---
title: "Routing & Load Balancing Providers: Rancher"
description: "Traefik Proxy creates a corresponding service and router for each Rancher Service. Read the full documentation to learn more."
---

# Traefik & Rancher

A Story of Labels, Services & Containers
{: .subtitle }

![Rancher](../../assets/img/providers/rancher.png)

Attach labels to your services and let Traefik do the rest!

One of the best feature of Traefik is to delegate the routing configuration to the application level.
With Rancher, Traefik can leverage labels attached to a service to generate routing rules.

!!! warning "Labels & sensitive data"

    We recommend to *not* use labels to store sensitive data (certificates, credentials, etc).
    Instead, we recommend to store sensitive data in a safer storage (secrets, file, etc).

!!! important "This provider is specific to Rancher 1.x."
    
    Rancher 2.x requires Kubernetes and does not have a metadata endpoint of its own for Traefik to query.
    As such, Rancher 2.x users should utilize the [Kubernetes provider](./kubernetes-crd.md) directly.

## Routing Configuration

!!! info "Labels"
    
    - Labels are case-insensitive.
    - The complete list of labels can be found in [the reference page](../../reference/dynamic-configuration/rancher.md).

### General

Traefik creates, for each rancher service, a corresponding [service](../services/index.md) and [router](../routers/index.md).

The Service automatically gets a server per container in this rancher service, and the router gets a default rule attached to it, based on the service name.

#### Service definition

--8<-- "content/routing/providers/service-by-label.md"

??? example "Automatic service assignment with labels"

    With labels in a compose file

    ```yaml
    labels:
      - "traefik.http.routers.myproxy.rule=Host(`example.net`)"
      # service myservice gets automatically assigned to router myproxy
      - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.server.port=80"
    ```

??? example "Automatic service creation and assignment with labels"

    With labels in a compose file

    ```yaml
    labels:
      # no service specified or defined and yet one gets automatically created
      # and assigned to router myproxy.
      - "traefik.http.routers.myproxy.rule=Host(`example.net`)"
    ```

### Routers

To update the configuration of the Router automatically attached to the container, add labels starting with `traefik.routers.{name-of-your-choice}.` and followed by the option you want to change.

For example, to change the rule, you could add the label ```traefik.http.routers.my-container.rule=Host(`example.com`)```.

!!! warning "The character `@` is not authorized in the router name `<router_name>`."

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.rule`"
    
    See [rule](../routers/index.md#rule) for more information. 
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter.rule=Host(`example.com`)"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.entrypoints`"
    
    See [entry points](../routers/index.md#entrypoints) for more information. 
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter.entrypoints=ep1,ep2"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.middlewares`"
    
    See [middlewares](../routers/index.md#middlewares) and [middlewares overview](../../middlewares/overview.md) for more information. 
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter.middlewares=auth,prefix,cb"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.service`"
    
    See [rule](../routers/index.md#service) for more information. 
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter.service=myservice"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.tls`"
    
    See [tls](../routers/index.md#tls) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter>.tls=true"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.tls.certresolver`"
    
    See [certResolver](../routers/index.md#certresolver) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter.tls.certresolver=myresolver"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.tls.domains[n].main`"
    
    See [domains](../routers/index.md#domains) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter.tls.domains[0].main=example.org"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.tls.domains[n].sans`"
    
    See [domains](../routers/index.md#domains) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter.tls.domains[0].sans=test.example.org,dev.example.org"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.tls.options`"
    
    See [options](../routers/index.md#options) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter.tls.options=foobar"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.routers.<router_name>.priority`"
    
    See [priority](../routers/index.md#priority) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.routers.myrouter.priority=42"
    ```

### Services

To update the configuration of the Service automatically attached to the container,
add labels starting with `traefik.http.services.{name-of-your-choice}.`, followed by the option you want to change.

For example, to change the `passHostHeader` behavior,
you'd add the label `traefik.http.services.{name-of-your-choice}.loadbalancer.passhostheader=false`.

