[Bug]: shopify app dev doesn't work well with custom Cloudflare tunnels

[vfonic]

I have wasted several days on this issue. I haven't seen a single sentence in Shopify documentation mentioning this.

I use so-called cloudflare locally-managed tunnels extensively.
https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/connections/connect-networks/do-more-with-tunnels/local-management/create-local-tunnel/

It allows me to have infinite permanent tunnels.
So I can have, for example: my-custom-shopify-app-with-function.example.com

And then I can, for example, have a webhook registered to that domain. I don't need to recreate/update webhooks every time I start a server.
I also have:

[build]
automatically_update_urls_on_dev = false

...because I didn't need it. Or at least I thought I don't need it.

However, this causes an issue deep within Shopify CLI, where Shopify CLI somewhere relies on cloudflare free tunnel ("TryCloudflare" aka "Quick Tunnel"). However, cloudflare quick tunnels don't work well with cloudflare local tunnels.
This wasn't an issue for me. Until I tried to run Shopify function locally.

https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/connections/connect-networks/do-more-with-tunnels/trycloudflare/#use-trycloudflare

TryCloudflare quick tunnels are currently not supported if a config.yaml configuration file is present in the .cloudflared directory. It may be necessary to rename that file temporarily to use the feature.

I've spent several days trying to debug this Shopify CLI issue. Yes, it's a Cloudflare issue, but it's also Shopify CLI issue.

The only way to "fix" this is by doing:

mv ~/.cloudflared/config.yml ~/.cloudflared/config.yml2

And setting:

[build]
automatically_update_urls_on_dev = true

The better fix would be if Shopify CLI would try to be less smart and, instead of hiding many of the underlying settings/config, it would expose it, with sensible defaults.

Some other examples where Shopify CLI tries to be too smart and ruins the experience (potential making changes to the store(s) for the wrong client/merchant):

• Shopify CLI stores and hides away the current store
• Shopify CLI stores and hides away the current config app/extension/etc. TOML (shopify app dev should always assume the default config, for example, shopify.app.toml, and allow user to override this with --config - it does this, but because it's reading it from its internal storage, sometimes this is still broken even when --config is specified, without --config it doesn't use default, it uses "remembered" file. This is wrong, IMO.)

Please confirm that you have:

• Searched existing issues to see if your issue is a duplicate. (If you’ve found a duplicate issue, feel free to add additional information in a comment on it.)
• Reproduced the issue in the latest CLI version.

In which of these areas are you experiencing a problem?

Extension, Function, App

Expected behavior

shopify app dev works with Preview and local function testing

Actual behavior

The local function testing fails silently.

Verbose output

https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/connections/connect-networks/do-more-with-tunnels/trycloudflare/#use-trycloudflare

Verbose output

There is no output, when you start local server with shopify app dev, and have, for example delivery function, the delivery function never reaches your local server.

Reproduction steps

1. You have to have a cloudflare account and a domain in cloudflare
2. Use cloudflare to create a subdomain tunnel for your domain
3. Run shopify app dev
4. Go to checkout to trigger Shopify Function call

Operating System

macOS 15.4.1

Shopify CLI version (shopify --version)

3.77.1

Shell

zsh

Node version (run node -v if you're not sure)

v22.12.0

What language and version are you using in your application?

ruby 3.4.3 (2025-04-14 revision d0b7e5b6a0) +PRISM [arm64-darwin24]

[nickwesselman]

Hi @vfonic --

If you are setting up your own Cloudflare tunnel, you should pass in the --tunnel-url argument, which will disable Shopify CLI's use of Quick Tunnels. Have you tried this?

https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/cli-for-apps/networking-options#bring-your-own-tunnel

Also, I'm not sure how Shopify Functions are related. Functions always execute on Shopify, and don't make use of tunnels. What's the specific issue you are seeing with Functions?

[vfonic]

Thanks @nickwesselman!

As far as I understand, Functions execute on Shopify, except when in development mode. It could be that I cannot get the logs, but the Function actually gets executed. I haven't seen my Function changes being applied, so, I guess shopify app dev successfully sets the development mode in Shopify (› Press d │ toggle development store preview: ✔ on), but it's not possible for Shopify to get the Function from the running local dev server and execute it.

I'll try passing the --tunnel-url argument, thanks! I totally forgot about this!
Perhaps Shopify CLI should, by default, do less "magic" and default to whatever is in app config (shopify.app.toml), instead of trying to set up a Quick tunnel? Maybe automatically_update_urls_on_dev should be renamed to automatically_start_local_tunnel_and_update_urls_on_dev?

[nickwesselman]

Hi @vfonic --

Functions always execute on Shopify -- in development store preview, they pull from the app drafts instead of the published app version. shopify app dev compiles your function and uploads a draft on change. So if you are not seeing the function logs, something else is going on. Note you'll only get logs on the store you've chosen during app dev. Do you see the function logs on the Partner Dashboard? If you don't see them there, it's definitely not executing -- potentially you didn't activate the function w/ GraphQL?

Automation vs customizability is a balance -- a developer just getting started with app development shouldn't need to learn how to set up a tunnel, app dev should just work. But there's potentially more room for transparency/signposting here so you know what we're doing for you, and how to override. We appreciate the feedback!

[vfonic]

Automation vs customizability is a balance -- a developer just getting started with app development shouldn't need to learn how to set up a tunnel, app dev should just work. But there's potentially more room for transparency/signposting here so you know what we're doing for you, and how to override. We appreciate the feedback!

Exactly. app dev should just work. Predictably. Always.

When I run shopify theme dev and I get "missing theme.liquid" or "missing settings_schema.json" (I don't recall which one it was) or similar cryptic error, I don't want to, several moments/days later, realize that Shopify CLI "memorized" in an unknown inaccessible location, the "current store". This makes it really difficult to work for multiple clients/stores/apps using Shopify CLI.*

*The error happens when shopify theme dev cannot find the "current theme ID" for the "current store".

I don't see how any of my proposed changes have effect on a developer just getting started.

I proposed:

• sensible defaults - you already kind-of have that ✅
• don't save "current store", "current app", "current config file" in an unknown location 🛑 - always use the default(s), except when developer explicitly specifies otherwise

[nickwesselman]

I was referring to the suggestion about tunnels. Agreed we can do more to make saved defaults more transparent -- we are moving that "context" to files in the .shopify folder to make that more accessible/obvious.

Hope you can resolve your Functions issue, if you continue to have issues there I'd recommend the Functions category on the dev forums:
https://community.shopify.dev/c/shopify-functions/15

[colby-makowsky]

Just got tripped up on this same issue. I want the best of both worlds, using this for now...

start-tunnel.sh:

#!/bin/bash

cleanup() {
    mv ~/.cloudflared/config.yml ~/.cloudflared/config.yml.disabled
    echo "Config disabled"
}

trap cleanup EXIT

mv ~/.cloudflared/config.yml.disabled ~/.cloudflared/config.yml
./bin/cloudflared tunnel run [tunnel-name-here]