Brand Protection launches automated C&D letters

TL;DR: Brand Protection now features an Automated Cease & Desist (C&D) workflow. When you discover an infringing domain hosted outside of Cloudflare, you can instantly generate, review, and download a custom-branded, pre-filled legal notice in seconds.

Why this matters

This update introduces a major shift from pure detection to actionable enforcement, eliminating the manual burden for your Trust & Safety and Legal teams:

• Instant WHOIS and Recipient Lookup: We automatically scrape registrar data and WHOIS contact information (such as the registrant or registrar abuse email) behind the scenes, highlighting exactly where your notice needs to be sent
• Smart Template Automation: We pre-fill your custom-branded templates with essential metadata, including the infringing domain, registrar name, and discovery date.
• Tailored Enforcement Tones: Choose from three default layout strategies depending on the severity of the infrastructure match:
  • Exact Match: A formal demand for identical trademark infringements
  • Similar Match: A standard notice optimized for typosquatting (one-character distance matches)
  • Friendly Tone: An amicable initial outreach for potential unintentional or accidental infringements
• Full Editing Control: Before creating the final PDF, a real-time review screen allows you to fine-tune the messaging, modify placeholders, and ensure your text aligns perfectly with internal legal standards

How it works

When reviewing a malicious domain match inside your dashboard, your enforcement path splits depending on where the attacker is located:

1. On the Cloudflare Network: If the domain uses Cloudflare’s network or registrar, trigger our existing integrated abuse reporting flow with one click.
2. Hosted Elsewhere: If the domain is hosted on an external provider, click the Generate C&D Letter option to launch the new document builder, pick your template, verify the auto-populated recipient data, and download your finalized PDF.

You can manage your templates and enforce matches by going to the Cloudflare Dashboard > Application Security > Brand Protection and selecting your detected Brand Protection matches. For more information, read the Brand Protection documentation.

Note: Cloudflare does not represent you and cannot provide you with legal advice. Only you can decide whether your rights have been infringed, whether a cease and desist letter is appropriate, and what that letter should say.