!!! warning "The character `@` is not authorized in the service name `<service_name>`."

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.server.port`"
    
    Registers a port.
    Useful when the container exposes multiples ports.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.server.port=8080"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.server.scheme`"
    
    Overrides the default scheme.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.server.scheme=http"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.serverstransport`"
    
    Allows to reference a ServersTransport resource that is defined either with the File provider or the Kubernetes CRD one.
    See [serverstransport](../services/index.md#serverstransport) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.serverstransport=foobar@file"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.passhostheader`"
    
    See [pass Host header](../services/index.md#pass-host-header) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.passhostheader=true"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.healthcheck.headers.<header_name>`"
    
    See [health check](../services/index.md#health-check) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.healthcheck.headers.X-Foo=foobar"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.healthcheck.hostname`"
    
    See [health check](../services/index.md#health-check) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.healthcheck.hostname=example.org"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.healthcheck.interval`"
    
    See [health check](../services/index.md#health-check) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.healthcheck.interval=10s"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.healthcheck.path`"
    
    See [health check](../services/index.md#health-check) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.healthcheck.path=/foo"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.healthcheck.method`"
    
    See [health check](../services/index.md#health-check) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.healthcheck.method=foobar"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.healthcheck.port`"
    
    See [health check](../services/index.md#health-check) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.healthcheck.port=42"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.healthcheck.scheme`"
    
    See [health check](../services/index.md#health-check) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.healthcheck.scheme=http"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.healthcheck.timeout`"
    
    See [health check](../services/index.md#health-check) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.healthcheck.timeout=10"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.healthcheck.followredirects`"
    
    See [health check](../services/index.md#health-check) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.healthcheck.followredirects=true"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie`"
    
    See [sticky sessions](../services/index.md#sticky-sessions) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie=true"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie.httponly`"
    
    See [sticky sessions](../services/index.md#sticky-sessions) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie.httponly=true"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie.name`"
    
    See [sticky sessions](../services/index.md#sticky-sessions) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie.name=foobar"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie.secure`"
    
    See [sticky sessions](../services/index.md#sticky-sessions) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie.secure=true"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie.samesite`"
    
    See [sticky sessions](../services/index.md#sticky-sessions) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.sticky.cookie.samesite=none"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.http.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.responseforwarding.flushinterval`"
    
    See [response forwarding](../services/index.md#response-forwarding) for more information.

    ```yaml
    - "traefik.http.services.myservice.loadbalancer.responseforwarding.flushinterval=10"
    ```

### Middleware

You can declare pieces of middleware using labels starting with `traefik.http.middlewares.{name-of-your-choice}.`, followed by the middleware type/options.

For example, to declare a middleware [`redirectscheme`](../../middlewares/http/redirectscheme.md) named `my-redirect`, you'd write `traefik.http.middlewares.my-redirect.redirectscheme.scheme: https`.

More information about available middlewares in the dedicated [middlewares section](../../middlewares/overview.md).

!!! warning "The character `@` is not authorized in the middleware name."

??? example "Declaring and Referencing a Middleware"
    
    ```yaml
    # ...
    labels:
      # Declaring a middleware
      - traefik.http.middlewares.my-redirect.redirectscheme.scheme=https
      # Referencing a middleware
      - traefik.http.routers.my-container.middlewares=my-redirect
    ```

!!! warning "Conflicts in Declaration"

    If you declare multiple middleware with the same name but with different parameters, the middleware fails to be declared.

### TCP

You can declare TCP Routers and/or Services using labels.

