The IP address you should provide depends on what you are configuring. Pointing a website to its hosting, allowing an API connection and checking outgoing email are different tasks. An address that is correct for one may be unsuitable for another. Start by identifying the service and the direction of the connection.
Point a website to its hosting
Use current details for the service that actually hosts the website. Our guide to finding your hosting IP address explains where to locate the appropriate cPanel fields. An old hosting confirmation may be outdated after a migration; have an ambiguous address checked before changing DNS.
An A record uses an IPv4 address; an AAAA record uses an IPv6 address. A CNAME contains a domain name, not an IP address. The Zone Editor documentation describes these destination types. An internal local address is not automatically a public destination your visitors can use.
Distinguish the proxy from the origin server
When a hostname is protected by Cloudflare’s proxy, a DNS lookup can return a Cloudflare address instead of your hosting address. This is expected behavior, explained in the proxy-status documentation. Do not copy that public response into a setting intended for the origin server address.
Check the configured destination with whoever manages the domain and hosting. Turning off the proxy to discover an address can change the website’s protections and behavior. When preparing a change, keep the current configuration and confirm the destination and planned checks first.
Allow a connection from the correct source
An IP allowlist usually concerns the source address seen by the receiving service. For your own connection, that may be your office, home or VPN internet exit. For a request made by your application, the application’s network route matters, not your browser’s route.
A NAT gateway or outbound proxy can change the observed address. Establish which connection needs access, then confirm its source address during a test with its time recorded. Do not infer an application’s outbound IP from its website’s public DNS. Also specify whether the integration uses IPv4 or IPv6 and whether a stable address is required.
Identify the address used for outgoing email
Web hosting, mailboxes and an outbound email relay can be provided by different services. The website address therefore does not necessarily identify the server sending your messages. cPanel supports different Exim outbound address configurations. Confirm the service in use before changing an allowlist, SPF record or email settings.
Prepare the verification with Nuagerie
In your client area, provide the domain, relevant application, objective, receiving provider and exact name of the field you need to complete. Include the test time or error message with secrets and tokens removed. We can help identify the appropriate address and plan a change that fits your website, email and integrations.
