AlphaXB Digital Notes

Caddy is a powerful, easy-to-use web server with automatic HTTPS, making it an excellent choice for a reverse proxy. This guide will walk you through setting up Caddy as a reverse proxy on Windows, including configuration examples and instructions on how to run it as a Windows service.

Table of Contents

1. Running Caddy Manually

2. Configuration Examples

   • Cloudflare Examples
   • DuckDNS Examples
   • WordPress Example
   • Multiple Subdomains

3. Running Caddy as a Windows Service

4. Conclusion

Running Caddy Manually

First Download Caddy

To run Caddy you need to create a file in the folder that you kept Caddy. Then you need to create a file named Caddyfile.

To run Caddy manually:

1. Open a command prompt and navigate to your Caddy directory:

   cd C:\Tools\Caddy
   

2. Run Caddy using the following command:

   ./caddy run --config Caddyfile
   

Important: When running Caddy for the first time, you may see Windows security prompts. Make sure to accept both permissions.

Configuration Examples

Cloudflare Examples

Jellyfin

sub.domain.com {
    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:8096
    tls {
        dns cloudflare cloudflare-api
    }
}

NextCloud

files.domain.com {
    header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=15552000; includeSubDomains; preload"
    redir /.well-known/carddav /remote.php/dav 301
    redir /.well-known/caldav /remote.php/dav 301
    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:9111
        header_up X-Real-IP 127.0.0.1
        header_up X-Forward-For 127.0.0.1
    tls {
        dns cloudflare cloudflare-api
    }
}

JFA-Go

jellyfin.domain.com {
    reverse_proxy /Users/ForgotPassword 192.168.0.111:8096 {
        header_up X-Forwarded-For 192.168.0.111
    }
    reverse_proxy /Users/ForgotPassword/Pin 192.168.0.111:8096 {
        header_up X-Forwarded-For 192.168.0.111
    }
    reverse_proxy 192.168.0.111:8096
    tls {
        dns cloudflare test-api-key
    }
}
jfa-go.domain.com {
    reverse_proxy 192.168.0.111:8056
    tls {
        dns cloudflare test-api-key
    }
}

DuckDNS Examples

Jellyfin

subdomain.duckdns.org {
    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:8096
    tls {
		dns duckdns duckdnstoken
	}
}

NextCloud

subdomain.duckdns.org {
    header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=15552000; includeSubDomains; preload"
    redir /.well-known/carddav /remote.php/dav 301
    redir /.well-known/caldav /remote.php/dav 301
    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:9111
        header_up X-Real-IP 127.0.0.1
        header_up X-Forward-For 127.0.0.1
    tls {
		dns duckdns duckdnstoken
	}
}

JFA-Go

jellyfin.ducksdns.org {
    reverse_proxy /Users/ForgotPassword 192.168.0.111:8096 {
        header_up X-Forwarded-For 192.168.0.111
    }
    reverse_proxy /Users/ForgotPassword/Pin 192.168.0.111:8096 {
        header_up X-Forwarded-For 192.168.0.111
    }
    reverse_proxy 192.168.0.111:8096
    tls {
		dns duckdns duckdnstoken
	}
}
jfa-go.duckdns.org {
    reverse_proxy 192.168.0.111:8056
    tls {
		dns duckdns duckdnstoken
	}
}

WordPress Example

sub.yourdomain.com {
    root C:\directory\wheres-your-wordpress-root-is\yourdomain
    php_fastcgi 127.0.0.1:9000
    file_server
    encode gzip
}

Multiple Subdomains

Cloudflare

sub.domain.com {
    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:8096
    tls {
        dns cloudflare cloudflare-api
    }
}
sub2.domain.com {
    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:5055
    tls {
        dns cloudflare cloudflare-api
    }
}

DuckDNS

subdomain.duckdns.org {
    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:8096
    tls {
		dns duckdns duckdnstoken
	}
}
subdomain2.duckdns.org {
    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:5055
    tls {
		dns duckdns duckdnstoken
	}
}

Note: Save all these configurations as Caddyfile without any file extension.

Running Caddy as a Windows Service

We'll use NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager) to run Caddy as a Windows service.

1. Download NSSM

2. Add both Caddy and NSSM to your Windows environment variables.

3. Open an administrative PowerShell window.

4. Register the Caddy service using NSSM:

   nssm install Caddy
   

5. In the NSSM GUI that appears, configure the following:

   • Path: Your Caddy.exe location (e.g., C:\Tools\Caddy\caddy.exe)
   • Startup Directory: Your root Caddy folder (e.g., C:\Tools\Caddy)
   • Arguments: run --config Caddyfile

6. Click "Install Service"

7. Start the Caddy service:

   nssm start Caddy
   

Additional NSSM commands:

• Check service status: nssm status Caddy
• Restart service: nssm restart Caddy
• Stop service: nssm stop Caddy

Conclusion

By following this guide, you should now have Caddy set up as a reverse proxy on your Windows system, either running manually or as a Windows service. Remember to adjust the configurations according to your specific needs and always keep your API keys and tokens secure.