Cloudflare Apps Program

6/24/2026

This post details the technical implementation and challenges of upgrading Cloudflare's internal OAuth engine from Hydra 1.X to 2.X. It covers the strategies used to minimize user impact during the upgrade, including custom SQL migrations, a blue-green deployment strategy, and the implementation of a queue system for replaying revocation events. It also discusses performance improvements observed post-upgrade in both the database and the Hydra service.

7/10/2024

Introduces server-side rendering capabilities for X and Instagram embeds within Cloudflare Zaraz, utilizing Managed Components and Cloudflare Workers. This enhances performance and privacy by eliminating client-side JavaScript and cookies, and demonstrates caching strategies for fetched content and images.

2/29/2024

This post announces a significant update to Zaraz's pricing model, transitioning from a pageview-based metric to 'Zaraz Events' for better accuracy and predictability, especially with modern web applications. It introduces a free tier of 1,000,000 events per month and a low cost for additional events, making Zaraz more affordable. Furthermore, all Zaraz features, including advanced ones like custom HTTP requests and e-commerce features, are now available on all plans, democratizing access to its full capabilities. The post also highlights the ongoing evolution of Zaraz's tool management through Managed Components and the integration with Cloudflare Workers for data enrichment.

8/3/2022

Introduces Managed Components, a new framework for third-party tool integration that emphasizes security, performance, and privacy by executing code server-side and implementing a permission system. Also introduces WebCM as an open-source reference implementation of a Component Manager, demonstrating how to use Managed Components for website integration and development.

6/15/2022

This post introduces new privacy features within Cloudflare Zaraz, specifically designed to help customers comply with GDPR and CNIL standards regarding Google Analytics and similar marketing tools. The new features include removing URL query parameters, hiding originating IP addresses, clearing user agent strings, and removing external referrers. It also provides a step-by-step guide on how to configure Google Analytics with these new privacy settings, emphasizing server-side execution via Cloudflare Workers to minimize direct data transfer from end-user browsers to third-party servers.

5/12/2022

This post announces a growing ecosystem of developer platform partners for Cloudflare's developer platform, including integrations with DevOps platforms (GitLab, GitHub) for source control and deployment, CMSs (Contentful, Sanity, Strapi) for triggering deployments via content updates, database partners (Macrometa, Fauna, MongoDB Atlas, Prisma) for bringing data capabilities to Workers, and observability partners (Splunk, Datadog, Sumo Logic, New Relic, Sentry, Honeycomb) for debugging and troubleshooting. These partnerships aim to improve developer productivity and streamline the end-to-end development lifecycle.

5/9/2022

Introduced 'Managed Components' as a new format for third-party tools within Cloudflare Zaraz, enabling server-side execution via a Components Manager. This shifts execution from the browser to the server, improving performance, security, and privacy. Also announced WebCM, an open-source reference implementation of the Managed Components API, allowing third-party tools to run server-side even without being a Cloudflare customer. This enables new capabilities like same-domain serving, server-side rendered widgets, and pre-response actions.

12/8/2021

This post announces the acquisition of Zaraz by Cloudflare and the launch of Cloudflare Zaraz (beta). It introduces the capability to manage and load third-party tools from the cloud, leveraging Cloudflare Workers, to significantly improve website speed, privacy, and security. It highlights the problems of third-party bloat, the performance and security risks associated with traditional tag managers, and showcases Instacart's success in achieving zero blocking time and increased security with Zaraz.

9/11/2019

This post details how Castle integrated its customer account protection service with Cloudflare using Cloudflare Workers, Workers KV, and the Cloudflare Apps platform. It highlights the architecture for codeless integration, including script injection, contextual information collection, and an advanced routing engine, all running at the edge with minimal latency.

12/14/2018

This post introduces a new capability within the Cloudflare Apps platform that allows third-party applications to programmatically create and manage DNS records. It details how the `install.json` file can include a `dns` field to define DNS records that an app will manage, and how `options` can be used to make these records configurable by the user during app installation. A demo app, 'Pointless DNS', is provided to showcase this functionality.

12/13/2018

This post details a technique for programmatically generating multiple Cloudflare Apps from a single integration template. It outlines a Ruby script that uses a 'replacements' object to define app-specific attributes and then automates the duplication and renaming of files within an app's directory structure. Finally, it iterates through the duplicated files to perform text substitutions for the app-specific values. This approach significantly reduces the development effort required to create numerous similar applications.

