One Command to Go Live with cfex

Muthukumaran Navaneethakrishnan
3 min readJan 15, 2025

Iterating quickly during development is essential, whether you’re debugging a feature, fixing an issue, or sharing updates for feedback. Waiting for staging deployments or building intermediate environments can slow down this process, adding unnecessary friction to what should be seamless iteration.

With cfex (Cloudflare Exposer CLI), you can make your local service live in seconds, allowing for immediate feedback and iteration. For example:

cfex demo.yourdomain.com:3000

In just one command, your application is live at https://demo.yourdomain.com, with secure HTTPS access and HTTP/3 support for enhanced performance.

The Problem: Slow Iteration

Developers often face challenges that hinder quick iteration:

  1. Intermediate Environments: Setting up staging or QA environments can add delays and complexity.
  2. Feedback Delays: Stakeholders must wait for changes to be deployed before they can review and provide input.
  3. Reduced Productivity: Debugging and refining in higher environments requires extra steps, slowing down workflows.

These challenges make it harder to deliver and refine features efficiently, especially in fast-paced development cycles.

The Solution: cfex for Immediate Feedback

cfex simplifies this process by enabling developers to expose their local environment instantly. Built on cloudflared, it automates secure tunneling, DNS configuration, and HTTPS setup, allowing developers to focus on their work.

Key features include:

  • Quick Sharing: A single command to expose local services on a custom domain.
  • Secure Access: HTTPS and HTTP/3 support ensure reliability and security.
  • Real-Time Updates: Changes are reflected live, reducing iteration time.

How It Works: Getting Started

Step 1: Install and Authenticate

# Install cfex
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/muthuishere/cfex-cli/main/install.sh | bash

# Authenticate with Cloudflare
export CLOUDFLARE_API_KEY='your-api-token'
cloudflared tunnel login

Step 2: Expose Your Service

Run your application locally and make it live:

cfex demo.yourdomain.com:3000

Step 3: Iterate in Real-Time

Refine your work locally, and cfex reflects updates instantly, reducing the time between changes and feedback.

Subdomain Best Practices

To ensure consistent SSL functionality when using cfex, adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Use three-dot subdomains like https://api.yourdomain.com or https://dev.yourdomain.com.
  • Avoid deeply nested subdomains like https://a.b.c.yourdomain.com, as they may cause SSL errors (e.g., cipher mismatch).
  • Test your subdomain setup after configuration to validate HTTPS functionality.

This ensures reliable access to your services and prevents unnecessary SSL issues.

Practical Applications for Quick Iteration

For Developers:

  • Debug APIs and webhooks live, without setting up intermediate environments.
  • Share feature updates instantly for faster collaboration.

For Managers:

  • Review progress in real-time by accessing live environments.
  • Provide immediate feedback on in-progress features.

For Startup Owners:

  • Present polished demos to clients or investors using custom domains.
  • Iterate quickly based on stakeholder input.

Best Practices

  1. Descriptive Subdomains: Clearly name subdomains like dev.yourdomain.com for easier identification.
  2. Separate Environments: Use distinct tunnels for development and demos.
  3. Monitor Tunnels: Use cfex list to track active tunnels and maintain organization.
  4. Test SSL Compatibility: Validate HTTPS functionality to ensure secure access.

Common Issues and Solutions

  1. Service Not Accessible: Ensure your local application is running on the specified port.
  2. DNS Propagation Delays: Verify API token permissions and allow a brief delay for DNS updates.
  3. Authentication Errors: Re-authenticate using cloudflared tunnel login if necessary.

Performance Notes

  • Tunnel Setup: Typically takes ~30 seconds.
  • Live Updates: Changes are reflected instantly.
  • DNS Propagation: Usually completes in under 1 minute.

Comparison with Other Tools

Here’s how cfex compares to alternatives like ngrok, LocalTunnel, and cloudflared:

Comparision

Why cfex?

  • Integrates seamlessly with Cloudflare for DNS automation.
  • Offers custom domains for free, unlike ngrok’s paid plans.
  • Provides an intuitive CLI that simplifies cloudflared usage.

Conclusion

cfex is a practical tool for developers, managers, and startup owners who need to iterate quickly and share their work efficiently. By leveraging cloudflared, it automates DNS, HTTPS, and secure tunneling, enabling real-time collaboration and feedback.

Whether you’re debugging, testing, or showcasing progress, cfex simplifies workflows and saves time. If you’re looking for a straightforward solution to expose your local environment, give cfex a try.

Source code on https://github.com/muthuishere/cfex-cli

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Muthukumaran Navaneethakrishnan
Muthukumaran Navaneethakrishnan

Written by Muthukumaran Navaneethakrishnan

Software Engineer works on Java, Javascript & Clojure

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