A Cloudflare challenge in Kodi means a website your addon talks to is asking for proof that a person is visiting, and Kodi can’t answer. Addons can’t complete those checks, so you get an error like “This site has a Cloudflare challenge” or “Cloudflare detected,” or the addon just shows no sources.
Two different problems cause it. Either the site is challenging every addon that isn’t a full browser, which is common with Cumination, or Cloudflare has flagged your own IP address. This guide shows how to tell which one you have and what to try for each. It was last checked in November 2026.
The short version:
- Open Trakt, TheTVDB and TheMovieDB in a browser on the same network. If any of them shows a challenge page, your network is being challenged, so go to the IP fixes below.
- If they load normally and only one addon fails, the site that addon scrapes is challenging it. For Cumination, set up FlareSolverr.
- If nothing else works, wait, update the addon, or try a different site inside it.
What a Cloudflare Challenge in Kodi Means
Cloudflare is a service that routes website traffic through a global content delivery network. It caches data to cut bandwidth and filters out bots, which is why so many sites sit behind it. That includes the Trakt API, which answers through Cloudflare.
When a browser hits a Cloudflare challenge, it runs a small script and sometimes shows a checkbox. A Kodi addon fetches pages without a browser, so it never runs that script. The addon receives the challenge page instead of the content it wanted, and then it either shows an error or finds no links, which is the “no sources” screen.
The exact wording depends on the addon, but these are the common cases:
| What you see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| “This site has a Cloudflare challenge” or “Cloudflare detected” | The site the addon scrapes returned a bot check instead of its pages. This is a site-level problem, not always your IP. |
| “Retrying with Flaresolverr,” then nothing loads, with a “connection refused” error in the log | FlareSolverr is switched on in Cumination, but nothing is running at the address it points to. See the Cumination section below. |
| No sources, or an addon that worked yesterday now finds nothing | The scraper’s target site may be challenged, or the addon is out of date. Also see our no stream available guide. |
| Trakt won’t authorize, or Trakt lists come up empty | Cloudflare can challenge your IP when you call the Trakt API. See Trakt not working in Kodi for the other causes. |
Is Your IP Blocked, or Is the Site Challenging Everyone?
Before you change anything, find out which problem you have. On a phone or computer connected to the same network as your Kodi device, open each of these:
If any of them puts a challenge page in front of you before the site loads, your network address is being challenged. Solving it in your browser doesn’t carry over to Kodi, because the proof lives in the browser. Use the IP fixes below.
If all three load normally, your IP is fine. The problem is the particular site your addon is scraping, so jump to the addon section.
How to Fix Kodi Blocked by Cloudflare
1. Try a Different Network
The fastest test is to move your Kodi device onto a different connection, such as a phone hotspot. Cloudflare’s own troubleshooting advice lists switching networks as a way to check whether the network is the problem. If Kodi works on the hotspot, your home connection is the one being challenged. Watch your data use if you stream over a hotspot.
2. Get a New IP Address From Your ISP
A modem often gets a new IP address if it stays off for a while. Some providers keep the same address, so treat this as a test, not a promise.
- Search Google for What is my IP? and note your address.
- Turn off your Kodi device, then unplug your modem and your router.
- Wait at least ten minutes.
- Plug the modem and router back in.
- Search for What is my IP? again.
If the last two blocks of numbers changed, retry the three sites from the test above. If the address stayed the same, you can call your internet provider and ask for a new one. You don’t need to give a reason.
3. Try a VPN, or Turn Yours Off
A VPN changes the address Cloudflare sees, so it can clear a challenge. It can also make things worse, because Cloudflare lists VPNs and proxies among the things that can interfere with a challenge. Reports are mixed: in one Cumination thread a VPN location in Australia cleared the challenge while Canada and the UK did not.
If you are on a VPN, switch it off and test. If you are not, try one location, then another. Our best Kodi VPN guide covers the options, and NordVPN is a good place to start.
4. Wait It Out
A challenge on a flagged address can lift without you doing anything, but there is no reliable figure for how long that takes, so don’t plan around a set number of hours. Use the time to update your addons and check the fixes in our Kodi not working guide.
