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Step 2: Initial Setup

After your first login, PowerWAF will guide you through an onboarding wizard to configure your account. This process has three stages: choosing your DNS mode, adding your domain, and selecting a plan.

Choose Your DNS Mode​

The first decision is how PowerWAF will integrate with your domain's DNS. There are two options:

In Full DNS mode, PowerWAF becomes the authoritative DNS server for your domain. All DNS records are managed from the PowerWAF panel.

How it works:

  • You change your domain's nameservers at your registrar to point to PowerWAF.
  • PowerWAF automatically imports your existing DNS records.
  • All DNS management is handled through the PowerWAF DNS Manager.
  • Traffic to records marked as "Protected" flows through the WAF.

Best for: Users who want centralized DNS management and full protection.

Partial DNS (CNAME)​

In Partial DNS mode, you keep your current DNS provider and add CNAME records to route specific sites through PowerWAF.

How it works:

  • You keep your existing nameservers unchanged.
  • For each site you want to protect, PowerWAF provides a CNAME target.
  • You add these CNAME records at your current DNS provider.
  • Only the sites you configure are routed through PowerWAF.

Best for: Users who want to keep their existing DNS provider or only need to protect specific subdomains.

Comparison​

FeatureFull DNSPartial DNS
Nameserver change requiredYesNo
Protect root domain (example.com)✅❌
Protect subdomains (www, app, etc.)✅✅
Full DNS zone management✅❌
Keep existing DNS provider❌✅
Automatic DNS record import✅❌

Select your preferred mode and click Continue.

info

You can change your DNS mode later, but the process involves reconfiguring your DNS records. We recommend choosing carefully based on your needs.

Add Your Domain​

note

This step only appears if you selected Full DNS mode. If you chose Partial DNS, skip to Select Your Plan.

Enter your root domain (e.g., example.com) in the domain input field.

Important rules for the domain:

  • Enter only the root domain, without www or https://.
  • The domain must be a registered, valid domain.
  • Subdomains (e.g., blog.example.com) are not accepted at this step — they are configured later.

PowerWAF will validate the domain in real time:

  • It checks that the domain format is correct.
  • It verifies that the domain has existing NS (nameserver) records.
  • It confirms the domain is not already registered in the system.

Once the domain is validated, click Continue.

tip

If your domain fails validation, verify that it is correctly registered at your registrar and that its nameservers are configured.

Select Your Plan​

The final step of the onboarding is to choose your plan:

Free Trial​

Select Start Free Trial to get 10 days of full access to all PowerWAF features at no cost. No credit card is required.

This is ideal for testing the platform and evaluating its performance before committing to a paid plan.

Subscribe Now​

Select Subscribe Now to view the available paid plans and complete the checkout process through Stripe. Plans vary by the number of protected domains, bandwidth, and advanced features.

After selecting your plan, PowerWAF will set up your account and redirect you to the dashboard.

Next: Step 3: Configure DNS - Point your domain's traffic through PowerWAF.