Caddy

How to use Caddy

Caddy is a web server and proxy that can be used for serving static files, dynamic websites, and APIs. It's easy to use and configure, as it comes with an automatic HTTPS feature, Let's Encrypt integration for free SSL/TLS certificates, and a simple configuration language called Caddyfile.

To get started using Caddy, you first need to download and install it on your local machine or server. You can find the download links for different operating systems in the official website of Caddy (https://caddyserver.com/).

Once installed, you can create a Caddyfile to define how Caddy should serve your website or application. The Caddyfile is a text file that contains one or more site blocks, which specify the domain name, document root, and other configuration options for each site. Here is an example of a Caddyfile for a basic web server:

example.com {
    root /var/www/html
    browse
}

In this example, Caddy will serve the website for the domain

from the directory and enable directory browsing. You can add additional configuration options such as headers, redirects, proxies, and more.

Once you have created the Caddyfile, you can start the server by running the following command in the terminal:

caddy run

This command will start the server and automatically obtain and renew TLS certificates from Let's Encrypt for all configured domains. You can also run Caddy as a system service or with a process manager like Supervisor or systemd.

In addition to serving static files, Caddy can also be used as a reverse proxy for forwarding requests to backend servers or microservices. To do this, you can use the

directive in the Caddyfile, like this:

example.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8000
}

This will forward all requests for

to the server running on . You can also add additional configuration options for load balancing, health checks, and more.

Overall, Caddy is a powerful and easy-to-use web server that can simplify the process of serving websites and applications. Its automatic HTTPS feature and Let's Encrypt integration make it ideal for securing your sites with SSL/TLS certificates.