wix abuse page

Go to the Wix abuse process and select the category matching the issue.

Potential routes include:

• General abuse
• Phishing or spam
• Trademark infringement
• Copyright infringement
• Privacy issues
• Security issues
• Other illegal or policy-violating content

Step 3: Add direct URLs

Wix asks reporters to clearly identify the content using direct page links and explain why action is required.

The Wix guidelines emphasize detailed reports, direct URLs, and a clear statement of the legal or policy basis.

Step 4: Explain the harm

State:

• What the website is doing
• Which Wix service is involved
• Which pages contain the violation
• Which right or policy applies
• How visitors are being harmed
• What action you are requesting

Step 5: Save the Wix case details

Record the submission and monitor the website.

A Cloudflare report and Wix report may produce different case references and outcomes, so track them separately.

How to report phishing on Wix

Use the Wix abuse process when a Wix-hosted site contains a phishing page.

Include:

• Exact phishing URL
• Genuine page being copied
• Screenshots
• Data requested by the form
• Redirects
• Messages distributing the link
• Customer reports
• Any known financial loss

If the issue is a suspicious email sent through Wix services, forward it with full technical headers to reportphishing@wix.com.

Wix’s phishing guidance recommends preserving the full headers because they provide information that a screenshot may not contain.

Report the external domain, email provider, browser-security service, and search engine as well.

How to report trademark infringement on Wix

Use Wix’s trademark report when a Wix site infringes your trademark rights.

Wix confirms that trademark owners can report infringing Wix sites through this route.

Prepare:

• Trademark owner information
• Authority to act
• Registration details
• Relevant goods or services
• Direct infringing URLs
• Genuine brand website
• Evidence of likely confusion
• Screenshots
• Requested action

Trademark reporting may be appropriate when the site:

• Pretends to be the official brand
• Uses the logo throughout a fake store
• Sells counterfeit products
• Uses the trademark in a misleading domain
• Claims a false partnership
• Presents itself as an authorized reseller

Do not report a website for trademark infringement merely because it mentions the brand in commentary, comparison, or another potentially lawful context.

How to report copyright infringement on Wix

Use Wix’s DMCA form for copied photographs, text, artwork, videos, graphics, or other protected works.

Wix describes its automated DMCA form as the fastest route for copyright complaints against Wix users.

Include:

• The original work
• Proof of ownership or authority
• Direct URLs to the copied content
• Genuine publication URLs
• Contact details
• Required legal statements
• Signature

List each copied page separately.

What if a Wix site is also behind Cloudflare?

Report both companies.

Send Wix the complaint because Wix may host the website content or control the merchant account.

Send Cloudflare the complaint because it may:

• Forward the report to the operator and origin host
• Apply a phishing warning
• Block a malware URL
• Act against content stored through a Cloudflare hosting product
• Investigate registrar abuse
• Provide follow-up information

Also report any third-party domain registrar, payment processor, advertising platform, or social media account involved.

The objective is not to send the highest number of reports. It is to reach every provider that controls a meaningful part of the harmful operation.

What should you write in the report?

A useful report is specific, verifiable, and connected to the selected category.

Weak wording:

This website is fake and is damaging our company. Please remove it.

Stronger phishing report:

The reported page copies our customer login and asks visitors to submit email addresses, passwords, and payment information. It is not operated by our company. The genuine login page, phishing URL, screenshots, customer messages, and redirect details are attached.

Stronger trademark report:

The website uses our registered trademark in its domain, header, product catalogue, and checkout to present itself as an official store. It is not authorized by our company. The registration details, genuine website, affected URLs, and evidence of customer confusion are attached.

Stronger copyright report:

The reported pages reproduce our original product photographs without permission. Each infringing URL is paired with the original work below. We own the photographs and have not authorized this use.

Avoid emotional accusations, unsupported legal conclusions, or descriptions that do not identify the exact content.

What happens after a Cloudflare report?

The outcome depends on Cloudflare’s role and the report category.

Possible results include:

• The complaint is forwarded to the website operator
• The complaint is forwarded to the origin host
• Cloudflare supplies follow-up details
• A phishing warning is applied
• A malware URL is blocked
• Hosted content is disabled
• Additional information is requested
• The report is rejected as incomplete
• The reporter is directed to another provider
• No visible action is taken

Cloudflare does not offer one guaranteed removal time for every complaint.

Track the case and follow up with the origin host or other providers identified during the process.

What if the website is not removed?

