The Easiest Way to Expose Uptime Kuma to the Internet (Using Cloudflare Tunnel)

If you’ve ever struggled with setting up a reverse proxy for your self-hosted apps like Uptime Kuma, you’re not alone. Traditional tools like Nginx, Caddy, and Traefik can be tricky, especially if you’re not familiar with them. But now, there’s a super easy solution—Cloudflare Tunnel with a web GUI.

Why This Is a Game-Changer

Cloudflare has made things incredibly simple. Their new web-based interface for managing tunnels means you can securely expose your Uptime Kuma to the internet with just a few clicks—no complex config files, no reverse proxy software, and zero hassle.

For Docker users, it’s even easier: just paste your Cloudflare Tunnel token into Uptime Kuma, and you’re online!

Benefits of Using Cloudflare Tunnel

✅ Free to use
✅ Full GUI, no manual config files
✅ Works behind a firewall
✅ Hides your real IP
✅ No need to expose Docker ports
✅ No need for extra reverse proxy software
✅ Free SSL with zero setup

Things to Keep in Mind

⚠️ Your domain's DNS must be managed by Cloudflare.
⚠️ The Docker setup works on Debian-based images (not Alpine).
⚠️ Adds about 30MB to the Docker image.
⚠️ Non-Docker users need to install cloudflared manually (Download here).

Requirements

Your domain name's DNS is managed by Cloudflare.
For Docker, it is supported by Debian base only. The Alpine base is not supported yet.
For non-Docker, you need to download and install cloudflared. https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/connections/connect-apps/install-and-setup/installation/
For non-Docker Windows users, you can download the msi installer on their Github release: https://github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared/releases/latest

Quick Start (TL;DR)

Create a tunnel on Cloudflare Zero Trust.
Get your tunnel token.
P aste it into Uptime Kuma Settings > Reverse Proxy.
Map it to http://localhost:3001.
Done! Your Uptime Kuma is online with free SSL.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a Tunnel

Go to Cloudflare Zero Trust dashboard.
Network > Tunnels > Create a Tunnel
Click Create a Tunnel.
Give it a name, like uptime-kuma, and save it.

2. Get Your Tunnel Token

Click the clipboard icon to copy the run command.
From that, copy just the token at the end of the command (looks something like eyJhIjoiZDA4ZG...).

3. Configure Uptime Kuma

Go to Uptime Kuma > Settings > Reverse Proxy.
Paste your token into the Cloudflare Tunnel Token field.
Click Start cloudflared.

4. Finalize in Cloudflare Zero Trust

If you see your connector active, click Next.
Choose a domain (or subdomain) and map it to http://localhost:3001.
Click Save.

That’s it! Visit https://your-domain.com and you’ll see Uptime Kuma running securely with automatic SSL.

How to Stop the Tunnel

Option 1: Remove the mapping in Cloudflare Zero Trust.
Option 2: In Uptime Kuma, click Stop cloudflared and Remove Token.

Pro Tip: Use an Environment Variable (Optional)

You can set your tunnel token as an environment variable. This starts cloudflared automatically—no need to expose container ports!

UPTIME_KUMA_CLOUDFLARED_TOKEN=<your_token>

Conclusion

Cloudflare Tunnel makes exposing Uptime Kuma (or any app) to the internet incredibly easy. No reverse proxy software, no SSL setup, no complicated configs—just a few clicks and you’re live.

“Stay curious, keep learning, and may your pods never crash!”

“Stay tuned—more DevOps goodness coming your way soon!”

!! Thank You !!

Reverse Proxy with Cloudflare Tunnel Phase - 3 (OCI)