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Error 1016

Error 1016: Origin DNS error

This error indicates that Cloudflare cannot resolve the origin web server's IP address.

Common cause

Common causes for error 1016 are:

  • A missing DNS A record that mentions origin IP address.
  • A CNAME record in the Cloudflare DNS points to an unresolvable external domain.
  • The origin hostnames (CNAMEs) in your Cloudflare Load Balancer default, region, and fallback pools are unresolvable. Use a fallback pool configured with an origin IP as a backup in case all other pools are unavailable.
  • When creating a Spectrum app with a CNAME origin, you need first to create a CNAME on the Cloudflare DNS side that points to the origin. Please see Spectrum CNAME origins for more details.
  • There is no DNS record for the hostname in the target Partial (CNAME) setup zone of a Workers subrequest (Fetch API).

Resolution

To resolve error 1016:

  1. Verify your Cloudflare DNS settings include an A record that points to a valid IP address that resolves via a DNS lookup tool ↗.
  2. For a CNAME record pointing to a different domain, ensure that the target domain resolves via a DNS lookup tool ↗.
  3. For a Workers subrequest to a Partial (CNAME) setup zone, ensure that the hostname exists on the Cloudflare zone (and not only at the authoritative DNS).

Error 1016 in the context of SSL for SaaS

Cloudflare returns a 1016 error when the custom hostname cannot be routed or proxied.

Common cause

  • Custom hostname ownership validation is not complete.
  • Fallback origin is not correctly set.
  • A wildcard custom hostname has been created, but the requested hostname is associated with a domain that exists in Cloudflare as a standalone zone.
  • There is no DNS record for the hostname in the Cloudflare for SaaS target zone.

Resolution

  1. To check validation status, run an API call to search for a certificate by hostname and check the verification error field: "verification_errors": ["custom hostname does not CNAME to this zone."]. The error will be resolved once the status is active.
  2. Confirm that you have created a DNS record for the fallback origin and also set the fallback origin.
  3. The hostname priority for the standalone zone will take precedence over the wildcard custom hostname. This behavior applies even if there is no DNS record for this standalone zone hostname. Use a specific hostname instead of a wildcard or remove the standalone zone from Cloudflare.
  4. Make sure that each hostname that needs to be served by the Cloudflare for SaaS parent zone has been added as an individual custom hostname and has the status active.