Cloudflare R2 Configuration

Introduction

This guide walks you through configuring Cloudflare R2 for media storage with Fluent Community. R2 is our recommended cloud storage provider due to its zero egress fees and excellent performance.

Why We Recommend R2

Cloudflare R2 offers S3-compatible storage with zero egress fees, making it significantly more cost-effective than alternatives for communities with high media consumption.

Prerequisites

Cloudflare account (free tier available)
Fluent Community Pro installed and activated
Basic understanding of cloud storage concepts

Step 1: Create an R2 Bucket

1.1 Access R2 Dashboard

Log in to your Cloudflare account
Navigate to R2 under the Storage section
Click "Create bucket"

1.2 Configure Bucket Settings

Bucket Name:

Choose a unique name (e.g., my-community-media)
Use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only

Location:

Automatic (Recommended) - Cloudflare automatically selects optimal location
Or choose a specific region closest to your target audience

Default Storage Class:

Select "Standard" (default)

1.3 Create Bucket

Click "Create bucket" to finalize.

Step 2: Generate API Token

2.1 Access API Token Management

In your R2 dashboard, click "Manage R2 API Tokens"
Click "Create API Token"

2.2 Configure API Token

Token Name:

Give it a descriptive name (e.g., fluent-community-token)

Permissions:

Select "Object Read & Write"

Specify Bucket(s):

Select "Apply to specific buckets only"
Choose your newly created bucket from the dropdown

TTL (Time to Live):

Select "Forever" (recommended)
Or set an expiration date if you prefer to rotate tokens

2.3 Create and Save Token

Click "Create API Token"
You'll see a success screen with credentials

Important

Save these credentials immediately! You won't be able to see the Secret Access Key again.

Copy and save securely:

Access Key ID (e.g., abc123def456...)
Secret Access Key (e.g., xyz789uvw012...)

Step 3: Get R2 Endpoint Information

3.1 Get Account ID

In the R2 dashboard, go to "Overview"
Copy your Account ID (displayed at the top)
Format: 1718cb5a51e65c8f19e8sahdakh763

3.2 Enable Public Access

Select your bucket from the list
Click on the "Settings" tab
Scroll to "R2.dev subdomain" section
Click "Allow Access"
Copy the Public R2.dev Bucket URL
Format: https://pub-abc123def456.r2.dev

Custom Domain

You can also configure a custom domain for your R2 bucket for better branding. See the Advanced Configuration section below.

Step 4: Configure Fluent Community

You have two options for configuration:

Option A: Using Plugin UI (Recommended for Most Users)

Go to FluentCommunity → Settings → Features
Find the Cloud Storage section
Fill in the form:

Storage Provider:

Select "Cloudflare R2" from dropdown

Access Key:

Paste your Access Key ID from Step 2

Secret Key:

Paste your Secret Access Key from Step 2

Account ID:

Paste your Cloudflare Account ID from Step 3.1

Bucket:

Enter your bucket name (e.g., my-community-media)

Sub Folder (Optional):

Enter a subfolder path if you want to organize files
Example: community-files or site-name
Leave empty to store files in bucket root

Public URL:

Paste your Public R2.dev Bucket URL from Step 3.2
Example: https://pub-abc123def456.r2.dev

Click "Save Changes"

Option B: Using wp-config.php (Recommended for Security)

Add these constants to your wp-config.php file (before the "That's all, stop editing!" line):

php

// Cloudflare R2 Configuration
define('FLUENT_COMMUNITY_CLOUD_STORAGE', 'cloudflare_r2');
define('FLUENT_COMMUNITY_CLOUD_STORAGE_ACCOUNT_ID', '1718cb5a51e65c8f19e8sahdakh763'); // Your Account ID
define('FLUENT_COMMUNITY_CLOUD_STORAGE_ACCESS_KEY', 'YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID'); // From Step 2
define('FLUENT_COMMUNITY_CLOUD_STORAGE_SECRET_KEY', 'YOUR_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY'); // From Step 2
define('FLUENT_COMMUNITY_CLOUD_STORAGE_BUCKET', 'my-community-media'); // Your bucket name
define('FLUENT_COMMUNITY_CLOUD_STORAGE_PUBLIC_URL', 'https://pub-abc123def456.r2.dev'); // Your R2 public URL
define('FLUENT_COMMUNITY_CLOUD_STORAGE_SUB_FOLDER', 'community-files'); // Optional

Replace with your actual values:

1718cb5a51e65c8f19e8sahdakh763 → Your Account ID
YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID → Your Access Key ID
YOUR_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY → Your Secret Access Key
my-community-media → Your bucket name
https://pub-abc123def456.r2.dev → Your R2 public URL
community-files → Your subfolder (or remove this line)

Custom Domain

If you've configured a custom domain, use it in FLUENT_COMMUNITY_CLOUD_STORAGE_PUBLIC_URL instead of the R2.dev URL.

