What uses Cloudflare? Which websites use the network, does Twitter use it - how does it work
Cloudflare has confirmed that its services have gone down, resulting in 'widespread errors'.
Most people accessing the internet may not be fully aware of Cloudflare. However, it is one of the largest companies responsible for providing web services worldwide, and when its services go down, so do many popular websites.
That's why many websites that have gone down will instead show a Cloudflare error, rather than an error with their own branding. Currently, it is not yet clear when the current issue will be resolved and services will be restored.
A recent update posted by Cloudflare said: "Cloudflare is aware of, and investigating an issue which impacts multiple customers: Widespread 500 errors, Cloudflare Dashboard and API also failing.
"We are working to understand the full impact and mitigate this problem. More updates to follow shortly." According to the most recent data from Cloudflare, it helps manage roughly 19.4% of all websites on the internet. Some of the world's largest companies and social media platforms rely on or use Cloudflare's services to some capacity, including:
- Open AI (ChatGPT)
- Discord
- Mozilla Firefox
- X
- Shopify
- Uber
- Fiverr
How does Cloudflare work?
Cloudflare operates as a Content Delivery Network (CDN), which essentially helps to host websites on its own physical servers located around the world. Other companies may rely on CDNs such as Cloudflare as they can often provide extra online security against malicious attacks that could affect services, essentially acting as a security guard for any traffic entering the website.
Furthermore, CDNs such as Cloudflare also provide optimisation for websites, allowing users to be able to access a website's server quickly while also providing a more efficient experience. Websites that use Cloudflare may also see improved performance for customers at a much lower running cost.