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Technical reference

Technical overviews

The topics in this section provide in-depth overviews of some fundamental features used in Tailscale.

Learn more about the encrypted networking protocol that Tailscale is built upon.

Learn about direct connections and relayed connections in Tailscale.

Learn how Tailscale assigns IP addresses and how to manage them.

Learn how to build smaller Tailscale binaries that take up minimal disk space.

Learn about kernel and userspace modes and how each works with subnet routers and exit nodes.

Learn about running Tailscale where you don't have access to create a VPN tunnel device, which is common in container environments.

Learn how nodes join a tailnet domain using node keys.

Learn how to protect your SSH servers by using Tailscale SSH.

Learn in-depth details about Tailnet lock to verify that nodes are not added to your tailnet without being signed by trusted nodes in your tailnet.

Learn about Tailscale's globally distributed DERP relay servers.

Learn how zero-trust networks are used to secure private networks.

Learn in-depth details about IPv4 and IPv6.

Key prefixes

Tailscale uses key prefixes as part of the ID for keys to help distinguish the type of key being used.

Learn about the prefix IDs used by various types of keys such as API, OAuth, pre-auth, SCIM, and webhooks.

API

Learn about the Tailscale application programming interface (API) for automating various aspects of your network.

Learn about the Tailscale application programming interface.

Learn about OAuth clients and how they work with Tailscale.

Learn about the tsnet library that lets you embed Tailscale inside a Go program.

CLI

Learn about the built-in CLI that you can use to manage and troubleshoot your Tailscale network.

Learn about all of the commands you can use in the Tailscale client.

Learn the CLI for sharing a local service over the internet.

Learn the CLI for managing tailnet lock.

Learn the CLI for sharing a local service securely within your tailnet.

Learn the CLI for connecting a device to Tailscale.

Learn the CLI for the Tailscale daemon that runs in the client background.

Terminology and concepts

Learn about the terms and concepts that are commonly used with Tailscale.

View common Tailscale terminology and concepts.