Cloudflared-windows-amd64.exe Direct

First, ensure your config is ready. Then:

cloudflared.exe service install This creates a service named “Cloudflare Tunnel Agent”. Start it:

cloudflared.exe tunnel run my-first-tunnel Your local service is now live at https://myapp.yourdomain.com . For persistent operation (reboots, logoffs), install Cloudflared as a Windows service.

cloudflared.exe tunnel --url http://localhost:3000 Cloudflare gives you a random https://random-name.trycloudflare.com URL. This uses Cloudflare’s Quick Tunnels feature—no authentication, no config. “Access is denied” – Run Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator when installing the service or writing to Program Files . cloudflared-windows-amd64.exe

cloudflared.exe tunnel create my-first-tunnel This creates a tunnel (with a UUID) and stores its credentials in .cloudflared . It also creates a tunnel configuration file template.

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared/releases/latest/download/cloudflared-windows-amd64.exe" -OutFile "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\cloudflared.exe" Move it to a permanent location, e.g., C:\cloudflared\cloudflared.exe , and add that folder to your PATH for easy access. Cloudflared needs to authenticate with your Cloudflare account.

– Check logs: cloudflared.exe tunnel run --config C:\path\to\config.yml my-first-tunnel (run manually first). First, ensure your config is ready

Enter and its Windows executable: cloudflared-windows-amd64.exe . This tool creates secure, outbound-only tunnels from your Windows PC to Cloudflare’s global edge network. No open firewall ports. No static IP required. Just fast, encrypted access from anywhere.

cloudflared.exe tunnel login A browser window will open. Log in to your Cloudflare account and select the domain you want to use. This generates a cert.pem file in %USERPROFILE%\.cloudflared\ . That certificate is your global API credential—keep it safe. Tunnels are persistent connections with their own configuration. Let’s create one.

net start cloudflared Or use the Services GUI ( services.msc ). The service automatically runs at boot. | Local Service | Example URL | Config service line | |------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | IIS (default website) | http://localhost:80 | service: http://localhost:80 | | Node.js dev server | http://localhost:3000 | service: http://localhost:3000 | | Jellyfin / Plex | http://localhost:8096 | service: http://localhost:8096 | | SMB / RDP (via Access) | tcp://localhost:3389 | service: tcp://localhost:3389 | | SSH | tcp://localhost:22 | service: tcp://localhost:22 | “Access is denied” – Run Command Prompt or

– Ensure outbound TCP port 443 (HTTPS) and UDP 443 are allowed for cloudflared.exe . 10. Updating Cloudflared Cloudflared updates frequently. To update manually:

– Cloudflared does not listen on ports locally (it connects outbound). The error may be your local web server.

Now, route traffic to a local service. For example, if you run a web app on localhost:3000 :