??? example "Declaring TCP Routers and Services"

    ```yaml
       services:
         my-container:
           # ...
           labels:
             - "traefik.tcp.routers.my-router.rule=HostSNI(`example.com`)"
             - "traefik.tcp.routers.my-router.tls=true"
             - "traefik.tcp.services.my-service.loadbalancer.server.port=4123"
    ```

!!! warning "TCP and HTTP"

    If you declare a TCP Router/Service, it will prevent Traefik from automatically creating an HTTP Router/Service (like it does by default if no TCP Router/Service is defined).
    You can declare both a TCP Router/Service and an HTTP Router/Service for the same container (but you have to do so manually).

#### TCP Routers

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.entrypoints`"
    
    See [entry points](../routers/index.md#entrypoints_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.mytcprouter.entrypoints=ep1,ep2"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.rule`"
    
    See [rule](../routers/index.md#rule_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.mytcprouter.rule=HostSNI(`example.com`)"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.service`"
    
    See [service](../routers/index.md#services) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.mytcprouter.service=myservice"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.tls`"
    
    See [TLS](../routers/index.md#tls_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.mytcprouter.tls=true"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.tls.certresolver`"
    
    See [certResolver](../routers/index.md#certresolver_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.mytcprouter.tls.certresolver=myresolver"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.tls.domains[n].main`"
    
    See [domains](../routers/index.md#domains_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.mytcprouter.tls.domains[0].main=example.org"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.tls.domains[n].sans`"
    
    See [domains](../routers/index.md#domains_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.mytcprouter.tls.domains[0].sans=test.example.org,dev.example.org"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.tls.options`"
    
    See [options](../routers/index.md#options_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.mytcprouter.tls.options=mysoptions"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.tls.passthrough`"
    
    See [TLS](../routers/index.md#tls_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.mytcprouter.tls.passthrough=true"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.routers.<router_name>.priority`"

    See [priority](../routers/index.md#priority_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.routers.myrouter.priority=42"
    ```

#### TCP Services

??? info "`traefik.tcp.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.server.port`"
    
    Registers a port of the application.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.services.mytcpservice.loadbalancer.server.port=423"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.terminationdelay`"
        
    See [termination delay](../services/index.md#termination-delay) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.services.mytcpservice.loadbalancer.terminationdelay=100"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.tcp.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.proxyprotocol.version`"
        
    See [PROXY protocol](../services/index.md#proxy-protocol) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.tcp.services.mytcpservice.loadbalancer.proxyprotocol.version=1"
    ```

### UDP

You can declare UDP Routers and/or Services using labels.

??? example "Declaring UDP Routers and Services"

    ```yaml
       services:
         my-container:
           # ...
           labels:
             - "traefik.udp.routers.my-router.entrypoints=udp"
             - "traefik.udp.services.my-service.loadbalancer.server.port=4123"
    ```

!!! warning "UDP and HTTP"

    If you declare a UDP Router/Service, it will prevent Traefik from automatically creating an HTTP Router/Service (like it does by default if no UDP Router/Service is defined).
    You can declare both a UDP Router/Service and an HTTP Router/Service for the same container (but you have to do so manually).

#### UDP Routers

??? info "`traefik.udp.routers.<router_name>.entrypoints`"
    
    See [entry points](../routers/index.md#entrypoints_2) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.udp.routers.myudprouter.entrypoints=ep1,ep2"
    ```

??? info "`traefik.udp.routers.<router_name>.service`"
    
    See [service](../routers/index.md#services_1) for more information.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.udp.routers.myudprouter.service=myservice"
    ```

#### UDP Services

??? info "`traefik.udp.services.<service_name>.loadbalancer.server.port`"
    
    Registers a port of the application.
    
    ```yaml
    - "traefik.udp.services.myudpservice.loadbalancer.server.port=423"
    ```

### Specific Provider Options

#### `traefik.enable`

```yaml
- "traefik.enable=true"
```

You can tell Traefik to consider (or not) the container by setting `traefik.enable` to true or false.

This option overrides the value of `exposedByDefault`.

#### Port Lookup

Traefik is capable of detecting the port to use, by following the default rancher flow.
That means, if you just expose lets say port `:1337` on the rancher ui, traefik will pick up this port and use it.
