Technical reference

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These topics provide technical reference about Tailscale tools and features in your Tailscale network (known as a tailnet).

Access control policies

You can use access control policies to enforce access for users, devices, and applications in your tailnet.


Reference syntax for the tailnet policy file.

View example ACL policies for common scenarios.

Tailscale command line interface (CLI)

The Tailscale client includes a built-in CLI tool you can use to manage and troubleshoot your device within your Tailscale network (known as a tailnet).


Manage and troubleshoot your tailnet with the Tailscale command-line interface (Tailscale CLI).

Tailscale application programming interface (API)

You can use the Tailscale API to automate and manage various aspects of your tailnet.


Explore the Tailscale application programming interface (API).

Use OAuth clients to provide ongoing access to the Tailscale API.

Use the tsnet package to embed Tailscale inside a Go program.

Technical overviews and production best practices

Read in-depth topics about Tailscale networking, security, and production best practices.


Get in-depth technical details about Tailscale.

Follow production and security best practices for deploying Tailscale.

Terminology and concepts

Familiarize yourself with Tailscale terminology and concepts.


Review Tailscale terminology and concepts.