---
description: Set up a Cloudflare Web3 gateway for Ethereum or IPFS.
title: Get started
image: https://developers.cloudflare.com/og-docs.png
---

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> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get started

Last updated Sep 3, 2026|Copy as Markdown| [View as Markdown](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/get-started/index.md)| [Agent setup](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/agent-setup/)

Use this tutorial to set up a Cloudflare Web3 gateway, which gives your application HTTP access to the IPFS or Ethereum network without running your own node.

## Before you begin

Before you start, make sure you have [set up an account](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/fundamentals/account/) and [added your website](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/fundamentals/manage-domains/add-site/) to Cloudflare.

## Step 1 - Subscribe to a gateway

Web3 gateways are a paid add-on. To get access, [subscribe to a gateway](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/how-to/enable-gateways/).

## Step 2 - Create a gateway

After purchasing a gateway subscription, create a gateway.

<details>

<summary>

Create via dashboard

</summary>

To create a gateway using the dashboard:

1. In the Cloudflare dashboard, go to the **Web3** page.<a href="https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/:zone/web3">Go to **Web3** ↗</a>
2. Click **Create Gateway**.
3. Enter the following information:

- **Hostname**: Enter a hostname to use as your gateway, which has to be a subdomain of the current Cloudflare zone.
- **Gateway Description**: Enter a description to help distinguish between different gateways.
- **Gateway Type**: Select a gateway target of <a href="https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/ipfs-gateway/concepts/dnslink/">IPFS DNSLink</a>, <a href="https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/ipfs-gateway/concepts/universal-gateway/">IPFS Universal Path</a>, or <a href="https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/ethereum-gateway/">Ethereum</a>.
- **DNSLink**: Only applicable to IPFS gateways, more details at <a href="https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/ipfs-gateway/concepts/dnslink/#how-is-it-used-with-cloudflare">DNSLink</a>.

4. Click **Deploy**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>

Create via API

</summary>

To create a gateway using the API, send a <a href="https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/api/resources/web3/subresources/hostnames/methods/create/"><code>POST</code></a> request that includes the following parameters:

- <code>name</code>: The hostname that will point to the target gateway via a <code>CNAME</code> record.
- <code>target</code>: The gateway target for the hostname (<code>ethereum</code>, <code>ipfs</code>, <code>ipfs_universal_path</code>).

If you need help with API authentication, refer to <a href="https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/fundamentals/api/">Cloudflare API documentation</a>.

*Requestbash*

```bash
curl "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/{zone_id}/web3/hostnames" \
--header "X-Auth-Email: <EMAIL>" \
--header "X-Auth-Key: <API_KEY>" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
  "name": "gateway.example.com",
  "description": "This is my IPFS gateway.",
  "target": "ipfs",
  "dnslink": "/ipns/onboarding.ipfs.cloudflare.com"
}'
```

The response contains the complete definition of the new gateway.

*Responsejson*

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "errors": [],
  "messages": [],
  "result": {
    "id": "<WEB3_GATEWAY_ID>",
    "name": "gateway.example.com",
    "description": "This is my IPFS gateway.",
    "status": "active",
    "target": "ipfs",
    "dnslink": "/ipns/onboarding.ipfs.cloudflare.com",
    "created_on": "<CREATED_ON_DATE>",
    "modified_on": "<MODIFIED_ON_DATE>"
  }
}
```

</details>

When you create a gateway, Cloudflare automatically:

- Creates and adds [records to your Cloudflare DNS](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/reference/gateway-dns-records/) so your gateway can receive and route traffic appropriately.
- [Proxies](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/dns/proxy-status/) traffic to that hostname.
- Issues an SSL/TLS certificate to cover the specified hostname.

## Step 3 - Customize Cloudflare settings

Once your gateway becomes [active](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/reference/gateway-status/), you can customize the Cloudflare settings associated with your hostname.

Since your traffic is automatically proxied through Cloudflare, you customize your website settings to take advantage of various [security, performance, and reliability](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/fundamentals/concepts/how-cloudflare-works/#cloudflare-as-a-reverse-proxy) benefits.

## Step 4 - Restrict gateway access (optional)

If you are using your gateway for backend services, you may want to use Cloudflare Zero Trust to [restrict gateway access](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/how-to/restrict-gateway-access/).

## Step 5 - Set up usage notifications

Since this is a service with [usage-based billing](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/billing/understand/usage-based-billing/), Cloudflare recommends that you set up usage-based billing notifications to avoid unexpected bills.

To set up those notifications:

1. In the Cloudflare dashboard, go to the **Notifications** page. [Go to **Notifications** ↗](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/notifications)
2. On **Alert Type** of **Usage Based Billing**, click **Select**.
3. Fill out the following information:
   - **Name**
   - **Product**
   - **Notification limit** (exact metric will vary based on product)
   - **Notification email**

   Note

   Some plans also have access to alerts through [PagerDuty](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/notifications/get-started/configure-pagerduty/) and [Webhooks](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/notifications/get-started/configure-webhooks/).
4. Select **Save**.

## Step 6 - Use the gateway

Once you have created a gateway and updated your Cloudflare settings, you can start using your [IPFS](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/how-to/use-ipfs-gateway/) or [Ethereum](https://77b1402b.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/web3/how-to/use-ethereum-gateway/).

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