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DDEV v1.25.0: Cloudflare Tunnels Make 'ddev share' Actually Usable

#ddev #drupal #wordpress #devops

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DDEV v1.25.0 fundamentally improves how we share work in progress. The new modular share provider system with Cloudflare Tunnel as the default is the best developer experience improvement in DDEV in years. Zero config, zero accounts, zero friction.

I have been using it daily since the release, and the old ngrok workflow feels ancient.

The Old Problem

"Previously, ddev share relied exclusively on ngrok. Users needed an ngrok account and an authtoken configured to get reliable URLs."

— DDEV Release Notes, v1.25.0

ℹ️ Info: Context

The ddev share command has always been one of DDEV's most useful features for client demos and team collaboration. But the ngrok dependency made it frustrating: account required, token configuration, rate-limiting on free tier, and opaque debugging when things went wrong. Most developers I know just stopped using it.

The New Way: Zero-Config Cloudflare Tunnels

```bash title="Terminal"

highlight-next-line

ddev share --provider cloudflare




That is it. No accounts. No API keys. No tokens. DDEV handles the rest, creating a secure tunnel from your local project to a public URL.

### How It Works



```mermaid
flowchart LR
    subgraph Local Machine
        A[DDEV Project] --> B[ddev-router]
    end
    subgraph Cloudflare Network
        C[cloudflared] --> D[Cloudflare Edge]
        D --> E[Public URL]
    end
    B -->|Proxied through secure tunnel| C
    E -->|Client browser| D
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Aspect Detail
Account required No
Authentication None
Configuration None
URL stability Stable for session
Cost Free
Setup time Zero 
ddev share --provider cloudflare
# URL appears in terminal, share it
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Aspect Detail
Account required Yes
Authentication Auth Token
Configuration ddev config global --ngrok-token=<token>
URL stability Variable (depends on account tier)
Cost Free tier has limitations
Setup time Account creation + token config 
ddev config global --ngrok-token=YOUR_TOKEN
ddev share
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Provider Comparison

Feature Legacy ngrok New Cloudflare
Account Required Yes No
Authentication Auth Token None
Configuration Token setup required None
URL Stability Variable Stable for session
Extensibility None Modular system allows new providers
Debugging Opaque Better visibility
Rate Limiting Free tier limits No limits observed

⚠️ Caution: Reality Check

Cloudflare Quick Tunnels are temporary by design. The URL changes every time you restart the share session. For persistent, stable URLs that survive restarts, you still need a paid Cloudflare Tunnel or similar service. This is perfect for "hey, look at this" demos. It is not a staging environment replacement.

The modular provider architecture

DDEV v1.25.0 introduces a provider system for the share command:

  • Cloudflare is the default provider (zero config)
  • ngrok remains available as an alternative provider
  • Custom providers can be added via DDEV's extensibility model
  • The architecture is designed for future integrations (Tailscale, bore, etc.)

This is smart design. Instead of hardcoding one sharing solution, DDEV now has an abstraction layer that can evolve with the ecosystem.

Why this matters for Drupal and WordPress

DDEV is the primary local development tool for Drupal and a growing choice for WordPress. The zero-config ddev share with Cloudflare Tunnels eliminates a major friction point for Drupal and WordPress agencies doing client demos, stakeholder reviews, and remote pair programming. Instead of deploying to a staging server just to show a content editor a layout change, a developer can share a live tunnel URL in seconds. This is especially valuable for Drupal site builders testing recipe configurations and WordPress theme developers iterating on Customizer changes with remote clients.

What I Learned

  • The new cloudflare provider in ddev share removes all setup friction for ad-hoc project sharing. This is a genuine developer experience win.
  • The modular architecture is a smart design choice that paves the way for future integrations without coupling DDEV to any single vendor.
  • For anyone who previously found ddev share cumbersome, it is time to give it another look. It actually works now.
  • Zero-config tools win adoption. Every step of friction you remove doubles the number of people who will actually use the feature.

References

Looking for an Architect who doesn't just write code, but builds the AI systems that multiply your team's output? View my enterprise CMS case studies at victorjimenezdev.github.io or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Looking for an Architect who doesn't just write code, but builds the AI systems that multiply your team's output? View my enterprise CMS case studies at victorjimenezdev.github.io or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Originally published at VictorStack AI — Drupal & WordPress Reference

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