Configuration Priority

If you configure both methods:

✅ wp-config.php settings take precedence
UI settings are ignored when wp-config.php constants are defined

Testing Your Configuration

1. Upload a Test Image

Go to your Fluent Community portal
Create a new post
Upload an image
Publish the post

2. Verify Upload

Check your R2 bucket in Cloudflare dashboard
You should see the uploaded file
Verify the file count increased

3. Check Image Display

View the post in your community
Image should load from R2 URL
URL format: https://pub-abc123def456.r2.dev/path/to/image.jpg

Cost Estimation

R2 Pricing (as of 2024)

Storage:

$0.015 per GB/month

Class A Operations (writes):

$4.50 per million requests

Class B Operations (reads):

$0.36 per million requests

Egress (Data Transfer Out):

✅ FREE (Zero egress fees!)

Example: Medium Community

Monthly Usage:

Storage: 10 GB
Egress: 50 GB (FREE!)
Uploads: 10,000 images
Views: 100,000 image loads

Monthly Cost:

Storage: 10 × $0.015 = $0.15
Class A (uploads): (10,000 / 1,000,000) × $4.50 = $0.045
Class B (reads): (100,000 / 1,000,000) × $0.36 = $0.036
Egress: 50 GB × $0.00 = $0.00
Total: ~$0.23/month

Massive Savings

Compare this to Amazon S3 where 50GB egress would cost $4.50/month! R2 saves you $4.27/month in this example.

Troubleshooting

"Access Denied" Error

Causes:

Incorrect API token permissions
Wrong credentials
Token expired

Solutions:

Verify API token has "Object Read & Write" permissions
Confirm Access Key and Secret Key are correct
Check token hasn't expired
Ensure no extra spaces in credentials

"Bucket Not Found" Error

Causes:

Wrong bucket name
Wrong Account ID
Bucket doesn't exist

Solutions:

Double-check bucket name (case-sensitive)
Verify Account ID is correct
Confirm bucket exists in Cloudflare dashboard

Images Not Displaying

Causes:

Public access not enabled
Wrong public URL
CORS issues

Solutions:

Enable "Allow Access" in R2.dev subdomain settings
Verify public URL is correct
Check browser console for errors
Clear browser cache

"Invalid Account ID" Error

Causes:

Wrong Account ID format
Copied extra characters

Solutions:

Copy Account ID from R2 Overview page
Ensure no spaces or extra characters
Account ID should be alphanumeric string

Advanced Configuration

Using Custom Domain

For better branding, you can use your own domain:

1. Add Custom Domain in Cloudflare

Go to your R2 bucket → Settings
Scroll to "Custom Domains" section
Click "Connect Domain"
Enter your domain (e.g., media.yourdomain.com)
Follow the DNS setup instructions

2. Update Fluent Community Configuration

Update the public URL to use your custom domain:

php

define('FLUENT_COMMUNITY_CLOUD_STORAGE_PUBLIC_URL', 'https://media.yourdomain.com');

CORS Configuration

If you need to access R2 from different domains:

Go to your R2 bucket → Settings
Scroll to "CORS Policy" section
Add CORS rules:

json

[
  {
    "AllowedOrigins": ["https://yourdomain.com"],
    "AllowedMethods": ["GET", "HEAD"],
    "AllowedHeaders": ["*"],
    "ExposeHeaders": [],
    "MaxAgeSeconds": 3600
  }
]

Bucket Lifecycle Rules

To automatically delete old files:

Go to your R2 bucket → Settings
Scroll to "Lifecycle Rules" section
Create rules to expire objects after X days

Security Best Practices

Use wp-config.php - Keep credentials out of database
Restrict API token scope - Only grant necessary permissions
Use specific bucket access - Don't use account-wide tokens
Enable custom domain - Better control and branding
Monitor usage - Check R2 analytics regularly
Rotate tokens periodically - Change credentials every 6-12 months
Use HTTPS only - Never use HTTP for media URLs

Why R2 is Better Than S3

Cost Comparison

Feature	Cloudflare R2	Amazon S3
Storage	$0.015/GB	$0.023/GB
Egress	✅ FREE	❌ $0.09/GB
Class A Ops	$4.50/million	$5.00/million
Class B Ops	$0.36/million	$0.40/million

For 10GB storage + 50GB egress:

R2: $0.23/month
S3: $4.78/month
Savings: $4.55/month (95% cheaper!)

