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Guide Install Cloudflare Tunnel Plugin in aaPanel - Printable Version

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Install Cloudflare Tunnel Plugin in aaPanel - DEV - 10-11-2026

Start here: install the community Cloudflare Tunnel plugin before configuring a tunnel or applying bug fixes.

This plugin adds a Cloudflare Tunnel wizard to aaPanel. It is maintained by fdciabdul and is a third-party extension. The plugin interface and the cloudflared connector are separate components: importing the ZIP installs the interface; the first wizard step installs the connector.

Verification scope: These steps follow the author's installation instructions and our source review of commit ff0c7359f050fbca2b9efab11b61aa462d65b2d0 (source metadata 1.3.0). We have not yet completed a live import and end-to-end Cloudflare test. Screenshots will be added after that test; this article does not claim a lab-tested installation.

1. What you need
  • An aaPanel installation and access to its App Store as an administrator.
  • A disposable Linux lab server for your first attempt.
  • Outbound internet access for downloading cloudflared.
  • For the later configuration guide: a Cloudflare account, a domain using Cloudflare DNS and a working local test website.
You do not need to create a tunnel or change website DNS just to import the plugin. A domain becomes necessary when you connect a public hostname to your website.

2. Check existing tunnels and make a backup
If cloudflared already runs on this server, record its service and configuration before proceeding. The plugin manages /etc/cloudflared/config.yml and the cloudflared service; do not use an existing production connector as a learning environment.

For a read-only check in aaPanel's Terminal:
Code:
command -v cloudflared systemctl status cloudflared --no-pager
A missing binary or service on a fresh server is expected. If a service is present, inspect who manages it before importing another controller. Back up an existing /www/server/panel/plugin/cloudflare_tunnel directory, its data subdirectory, /etc/cloudflared and any associated service configuration before upgrading. Store credential backups outside public website folders.

3. Download the author's plugin archive
Open the author's repository and use its Releases link to choose the intended plugin release. Download the plugin ZIP asset rather than GitHub's generic “Source code” archive.

The README names a 1.2.0 archive, while the source we reviewed identifies itself as 1.3.0. Check the actual release asset and info.json; do not assume an old filename is the newest version. If no suitable plugin archive is available, stop at this step rather than importing the entire repository ZIP.

Open the downloaded archive locally before uploading it. The author's packaging instructions put info.json, install.sh, index.html, icon.png and the Python modules at the archive root. A repository wrapper folder is different from this import format. The archive must not contain another user's API tokens, certificates or runtime data.

4. Import the ZIP into aaPanel
  1. Sign into aaPanel on the lab server.
  2. Open App Store in the sidebar.
  3. Locate the Import or upload control; the author describes it at the top right. Its placement can vary between panel versions.
  4. Choose the plugin ZIP downloaded in step 3.
  5. Submit the import and wait for the installation result.
  6. Find Cloudflare Tunnel in the installed applications and open it.
Do not search for an official Cloudflare Tunnel product and assume it is the same extension. This guide refers specifically to fdciabdul's plugin.

Expected checkpoint: The Cloudflare Tunnel interface opens with sections for the binary, credentials/profiles, tunnel and hostnames. Record the installed version and compare it with your downloaded archive.

5. Install the cloudflared connector
  1. Open the first wizard section for the cloudflared binary.
  2. Use Install / Update.
  3. Read the complete result and allow the download/install operation to finish.
  4. Use Recheck if available.
  5. Confirm the binary version, either in the interface or with the command below.
Code:
cloudflared --version
The reviewed implementation returns “already installed” when the binary exists. The button label therefore does not prove that an existing binary was upgraded. Record the reported version instead of repeatedly pressing Install / Update.

If the download fails, check outbound HTTPS access, the server's architecture and the installation error. Keep certificate verification enabled. Import success alone does not prove the connector was installed.

6. Stop at the installation checkpoint
At this point the plugin should open and cloudflared should report its version. A public website is not expected to work yet: account authorization, tunnel creation, hostname mapping and service verification are later configuration steps.

The plugin exposes separate credential mechanisms. A browser-login certificate supports tunnel CLI operations; an API token is used for Cloudflare DNS automation. Do not assume that saving a DNS token completes browser authorization.

If you add an empty profile in the reviewed 1.3.0 source and Login returns “Profile not found,” read Fix Cloudflare Tunnel Profile Not Found in aaPanel. Match the installed source version before applying a code change. That article also describes other limitations; it is not a certified plugin release.

Common installation problems
  • ZIP import fails: confirm that this is the plugin asset with the required files at its root, not the generic repository archive. Save the exact error.
  • Plugin opens with missing methods: check for mismatched old and new files. Back up runtime data before replacing anything. The author's source installation notes call for a panel restart after first install or Python changes; a restart briefly interrupts panel sessions.
  • Binary missing after import: complete the separate connector installation in step 5.
  • Service is not active: installation alone does not create a configured working tunnel. Continue with account/tunnel configuration before treating this as a fault.

Guide order: Install plugin → configure account and test website → verify tunnel/service/DNS → troubleshoot any errors.

Source: Cloudflare Tunnel aaPanel plugin repository and installation instructions. Credit belongs to the original author. No reviewed source bundle is being publicly distributed with this article.