reverse proxy

Built-in Reverse Proxy

What It Does

When proxy: true is set on an app, Muximux proxies all requests to that app through /proxy/{app-slug}/ on the same port Muximux is running on. The slug is derived from the app name: lowercased, with spaces replaced by hyphens.

For example, an app named "My Sonarr" would be proxied at /proxy/my-sonarr/.

All requests to that path are forwarded to the app's configured url, and the responses are rewritten so the app works correctly at its new location.

Note: This per-app reverse proxy is built into the Go server and works in every deployment mode -- whether Muximux is behind Traefik, running standalone, or acting as a full reverse proxy appliance with Caddy. It is completely independent of Caddy and requires no extra configuration beyond proxy: true.

---

Why It Exists

Most web applications set security headers that prevent them from being loaded inside iframes:

• X-Frame-Options: DENY or SAMEORIGIN
• Content-Security-Policy: frame-ancestors 'none'

Since Muximux's primary interface loads apps in iframes, these headers cause the app to show a blank frame or a "refused to connect" error. The reverse proxy strips these headers so the app can be embedded.

Beyond header stripping, the proxy also rewrites paths throughout the response so that the app's internal links, asset references, and API calls continue to work from the new /proxy/{slug}/ base path.

---

What It Rewrites

The proxy performs several layers of rewriting to make apps work at their new path.

HTTP Headers

• Strips X-Frame-Options (allows iframe embedding)
• Strips Content-Security-Policy (allows loading in iframe context)
• Rewrites Location redirect headers to point to the proxy path
• Rewrites Set-Cookie path attributes so cookies are scoped correctly
• Rewrites Content-Location and Refresh headers

HTML Content

• Rewrites href, src, action, poster, srcset, content, and data-* attributes
• Rewrites <base href> tags

CSS Content

• Rewrites url() references to point to the proxy path

JavaScript Content

• Rewrites string literals containing the app's base path
• Rewrites base path configuration variables (e.g., urlBase: "" becomes urlBase: "/proxy/sonarr")

SRI (Subresource Integrity)

• Strips integrity attributes from HTML tags, since hashes become invalid after the content has been rewritten
• Neutralizes dynamic SRI checks in JavaScript

Gzip Handling

Compressed responses are transparently decompressed before rewriting, then re-compressed before being sent to the browser. No configuration is needed.

---

When to Use It

Per-App Proxy Settings

When proxy: true, you can fine-tune the proxy behavior per app:

apps:
  - name: Sonarr
    url: https://sonarr.internal:8989
    proxy: true
    proxy_skip_tls_verify: true      # Skip TLS cert verification (default: true)
    proxy_headers:                    # Custom headers sent to the backend
      X-Api-Key: "your-api-key"
      Authorization: "Bearer token"

Setting	Default	Description
proxy_skip_tls_verify	true	When the backend uses HTTPS with a self-signed or internal CA certificate, this skips verification. Set to false if you want strict TLS validation.
proxy_headers	(none)	Key-value map of headers added to every request forwarded to the backend. Useful for API keys or auth tokens the app requires.

The global server.proxy_timeout (default: 30s) controls how long the proxy waits for a backend response before timing out. This applies to all proxied apps.

When to Use It

Enable proxy: true when:

• The app refuses to load in an iframe. You see a blank frame, a "refused to connect" error, or a message saying the page cannot be displayed in a frame.
• The app loads in the iframe but assets (CSS, JS, images) fail because their paths do not resolve correctly.
• The app loads and looks correct but navigation and links break because they point to the original path instead of the proxy path.

---

When NOT to Use It

Leave proxy: false (or omit it) when:

• The app already works fine in an iframe without proxy. Some apps allow embedding by default and do not need any rewriting.
• You are using open_mode: new_tab, new_window, or redirect. The proxy is only useful for iframe mode, since the other modes open the app at its original URL.
• You want to reduce overhead. The proxy adds a small amount of latency due to the rewriting step, so skip it if it is not needed.

---

Why Some Apps May Not Work

Even with the proxy enabled, some applications will not work correctly in an iframe. The most common reasons are:

• Runtime-constructed URLs -- If the app builds URLs in JavaScript by concatenating variables or using template literals, the proxy cannot intercept these because they are only resolved in the browser.
• SPA routing conflicts -- Single-page applications may not recognize the /proxy/{slug}/ prefix in their client-side router.
• Service workers -- Can cache responses under wrong paths or intercept requests before they reach the proxy.
• Strict origin validation -- Apps that validate Origin or Referer headers may reject proxied requests.
• Binary protocols -- gRPC, MessagePack, and other non-text formats cannot be rewritten.

For detailed explanations of each limitation, symptoms, and workarounds, see the Troubleshooting page.

WebSocket Connections

WebSocket connections are fully supported. The proxy detects Upgrade: websocket requests and transparently proxies them by establishing a direct TCP connection to the backend. Path rewriting is applied to the initial HTTP upgrade request, then data flows bidirectionally without modification. Apps using WebSockets for live updates, logs, or chat should work through the proxy without additional configuration.

Mixed Content

If Muximux is served over HTTPS but the proxied app is HTTP-only on the internal network, this is handled transparently by the proxy (the browser talks HTTPS to Muximux, and Muximux talks HTTP to the app). However, if the app's JavaScript makes direct HTTP requests to other internal services, the browser may block those as mixed content.

---

Troubleshooting Proxy Issues

Blank iframe

Open the browser's developer tools (F12) and check the Console tab for errors. Common causes:

• The app uses a Content-Security-Policy that was not fully stripped. Look for "refused to frame" or "blocked by Content-Security-Policy" messages.
• The app's URL is unreachable from the Muximux server. Verify you can reach the URL from the machine running Muximux.

Broken Styles or Images

The path rewriting may have missed some URLs. Try accessing the app directly at /proxy/{slug}/ in a new browser tab (not in the iframe). This lets you use developer tools more easily to see which requests are failing and what paths they are trying to reach.

Login Loops

The app's authentication system may conflict with the proxy. This often happens when the app redirects to a login page using an absolute URL that bypasses the proxy. If the app supports configuring a base URL or external URL, set it to match the proxy path (e.g., /proxy/sonarr).

Intermittent Failures

If the app works sometimes but not others, it may be a timing issue with WebSocket connections or service workers. Check the Network tab in developer tools for failed requests.

If Nothing Works

Set open_mode: new_tab as a fallback:

apps:
  - name: Problematic App
    url: http://app:8080
    proxy: false
    open_mode: new_tab

The app opens in its own browser tab with no proxy involvement. You lose the integrated dashboard experience, but the app will work exactly as it does when accessed directly.

---

How It Differs from TLS/Gateway (Caddy)

The built-in reverse proxy and the Caddy-based gateway are completely separate systems that serve different purposes.

	Built-in Reverse Proxy	Caddy Gateway
Purpose	Embed apps in iframes	Serve Muximux with TLS, or host additional sites alongside it
Configured by	proxy: true on individual apps	server.gateway Caddyfile in config
Runs inside	The Go server process	Embedded Caddy instance
Works without TLS	Yes	The gateway is only active when TLS/Caddy is enabled
Rewrites content	Yes (headers, HTML, CSS, JS)	No (standard reverse proxy behavior)

The per-app proxy: true setting is for iframe embedding. The server.gateway Caddyfile is for serving additional sites alongside Muximux or handling TLS termination. They can be used independently or together.