wrangler dev exposes local server with --tunnel

Introduced 2026-04-28 · score 0.98

HOW TO USE IT

When sharing a local Wrangler dev server without a Cloudflare account or configuration, run `wrangler dev --tunnel` to start a Quick Tunnel and get a random `*.trycloudflare.com` URL. The tunnel ends with the dev session.

WHY THIS HELPS

Share a local Wrangler development server publicly when you have no Cloudflare account or configuration.

REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS

• Version: 4.86.0
• --tunnel (required): Boolean flag; exposes the local dev server via a Cloudflare Quick Tunnel. Required to enable the tunnel.
• Prerequisite: Quick Tunnels require no Cloudflare account or configuration.
• Prerequisite: `--tunnel` is supported only in local mode; it cannot be combined with `--remote`.
• Quick tunnels require no Cloudflare account or configuration.
• Quick tunnels do not support Server-Sent Events (SSE); a warning is shown when SSE responses are detected through the tunnel.
• The tunnel stops automatically when the dev session ends.
• Docs conflict: Later Cloudflare docs also describe pressing [t] to open or close a tunnel during a running dev session and support for named tunnels; those options are not in the Wrangler 4.86.0 source.

FIRST-PARTY EVIDENCE

• https://github.com/cloudflare/workers-sdk/releases/tag/wrangler%404.86.0
• https://github.com/cloudflare/workers-sdk/blob/wrangler%404.86.0/packages/wrangler/src/dev.ts

Check the installed version and the source before using it. Entry JSON

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