blog: Tailscale for DDEV: Simple and Secure Project Sharing

src/content/authors/ajith-thampi-joseph.md

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+---
+name: Ajith Thampi Joseph
+firstName: Ajith
+avatarUrl: https://gravatar.com/avatar/3381b988b59552300f08ff9f6d8918f2?s=128
+---
+
+[Ajith](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thampiajit) is a Software Engineer specializing in PHP-based applications (WordPress, Drupal, Laravel) and modern frontend technologies (React, TypeScript). He has extensive experience with Linux web servers, Docker, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps practices across multiple Git platforms. His work focuses on creating developer tools that eliminate workflow friction and improve team collaboration efficiency.

src/content/blog/tailscale-router-ddev-addon.md

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+---
+title: "A Simple and Secure Way to Share Your DDEV Projects with Tailscale"
+pubDate: 2025-08-26
+summary: "Tired of temporary sharing links? Learn how to use the ddev-tailscale-router add-on to get a stable, secure, and private URL for your DDEV projects."
+author: Ajith Thampi Joseph
+featureImage:
+  src: /img/blog/2025/08/ddev_tailscale_flowchart.svg
+  alt: "DDEV Tailscale Router Cover Image"
+  caption: "The ddev-tailscale-router add-on enables cross-device testing, stable webhook URLs, and team collaboration."
+  credit: "Image by Claude AI :)"
+categories:
+  - Guides
+  - TechNotes
+---
+
+I've found that DDEV's `ddev share` command is a great way to quickly share my local development environment. However, since it uses ngrok, it generates a new, random URL every time, which can be a hassle. For a more permanent and secure solution, I've created the `ddev-tailscale-router` add-on.
+
+This add-on uses Tailscale, a service that creates a private and secure network between your devices. As a result, you get a stable, human-readable URL for each of your DDEV projects, which you can access from any device on your Tailscale network.
+
+I've found this approach to be particularly useful for:
+
+- **Cross-device testing:** I can easily test my sites on my phone or tablet without being on the same Wi-Fi network.
+- **Stable webhook URLs:** I can use the permanent Tailscale URL as a reliable endpoint for webhooks, such as those from payment gateways.
+- **Team collaboration:** I can share my development environment with team members so they can see my work in progress.
+
+### How it Works
+
+The `ddev-tailscale-router` add-on works by running a Tailscale container alongside your DDEV project. This container automatically connects to your Tailscale network and securely proxies requests to your project's web container.
+
+### Installation
+
+To get started, follow these steps:
+
+1.  First, install the add-on:
+    ```bash
+    ddev add-on get atj4me/ddev-tailscale-router
+    ```
+2.  Next, get a Tailscale auth key from the [Tailscale admin console](https://login.tailscale.com/admin/settings/keys).
+3.  Then, configure the auth key in your DDEV project:
+    ```bash
+    ddev dotenv set .ddev/.env.tailscale-router --ts-authkey=tskey-auth-your-key-here
+    ```
+4.  Finally, restart your DDEV project:
+    ```bash
+    ddev restart
+    ```
+
+After restarting, you can find your project's permanent Tailscale URL in the [Tailscale admin console](https://login.tailscale.com/admin/machines). It will look something like this: `http://<project-name>.<your-tailnet>.ts.net`.
+
+### Public vs. Private Mode
+
+The add-on offers two modes for sharing your project:
+
+- **Private (default):** In this mode, your project is only accessible to devices on your Tailscale network.
+- **Public:** Alternatively, you can make your project accessible to anyone on the internet.
+
+To switch between modes, you can set the `ts-privacy` variable in your `.ddev/.env.tailscale-router` file:
+
+```bash
+# Switch to private mode
+ddev dotenv set .ddev/.env.tailscale-router --ts-privacy=private
+ddev restart
+
+# Switch to public mode
+ddev dotenv set .ddev/.env.tailscale-router --ts-privacy=public
+ddev restart
+```
+
+If you have any questions or problems, please file an issue in the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/atj4me/ddev-tailscale-router/issues).
+
+---
+
+_This blog post was written with the assistance of Amazon Q and Google Gemini. I used them to help simplify the language, improve the flow, and proofread the text._