Cloudflare Network Settings and Scrape Shield Features: A Comprehensive Explanation Guide

Cloudflare's Network tab and its integrated Scrape Shield section are of great importance for your website's network layer and content protection. In this guide, we comprehensively cover both Network settings and Scrape Shield features for content protection.

Cloudflare Network Settings

1. IPv6 Compatibility

Provides access to visitors via IPv6. Recommended for compatibility with modern networks.

2. gRPC

Supports gRPC-based API systems. Runs over HTTP/2.

3. WebSockets

Supports bidirectional communication for real-time connections (e.g., chat systems).

4. Pseudo IPv4

Makes requests from IPv6 compatible with IPv4-only servers.

5. IP Geolocation

Passes the visitor's country information to the server with the CF-IPCountry header.

6. Maximum Upload Size

Limits the maximum amount of data a user can upload to the site.

7. Response Buffering (Enterprise)

Data is not transmitted to the client until it is fully received. Provides cleaner cache.

8. True-Client-IP Header (Enterprise)

Passes the real user IP in a special header.

9. Network Error Logging (NEL)

The browser reports connection problems. Helps identify problematic regions.

10. Onion Routing

Increases the privacy of Tor network users and reduces the risk of spam.

️ What is Cloudflare Scrape Shield?

Scrape Shield is a section that houses protection features aimed at preventing copying, misuse, or collection by bots of content on your website. It is especially used for purposes such as email address protection and protection of visual content.

1. Email Address Obfuscation

Protects email addresses on your website from spam bots.
The email address becomes unreadable in the HTML source code (hidden with JavaScript), but human visitors can see and click the address.
Purpose of use: Provides spam protection against bots that collect emails.
After activation: Links such as are converted, bots cannot read them.

️ 2. Hotlink Protection

Prevents other sites from directly displaying (hotlinking) images hosted on your server on their own pages.
If this feature is enabled and a visitor is calling the image from an external source, Cloudflare blocks or redirects access.
Purpose of use: Prevents bandwidth wastage, prevents unauthorized use of visual content.

When to Use Scrape Shield?

If your email addresses are constantly receiving spam from bots,
If other websites are using your images on their own sites,
If you do not want your site content (data, text, graphics) to be collected without permission, Scrape Shield is for you.

These settings can be activated with a single click and customized on a hostname basis with Configuration Rules.

Conclusion: Using Cloudflare Network + Scrape Shield

These two areas provide advanced security and performance at both the connection layer and content level of your site. Network settings offer technical control over connection, IP, upload, real-time communication, while Scrape Shield protects your content against unauthorized use.

Depending on the type of your site (e.g., e-commerce, blog, SaaS platform), you can protect yourself from bots, data copying, and invisible security vulnerabilities by activating these settings.