| name | cloudflare-tunnel |
| description | This skill should be used when users need to expose a local development web service to the internet via Cloudflare Tunnel. Use when users say 'expose my local server', 'share my dev server', 'create a tunnel', 'cloudflare tunnel', 'public URL for localhost', 'trycloudflare', or need to share a locally running service with others for testing or preview. |
Cloudflare Tunnel
Expose any local web service to the internet instantly using Cloudflare Tunnel (cloudflared). Supports two modes: quick tunnels (zero config, temporary URL) and named tunnels (persistent, reusable).
Quick Start
For the fastest path to a public URL, run the helper script with the local port:
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh quick <port>
This creates a temporary *.trycloudflare.com URL with no authentication required.
Workflow
1. Check Prerequisites
Before starting a tunnel, verify cloudflared is installed:
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh status
If not installed, install it:
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh install
On macOS this uses Homebrew. On Linux it detects apt/yum/pacman automatically.
2. Choose Tunnel Type
Quick Tunnel (recommended for most dev work):
- No Cloudflare account or authentication needed
- Generates a random
*.trycloudflare.com subdomain
- URL changes each time the tunnel restarts
- Max 200 concurrent in-flight requests
- No Server-Sent Events (SSE) support
- Will not work if a
config.yaml exists in ~/.cloudflared/
Named Tunnel (for persistent access):
- Requires a Cloudflare account and authentication
- Stable tunnel identity (UUID-based)
- Can be mapped to custom DNS hostnames
- Supports all protocols
3. Start the Tunnel
Quick Tunnel
To expose a local HTTP service:
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh quick <port>
To expose an HTTPS local service:
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh quick <port> https
The script outputs a public URL like https://random-words.trycloudflare.com. Share this URL for remote access.
Named Tunnel
First authenticate (one-time):
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh login
Create the tunnel (one-time per project):
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh create my-project
Run the tunnel:
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh named my-project <port>
4. Stop the Tunnel
Press Ctrl+C in the terminal, or:
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh stop
Script Reference
The helper script at scripts/tunnel.sh supports these commands:
| Command | Description |
|---|
quick <port> [protocol] | Start a quick tunnel (default protocol: http) |
named <name> <port> | Run a named tunnel |
create <name> | Create a new named tunnel |
list | List existing named tunnels |
login | Authenticate with Cloudflare |
stop | Stop any running tunnel |
status | Check installation and auth status |
install | Install cloudflared |
Common Patterns
React dev server (port 3000):
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh quick 3000
Vite dev server (port 5173):
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh quick 5173
Django/Rails/Express (port 8000):
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh quick 8000
PHP built-in server (port 8080):
~/.claude/skills/cloudflare-tunnel/scripts/tunnel.sh quick 8080
Troubleshooting
- "config.yaml exists" error with quick tunnels: Quick tunnels fail if
~/.cloudflared/config.yaml exists. Temporarily rename or remove it.
- HTTP 429 errors: Quick tunnels cap at 200 concurrent in-flight requests. For higher traffic, use a named tunnel.
- SSE not working: Quick tunnels do not support Server-Sent Events. Use a named tunnel instead.
- Tunnel stops when terminal closes: Run with
nohup or screen/tmux to persist across terminal sessions.