Review the report

Check whether:

• The wrong category was selected
• The URLs were incomplete
• The site does not use Cloudflare
• Cloudflare only provides pass-through services
• Ownership evidence was missing
• The trademark registration was irrelevant
• The DMCA notice lacked a required statement
• The phishing page could not be reproduced
• The report described the whole domain but not the harmful page

Correct the issue before resubmitting.

Contact the origin host

When Cloudflare provides host details, submit a separate complaint to that company.

Explain:

• The domain
• The exact URLs
• The applicable violation
• Cloudflare case details
• Supporting evidence
• The action requested

The origin host is often the provider capable of disabling the underlying website content.

Contact the registrar

Report the registrar when the domain itself supports phishing, fraud, impersonation, or another form of abuse.

Do not ask the registrar to remove website content it does not host.

Report the website to Google

Use the appropriate Google report for phishing, malware, spam, copyright, counterfeit goods, or another supported issue.

Removing search visibility does not delete the website, but it can reduce traffic and customer exposure.

Report advertisements and payments

Report:

• Search ads
• Social ads
• Shopping listings
• Payment processors
• Banks
• Cryptocurrency services
• Marketplace listings
• Messaging accounts

A website can remain profitable after a partial takedown if it still has traffic and payment access.

Consider legal escalation

A formal notice, domain dispute, disclosure request, or court order may be appropriate when:

• The harm is substantial
• The operator repeatedly relaunches
• Multiple providers refuse to act
• Damages are required
• Identifying information is needed
• The website targets several jurisdictions
• The case involves dangerous products or organized fraud

The broader legal takedown process explains how these escalation routes differ.

How to prevent repeat fake websites

Monitor domain registrations

Search for:

• Brand misspellings
• Added words such as “login,” “support,” or “outlet”
• Product names
• Regional variants
• Different extensions
• Visually similar characters

Automated domain monitoring can identify suspicious registrations before they attract significant traffic.

Monitor copied assets

Track:

• Logos
• Product images
• Login interfaces
• Website text
• Promotional videos
• Packaging
• Executive photographs
• Customer-support language

A scammer may change the domain while reusing the same assets.

Publish official channels

Clearly identify:

• Genuine websites
• Official login pages
• Approved retailers
• Support email addresses
• Payment methods
• Recruitment channels
• Social media profiles

This gives customers an independent way to verify unfamiliar websites.

Connect related incidents

Record recurring:

• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Analytics identifiers
• Payment accounts
• Nameservers
• Registrars
• Hosting providers
• Templates
• Product catalogues
• Social accounts

These indicators can reveal that several websites belong to the same campaign.

Common mistakes when reporting a website to Cloudflare

Assuming Cloudflare hosts every reported website

Cloudflare frequently provides proxy and CDN services rather than origin hosting.

Identify the actual host.

Using phishing for every fake website

A counterfeit or impersonating website is not automatically a phishing page.

Choose the category supported by the behavior.

Using DMCA for trademark infringement

DMCA applies to copyright.

Use the trademark route for protected names, logos, and source-identifying branding.

Reporting only the homepage

The harmful content may appear on a product page, form, download, or checkout page.

List the exact URLs.

Reporting Cloudflare but not Wix

When Wix hosts the content, Wix may be better positioned to disable the site.

Report both when both services are involved.

Reporting Wix but ignoring the custom domain

The website may return through a new platform while keeping the same domain or campaign infrastructure.

Report the registrar, Cloudflare, and other relevant providers.

Contacting the operator before saving evidence

The operator may delete or change the website.

Preserve the full case first.

Ignoring search, advertisements, and payments

Removing one technical service may not stop the campaign.

Disrupt its traffic and revenue channels as well.

How Red Points helps remove fake websites at scale

Manual reporting can work for one well-documented website. It becomes less effective when scammers operate across Wix, Cloudflare, custom domains, advertisements, social profiles, and payment providers.

Red Points’ Domain Takedown solution helps brands:

• Detect fake and impersonating domains
• Identify suspicious Wix and Cloudflare websites
• Find copied logos, images, and brand assets
• Map registrars, hosts, platforms, and related infrastructure
• Preserve enforcement evidence
• Select the appropriate reporting route
• Submit and track takedown requests
• Detect replacement domains
• Connect related scam campaigns
• Monitor whether removed threats return

Red Points processes 5.1M+ enforcements per year, including fake websites, lookalike domains, and connected infrastructure across multiple platforms. For brands that want a managed approach, Red Points’ specialists handle detection and enforcement — teams validate where they choose to, without manually reviewing every identified threat (Source G2).

Request a demo to see how Red Points can help detect, investigate, and remove fake websites targeting your brand.

Frequently asked questions