DockFlare: Automate Cloudflare Tunnels with Docker Labels

DockFlare provides a self-hosted ingress and access-control plane for Cloudflare Tunnel environments, translating desired state into Cloudflare configuration through Docker labels, manual rules, and optional remote agents. The tool was developed to eliminate repetitive dashboard configuration in fast-changing self-hosted environments.

The solution allows users to define their intent once and have DockFlare automatically reconcile it, creating a set-it-and-forget-it workflow that reduces operational drift and improves service reliability. It provides localized native experience for managing routing and access decisions in one place.

Key Features

DockFlare offers automatic service discovery from Docker labels, sovereign email suite capabilities, multi-domain email support, and a progressive web app (PWA)-ready webmail client. The system also includes automated infrastructure provisioning for Cloudflare Workers, R2 buckets, and Email Routing, along with advanced DNS and DKIM management.

The solution supports native multi-language UI (13 languages), manual ingress rule management, Cloudflare Tunnel ingress orchestration, and advanced access group and reusable policy management. It also provides Cloudflare Access application lifecycle management and secure agent communication via Cloudflare Zero Trust service tokens.

Installation Process

Getting started with DockFlare is straightforward with a one-liner install command that guides users through choosing an install directory, selecting a local UI port, and optionally configuring a Cloudflare Tunnel for DockFlare itself. Users can also optionally enable the Email profile during installation.

The prerequisites include Docker and Docker Compose, a Redis instance, and a Cloudflare account with specific API token permissions. Before first launch, users must create a shared network and configure a docker-compose.yml file with various services including docker-socket-proxy, dockflare-init, dockflare, redis, and optional email components.

Configuration Modes

DockFlare operates in multiple configuration modes to suit different needs. In Docker Label Mode, users declare hostname, service target, and access behavior through container labels, with DockFlare automatically reconciling records and ingress rules. Manual Rule Mode allows creating and editing routes directly in the UI for static hosts, VMs, or external services.

The Hybrid Mode combines labels for most workloads while managing exceptions in the UI, while Agent Mode enables multi-server operation with a central master and lightweight agents on remote Docker hosts. The solution also implements an Access Control Model using Access Groups as the primary abstraction for reusable access intent.

Reliability Features

DockFlare's reconciliation process is designed to be idempotent, ensuring consistent results. Runtime and configuration state are persisted in encrypted files, and manual rule options are preserved and re-applied across restarts. The system also includes backup and restore capabilities for encrypted configuration, runtime state, and email data.

The project is available on GitHub with comprehensive documentation covering architecture, quick start guides, container label references, and advanced setup options. Developers can begin using DockFlare by running the installation script and completing the setup wizard at http://their-server-ip:5000.