Why is Cloudflare blocking my IP address on Discord?

Friday, September 29, 2023:

  • Discord is facing an outage, and many users are seeing a “Sorry, you have been blocked” message.
  • Discord has configured Cloudflare to block everyone on the Desktop app, most likely by accident.
  • The outage appears to be connected to a Cloudflare outage and maintenance.
  • According to the service’s status page, Discord is aware of the issue. There is no information on when the service will be back up.

If Cloudflare appears to be blocking your IP address specifically when trying to access Discord, there could be several reasons:

discord blocked by cloudflare
  1. Suspicious Activity: Cloudflare may have detected patterns of traffic from your IP address that resemble malicious activity or patterns typical of bots, which can trigger an automatic response to block or challenge the traffic.
  2. DDoS Protection: Cloudflare’s primary purpose is to prevent Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. If your IP is generating an unusually high number of requests to Discord, even unintentionally, it might be flagged.
  3. Firewall Rules: Discord can set specific rules using Cloudflare’s firewall features. If your IP matches any of the criteria set by these rules (for example, due to previous malicious activity or being part of a certain IP range), you might be blocked or challenged.
  4. VPN or Proxy Use: If you’re using a VPN or a proxy, it’s possible that the IP address provided by that service has been used for spamming, bot activity, or other malicious actions by other users. As a result, Cloudflare could block or challenge requests from that IP.
  5. Shared IP Issue: If you’re using a shared IP address (common with some ISPs or in places like universities), it’s possible that someone else using the same IP address engaged in activity that got the IP address blocked or challenged.
  6. Rate Limiting: Making too many requests in a short amount of time can lead to temporary IP bans due to rate limiting.

What to do:

  1. Retry Access: Sometimes, simply waiting for a bit and then trying again can work if the block was due to temporary rate limiting.
  2. Change IP Address: If you have a dynamic IP, restarting your router might get you a new IP address. If you have a static IP, consider contacting your ISP for assistance.
  3. VPN or Proxy: If you’re using a VPN or proxy, try disconnecting from it and accessing Discord directly. Alternatively, you can switch to a different server or service.
  4. Clear Cookies and Cache: Sometimes, old or corrupted browser data can cause access issues. Clearing your browser’s cookies and cache may help.
  5. Contact Support: If none of the above solutions work, you can contact Discord support for further assistance. Provide them with your IP address and any error messages you’re receiving. If it’s an error due to Cloudflare’s systems, they might ask you to contact Cloudflare directly.
  6. Check with Cloudflare: You can also reach out to Cloudflare’s support, but it’s typically best to start with the service you’re trying to access (in this case, Discord) as they are the client and have more direct control over their specific Cloudflare settings.

Always remember that protective measures like IP blocking are usually implemented to safeguard both the platform and its users.

FAQ

  • Why is Cloudflare blocking my IP address on Discord?

Published on: 2023-09-29
Updated on: 2023-09-29

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Isaac Adams-Hands

Isaac Adams-Hands is the SEO Director at SEO North, a company that provides Search Engine Optimization services. As an SEO Professional, Isaac has considerable expertise in On-page SEO, Off-page SEO, and Technical SEO, which gives him a leg up against the competition.