12/11/2018

This post introduces a significant redesign of the Cloudflare customer dashboard, specifically the zone overview page. The redesign focuses on providing better visibility of key analytics and a new toolkit area for easier access to common settings changes, directly addressing customer feedback. It also highlights the use of a new prototyping framework, indicating a foundational shift in how product features are developed and setting the stage for future customer experience improvements.

11/16/2018

This post announces the public beta of Cloudflare Apps with Workers, allowing developers to package and deliver Worker scripts as part of their Cloudflare Apps. It details how to reference Worker scripts in the `install.json` file and pass install options to Workers. The approval process now includes a security review for Worker code.

8/2/2018

Introduced pilot programs for "Cloudflare Apps with Workers" and "Cloudflare Workers Service Providers". "Apps with Workers" will allow developers to build, deploy, and package Workers for distribution via the Cloudflare Apps platform, effectively creating a serverless Apps platform. The "Workers Service Providers" program aims to connect customers with developers and consultants for building Workers solutions.

5/3/2018

This post details an improvement to the Cloudflare Apps platform's installation flow. Previously, app installation URL selection relied on the Always Online crawler, which had limitations. The new system allows site owners to manually enter any URL for app installation, with options to select entire directories or specific pages, enhancing user control and flexibility.

1/27/2018

This post details the experience of adapting the Site Search 360 product for the Cloudflare Apps platform. Key technical contributions include: simplifying over 60 configuration parameters to 7 high-impact ones suitable for the Apps interface, migrating away from jQuery to avoid conflicts with customer websites, and implementing a preview mode using Wikipedia data for users without a Cloudflare account. The post highlights the benefits of Cloudflare's declaration-driven approach to app development and the rigorous approval process.

11/28/2017

This post details several enhancements to the Cloudflare Apps platform: 1. Paid App Product Enhancements: Introduced product-specific options for upselling premium features, allowing customers to preview features based on their plan. Implemented a `_product` keyword and `INSTALL_PRODUCT` variable to dynamically update app previews based on customer product choices. 2. Comments & Ratings: Added customer feedback mechanisms, allowing users to leave public comments and ratings for apps. This feature influences app visibility in listings based on customer sentiment. 3. Managing DNS via Apps: Enabled app developers to manage customer DNS records directly through the `install.json` file, allowing for the creation of CNAME and A records. Customers confirm these changes before installation. 4. Other Platform Improvements: Noted onboarding new customers with apps, updated webhook documentation for the "item add" event, added an option for developers to link public GitHub repositories, and introduced a new input type for numbers with units.

11/22/2017

This post details the technical decisions and implementation for integrating the AddThis share buttons app into the Cloudflare Apps platform. It describes the process of paring down the AddThis feature set to a simple floating sidebar for faster launch and user feedback. The technical challenge of storing unique configuration settings without requiring user registration was solved by using a JS global variable with Cloudflare's INSTALL_SCOPE technique and the AddThis Smart Layers API to render tools and save settings.

11/14/2017

This post highlights seven specific Cloudflare Apps (Privy, AddThis Share Buttons, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Drift, Skype Live Chat, and Weather Widget) that are designed to increase user engagement on websites. It details the functionality of each app and showcases their preview interfaces within the Cloudflare Apps platform, demonstrating how users can customize and integrate them without coding skills.

10/25/2017

This post announces that Spotify has open-sourced their Cloudflare App, providing a GitHub repository for developers to fork and learn from. It details the functionality of the Spotify app, which allows users to embed Spotify players and play music directly on their websites, and explains how it works for both website owners and end-users. The post also highlights the developer tools available for creating and previewing Cloudflare Apps.

9/28/2017

Introduced developer analytics for app popularity and financial performance, user feedback mechanisms with sentiment tags and comments, Page Selectors for granular app route targeting, and release notes for app updates. Also launched the App Developer Playbook.

7/12/2017

This post announces the launch of the Cloudflare Apps platform, enabling developers to build and deploy applications that run at the edge. It explains the basic architecture of how apps work, involving the origin server and Cloudflare's edge network. It also provides a tutorial on creating a simple app using a provided GitHub repository, detailing the `install.json`, `app.js`, `app.css`, and media file structure, and guides users through testing and submitting their apps via the app creation dashboard.