Cloudflare Challenge in Cumination and Other Scraper Addons
If the browser test passed but one addon keeps failing, the site behind that addon is the one challenging it. Cumination is the addon that many searches for this error name.
The fix Cumination supports is FlareSolverr. It is a helper program that opens a real Chrome browser, gets through the check, and hands the page and cookies back to the addon. Cumination only uses it if you switch it on and it is actually running.
These steps follow the Cumination wiki page on Cloudflare challenges:
- Update Cumination to the latest version. Cloudflare support needs a fairly recent release.
- Run FlareSolverr on a computer, NAS or small server on your home network. Docker is the recommended way, using the image from the FlareSolverr project, and it listens on port 8191 by default. Windows and Linux downloads for 64-bit computers are on the project’s releases page.
- In Kodi, open the Cumination settings, go to Advanced, find Flaresolverr, and turn it on.
- Enter the address of the machine running FlareSolverr, with the port and
/v1at the end. For example,http://192.168.1.50:8191/v1. Use your own machine’s local IP. - Restart Kodi and try the site again.
Fire Stick and Android TV: Why It Says Connection Refused
By default Cumination looks for FlareSolverr on the same device as Kodi, at localhost:8191. On a Fire Stick or Android TV box nothing is running there, so you see “Cloudflare detected, retrying with Flaresolverr” and then a connection refused error in the log. An Nvidia Shield user reported exactly this on the Cumination issue tracker, and a contributor’s answer was that FlareSolverr is a separate program you have to install. Point the address at the computer or server running it instead.
The Cumination wiki doesn’t cover running FlareSolverr on a Fire Stick or Android device, so we can’t confirm that setup. The computer or server also has to stay on while you watch. FlareSolverr’s own instructions say not to expose it to the internet, so keep it on your home network.
What FlareSolverr Can’t Fix
FlareSolverr won’t clear every site. Its README says none of its captcha solvers work right now, and it only partly handles Cloudflare’s Turnstile checkbox. The Cumination wiki also says not every site that was blocked is guaranteed to work. If a site still fails, try another site in the addon, update Cumination, or check the Cumination issues page to see whether others have reported the same site.
Other scraper addons may have a similar setting. Look in the addon’s settings for a Flaresolverr or Cloudflare option. We couldn’t confirm which other addons offer one.
What Happened in 2019: Yoda, CFSCRAPE and the Mass Block
This page was first written in April 2019, when many Kodi users suddenly saw “no sources” and broken Trakt menus after Cloudflare blocked a wave of IP addresses. Some users on Reddit pointed to a scraper inside the Yoda addon sending a lot of requests, but the cause was never confirmed.
Addons back then relied on a Python module called CFSCRAPE to get past Cloudflare. That project’s own README lists support only for older Python versions and says a reCAPTCHA challenge is beyond it, which is why newer addons turned to tools like FlareSolverr.
Kodi Cloudflare Challenge FAQ
What does a Cloudflare challenge mean in Kodi?
It means the addon asked a website for a page and Cloudflare answered with a bot check instead. Kodi addons can’t complete that check, so the addon shows an error or no sources. It does not always mean your IP address is blocked.
How do I know if Cloudflare blocked my IP?
Open Trakt, TheTVDB and TheMovieDB in a browser on the same network as your Kodi device. If any of them shows a challenge page before the site loads, your network is being challenged. If they load normally, the problem is the site your addon scrapes.
Will a VPN fix a Cloudflare challenge in Kodi?
Sometimes. A VPN changes the address Cloudflare sees, so it can clear a challenge, but it can also trigger one. Try a different server location, and if you are already on a VPN, turn it off and test.
Do I need to run FlareSolverr on my Fire Stick?
No, and the Cumination setup guide doesn’t cover running it on a Fire Stick or Android device. FlareSolverr is normally run on a computer, NAS or server on your home network, and you point Cumination at that machine’s address and port 8191.
How long does a Cloudflare block last?
There is no reliable figure. Some challenges lift on their own. Instead of waiting, test a different network such as a phone hotspot, or ask your internet provider for a new IP address.
Still stuck? Work through the checks in our Kodi not working guide and the no stream available fix.
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