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.

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.

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 route dns my-first-tunnel myapp.yourdomain.com This creates a DNS record at Cloudflare pointing to the tunnel. Create a configuration file config.yml in %USERPROFILE%\.cloudflared\ :

– Add cloudflared.exe as an exception in Windows Defender or your third-party AV.