6/27/2017

This post announces the launch of the Cloudflare Apps Platform, enabling third parties to develop and deliver applications across Cloudflare's edge to its millions of customers. It also introduces the Cloudflare Developer Fund, a $100 million fund from early investors to provide venture capital funding to developers building applications on the platform. The post highlights how Cloudflare's network position allows for packet modification and content injection, and how the Apps Platform extends this capability to external developers.

6/27/2017

This post announces the next generation of Cloudflare Apps, an open platform for building high-quality websites. It introduces features for developers to build, distribute, and monetize their applications, including live preview, OAuth for logins/registrations, bidirectional webhooks for modifying installations, and a selling mechanism for recurring revenue. It also highlights the App Creator tool for rapid development and a new documentation site.

12/13/2016

Cloudflare acquired Eager to enhance its app platform. Eager brings an app store with features like app preview and a powerful SDK for developers. The Eager team will form the core of the new Cloudflare App development team, integrating Eager's app store into Cloudflare's platform. The current marketplace will be replaced with this next-generation platform, with a developer preview in January and customer release in April. Existing Cloudflare marketplace installations will be migrated, and Eager's platform will be sunset.

5/1/2015

This post details a significant redesign of the Cloudflare dashboard, introducing a new organizational metaphor based on 'apps' and 'modules'. This redesign aimed to improve versatility for different user types and devices, provide a scalable platform for future features, and establish a more mature brand identity. The 'apps' concept was explicitly linked to the future integration of third-party applications, and the modular design of 'modules' within apps was designed for consistency and ease of development. The redesign also emphasized responsive design and a cleaner visual aesthetic.

4/28/2015

This post introduces a significant redesign of the Cloudflare dashboard, shifting from a basic interface to an 'operating system for the edge' metaphor. It reframes Cloudflare's own features (Caching, Firewall, Analytics) as 'apps' alongside third-party apps, creating a unified and organized experience. The redesign addresses scalability issues for users with many domains and introduces a fully responsive interface for mobile and tablet management.

8/18/2014

Introduced Tinfoil Security as a Cloudflare App, allowing users to easily integrate web application vulnerability scanning into their workflow. This expands the Cloudflare Apps program's utility beyond simple website enhancements to include security tooling, with API hooks for continuous integration.

2/8/2013

This post highlights how Cloudflare's Apps program and Rocket Loader can mitigate the risks associated with third-party Javascript widgets, using the Facebook Connect bug as a prime example. It emphasizes that Cloudflare apps are vetted for performance and asynchronous loading, reducing the chance of them becoming a single point of failure. It also points out Cloudflare's ability to centrally manage and remove problematic apps, preventing widespread issues.

5/1/2012

This post announces the integration of GoSquared, a real-time web analytics service, as a Cloudflare app. It highlights GoSquared's features such as real-time dashboards, visitor tracking, campaign monitoring, and alerts. The integration allows for instant activation of GoSquared on Cloudflare-powered sites through the Cloudflare Apps platform, eliminating the need for manual code deployment.

7/22/2011

This post announces the launch of the Cloudflare Apps program, detailing the initial set of 16 integrated services (e.g., VigLink, Google Analytics, Pingdom). It highlights the 'one-click simple' integration experience and the early adoption milestone of over 14,000 installs. The post also outlines plans for enhanced developer documentation, code examples, and tools for partners, as well as the anticipation of new service categories like image/video advertising and translation.

7/15/2011

This post details the integration of Google Analytics into WordPress.com blogs via the Cloudflare Apps feature. It explains how Cloudflare's network can inject JavaScript tracking code for third-party services like Google Analytics into websites hosted on platforms that do not natively support such integrations, thereby enabling users to gain continuity in their analytics tracking systems.

6/29/2011

This post announces the integration of CodeGuard, a website backup service, as a Cloudflare App. It highlights CodeGuard's automatic backup functionality triggered by code changes and its 'Undo Power' feature for data recovery. A special free plan for Cloudflare customers is also detailed, making website backup more accessible and demonstrating the growing ecosystem of third-party solutions available through the Cloudflare Apps program.

6/4/2011

This post announces the initial launch of Cloudflare Apps, making VigLink, Apture Highlights, and Google Analytics available for one-click integration through the Apps dashboard.

5/25/2011

Introduced Cloudflare Apps, a new service that allows web applications to be activated through Cloudflare without requiring code changes. This addresses concerns about performance impact and security risks of web applications by ensuring they perform well, do not create conflicts, and are automatically updated. The service launches with integrations from numerous application providers.