Performance

✅ Global CDN included
✅ Fast edge network
✅ Low latency worldwide
✅ Automatic optimization

Simplicity

✅ Simpler pricing model
✅ No surprise egress charges
✅ Easy setup process
✅ Integrated with Cloudflare ecosystem

Migration from S3 to R2

If you're currently using S3 and want to switch to R2:

1. Create R2 Bucket

Follow Steps 1-3 above to set up R2.

2. Migrate Existing Files

Use Cloudflare's migration tools or AWS CLI:

bash

# Using rclone (recommended)
rclone sync s3:your-s3-bucket r2:your-r2-bucket

3. Update Configuration

Change your wp-config.php from S3 to R2 settings.

4. Test Thoroughly

Verify all images load correctly before decommissioning S3.

Free Tier Limits

Cloudflare R2 offers a generous free tier:

Storage: 10 GB/month
Class A Operations: 1 million/month
Class B Operations: 10 million/month
Egress: Unlimited (always free!)

Perfect for Small Communities

The free tier is perfect for small communities just getting started!

Cloud Storage Overview - Compare all providers
Amazon S3 - Alternative provider
BunnyCDN - Another alternative
Performance Optimization - Optimize your setup

Cloudflare R2 Configuration ​ ​

Introduction ​ ​

Prerequisites ​ ​

Step 1: Create an R2 Bucket ​ ​

1.1 Access R2 Dashboard ​ ​

1.2 Configure Bucket Settings ​ ​

1.3 Create Bucket ​ ​

Step 2: Generate API Token ​ ​

2.1 Access API Token Management ​ ​

2.2 Configure API Token ​ ​

2.3 Create and Save Token ​ ​

Step 3: Get R2 Endpoint Information ​ ​

3.1 Get Account ID ​ ​

3.2 Enable Public Access ​ ​

Step 4: Configure Fluent Community ​ ​

Option A: Using Plugin UI (Recommended for Most Users) ​ ​

Option B: Using wp-config.php (Recommended for Security) ​ ​

Configuration Priority ​ ​

Testing Your Configuration ​ ​

1. Upload a Test Image ​ ​

2. Verify Upload ​ ​

3. Check Image Display ​ ​

Cost Estimation ​ ​

R2 Pricing (as of 2024) ​ ​

Example: Medium Community ​ ​

Troubleshooting ​ ​

"Access Denied" Error ​ ​

"Bucket Not Found" Error ​ ​

Images Not Displaying ​ ​

"Invalid Account ID" Error ​ ​

Advanced Configuration ​ ​

Using Custom Domain ​ ​

1. Add Custom Domain in Cloudflare ​ ​

2. Update Fluent Community Configuration ​ ​

CORS Configuration ​ ​

Bucket Lifecycle Rules ​ ​

Security Best Practices ​ ​

Why R2 is Better Than S3 ​ ​

Cost Comparison ​ ​

Performance ​ ​

Simplicity ​ ​

Migration from S3 to R2 ​ ​

1. Create R2 Bucket ​ ​

2. Migrate Existing Files ​ ​

3. Update Configuration ​ ​

4. Test Thoroughly ​ ​

Free Tier Limits ​ ​

Related Documentation ​ ​

Cloudflare R2 Configuration

Introduction

Prerequisites

Step 1: Create an R2 Bucket

1.1 Access R2 Dashboard

1.2 Configure Bucket Settings

1.3 Create Bucket

Step 2: Generate API Token

2.1 Access API Token Management

2.2 Configure API Token

2.3 Create and Save Token

Step 3: Get R2 Endpoint Information

3.1 Get Account ID

3.2 Enable Public Access

Step 4: Configure Fluent Community

Option A: Using Plugin UI (Recommended for Most Users)

Option B: Using wp-config.php (Recommended for Security)

Configuration Priority

Testing Your Configuration

1. Upload a Test Image

2. Verify Upload

3. Check Image Display

Cost Estimation

R2 Pricing (as of 2024)

Example: Medium Community

Troubleshooting

"Access Denied" Error

"Bucket Not Found" Error

Images Not Displaying

"Invalid Account ID" Error

Advanced Configuration

Using Custom Domain

1. Add Custom Domain in Cloudflare

2. Update Fluent Community Configuration

CORS Configuration

Bucket Lifecycle Rules

Security Best Practices

Why R2 is Better Than S3

Cost Comparison

Performance

Simplicity

Migration from S3 to R2

1. Create R2 Bucket

2. Migrate Existing Files

3. Update Configuration

4. Test Thoroughly

Free Tier Limits

Related Documentation