claude-skills/cloudflare/references/workers-vpc

Workers VPC Connectivity

Connect Cloudflare Workers to private networks and internal infrastructure using TCP Sockets.

Overview

Workers VPC connectivity enables outbound TCP connections from Workers to private resources in AWS, Azure, GCP, on-premises datacenters, or any private network. This is achieved through the TCP Sockets API (cloudflare:sockets), which provides low-level network access for custom protocols and services.

Key capabilities:

• Direct TCP connections to private IPs and hostnames
• TLS/StartTLS support for encrypted connections
• Integration with Cloudflare Tunnel for secure private network access
• Full control over wire protocols (database protocols, SSH, MQTT, custom TCP)

Note: This reference documents the TCP Sockets API. For the newer Workers VPC Services product (HTTP-only service bindings with built-in SSRF protection), refer to separate documentation when available. VPC Services is currently in beta (2025+).

Quick Decision: Which Technology?

Need private network connectivity from Workers?

Requirement	Use	Why
HTTP/HTTPS APIs in private network	VPC Services (beta, separate docs)	SSRF-safe, declarative bindings
PostgreSQL/MySQL databases	Hyperdrive	Connection pooling, caching, optimized
Custom TCP protocols (SSH, MQTT, proprietary)	TCP Sockets (this doc)	Full protocol control
Simple HTTP with lowest latency	TCP Sockets + Smart Placement	Manual optimization
Expose on-prem to internet (inbound)	Cloudflare Tunnel	Not Worker-specific

When to Use TCP Sockets

Use TCP Sockets when you need:

• ✅ Direct control over wire protocols (e.g., Postgres wire protocol, SSH, Redis RESP)
• ✅ Non-HTTP protocols (MQTT, SMTP, custom binary protocols)
• ✅ StartTLS or custom TLS negotiation
• ✅ Streaming binary data over TCP

Don't use TCP Sockets when:

• ❌ You just need HTTP/HTTPS (use fetch() or VPC Services)
• ❌ You need PostgreSQL/MySQL (use Hyperdrive for pooling)
• ❌ You need WebSocket (use native Workers WebSocket)

Quick Start

import { connect } from 'cloudflare:sockets';

export default {
  async fetch(req: Request): Promise<Response> {
    // Connect to private service
    const socket = connect(
      { hostname: "db.internal.company.net", port: 5432 },
      { secureTransport: "on" }
    );

    try {
      await socket.opened; // Wait for connection
      
      const writer = socket.writable.getWriter();
      await writer.write(new TextEncoder().encode("QUERY\r\n"));
      await writer.close();

      const reader = socket.readable.getReader();
      const { value } = await reader.read();
      
      return new Response(value);
    } finally {
      await socket.close();
    }
  }
};

Architecture Pattern: Workers + Tunnel

Most private network connectivity combines TCP Sockets with Cloudflare Tunnel:

┌─────────┐     ┌─────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│ Worker  │────▶│ TCP Socket  │────▶│   Tunnel     │────▶│   Private   │
│         │     │ (this API)  │     │ (cloudflared)│     │   Network   │
└─────────┘     └─────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └─────────────┘

1. Worker opens TCP socket to Tunnel hostname
2. Tunnel endpoint routes to private IP
3. Response flows back through Tunnel to Worker

See configuration.md for Tunnel setup details.

Reading Order

1. Start here (README.md) - Overview and decision guide
2. api.md - Socket interface, types, methods
3. configuration.md - Wrangler setup, Tunnel integration
4. patterns.md - Real-world examples (databases, protocols, error handling)
5. gotchas.md - Limits, blocked ports, common errors

Key Limits

Limit	Value
Max concurrent sockets per request	6
Blocked destinations	Cloudflare IPs, localhost, port 25
Scope requirement	Must create in handler (not global)

See gotchas.md for complete limits and troubleshooting.

Best Practices

1. Always close sockets - Use try/finally blocks
2. Validate destinations - Prevent SSRF by allowlisting hosts
3. Use Hyperdrive for databases - Better performance than raw TCP
4. Prefer fetch() for HTTP - Only use TCP when necessary
5. Combine with Smart Placement - Reduce latency to private networks

Related Technologies

• Hyperdrive - PostgreSQL/MySQL with connection pooling
• Cloudflare Tunnel - Secure private network access
• Smart Placement - Auto-locate Workers near backends
• VPC Services (beta) - HTTP-only service bindings with SSRF protection (separate docs)

Reference

• TCP Sockets API Documentation
• Connect to databases guide
• Cloudflare Tunnel setup