---
title: SSL/TLS Recommender · Cloudflare SSL/TLS docs
description: The SSL/TLS Recommender helps you choose which Encryption mode is
  best for your application.
lastUpdated: 2025-08-20T18:47:44.000Z
chatbotDeprioritize: false
source_url:
  html: https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/origin-configuration/ssl-tls-recommender/
  md: https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/origin-configuration/ssl-tls-recommender/index.md
---

The SSL/TLS Recommender helps you choose which [Encryption mode](https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/origin-configuration/ssl-modes/) is best for your application.

Warning

Cloudflare is deprecating our SSL/TLS Recommender in favor of [Automatic SSL/TLS](https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/origin-configuration/ssl-modes/#automatic-ssltls-default).

## Availability

| | Free | Pro | Business | Enterprise |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Availability | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Common tasks

### Enable SSL/TLS recommendations

To make sure you do not inadvertently block the **SSL/TLS Recommender**, review your settings to make sure your domain:

* Is accessible.
* Is not blocking requests from our bot (which uses a user agent of `Cloudflare-SSLDetector`).
* Does not have any active, SSL-specific [Page Rules](https://developers.cloudflare.com/rules/page-rules/) or [Configuration rules](https://developers.cloudflare.com/rules/configuration-rules/).

Then, you can enable the SSL/TLS recommender.

* Dashboard

  To enable SSL/TLS recommendations in the dashboard:

  1. Log in to the [Cloudflare dashboard](https://dash.cloudflare.com) and select your account and application.
  2. Go to **SSL/TLS**.
  3. For **SSL/TLS Recommender**, switch the toggle to **On**.

* API

  To adjust your SSL/TLS Recommender enrollment with the API, send a [`PATCH`](https://developers.cloudflare.com/api/resources/ssl/subresources/recommendations/methods/get/) request with the `enabled` parameter set to your desired setting (`true` or `false`).

### Manually trigger a new scan

Once you enable it, the recommender runs future scans periodically — typically every two days — and sends notifications if new recommendations become available.

To manually re-trigger a new scan, disable and then [re-enable SSL/TLS recommendations](#enable-ssltls-recommendations).

## How it works

Once enabled, the SSL/TLS Recommender runs an origin scan using the user agent `Cloudflare-SSLDetector` and ignores your `robots.txt` file (except for rules explicitly targeting the user agent).

Based on this initial scan, the Recommender may decide that you could use a stronger [SSL encryption mode](https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/origin-configuration/ssl-modes/). It will never recommend a weaker option than what is currently configured.

If so, it will send the application owner an email with the recommended option and add a *Recommended by Cloudflare* tag to that option on the **SSL/TLS** page. You are not required to use this recommendation.

If you do not receive an email, keep your current **SSL encryption mode**.
