Step by Step Guide to Building a Cloudflare API Integration in Ruby

Aug 7, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your Ruby app with Cloudflare's powerful API? You're in the right place. We'll be using the nifty cloudflare gem to make our lives easier. Let's dive in and build something awesome!

Prerequisites

Before we get our hands dirty, make sure you've got:

Ruby 2.5 or higher (you're living on the edge, right?)
A Cloudflare account with API credentials (if you don't have one, go grab it – I'll wait)

Installation

First things first, let's get that cloudflare gem installed:

gem install cloudflare

Or if you're using Bundler (and you should be), add this to your Gemfile:

gem 'cloudflare'

Then run bundle install. Easy peasy!

Authentication

Time to flex those API muscles. Let's set up authentication:

require 'cloudflare'

client = Cloudflare.connect(
  email: '[email protected]',
  api_key: 'your-api-key'
)

Boom! You're in. Keep that API key secret, though – no sharing!

Basic API Operations

Now for the fun part. Let's play with some zones:

# List all zones
zones = client.zones.all

# Get details for a specific zone
zone = client.zones.find_by_id('zone-id')

# Create a DNS record
zone.dns_records.create(
  type: 'A',
  name: 'example.com',
  content: '192.0.2.1',
  ttl: 120
)

Look at you go! You're practically a Cloudflare wizard already.

Advanced Operations

Feeling adventurous? Let's tackle some advanced stuff:

# Purge cache
zone.purge_cache(files: ['http://example.com/style.css'])

# Create a page rule
zone.page_rules.create(
  targets: [{ target: 'url', constraint: { operator: 'matches', value: '*.example.com/*' } }],
  actions: [{ id: 'always_online', value: 'on' }]
)

# Set up a firewall rule
zone.firewall.rules.create(
  filter: { expression: 'ip.src eq 192.0.2.1' },
  action: 'block'
)

You're on fire! 🔥

Error Handling

Even the best of us hit snags. Here's how to handle them like a pro:

begin
  # Your API call here
rescue Cloudflare::RequestError => e
  puts "Oops! #{e.message}"
  # Maybe retry after a delay if it's a rate limit error
end

Stay cool, handle those errors, and your app will be bulletproof.

Best Practices

A few pro tips to keep you on the right track:

Cache responses when possible to avoid hitting rate limits
Use environment variables for API credentials (never commit them to your repo!)
Batch operations when you can to minimize API calls

Testing

Don't forget to test! Here's a quick example using RSpec:

RSpec.describe 'Cloudflare API' do
  let(:client) { Cloudflare.connect(email: '[email protected]', api_key: 'fake-key') }

  it 'lists zones' do
    VCR.use_cassette('list_zones') do
      zones = client.zones.all
      expect(zones).not_to be_empty
    end
  end
end

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a rock-solid Cloudflare API integration in Ruby. Pat yourself on the back – you've earned it.

Remember, the Cloudflare API docs are your friend if you want to dive deeper. Now go forth and build amazing things!

Happy coding! 🚀