What a Cloudflare Worker is, for WordPress users
A plain explanation of Cloudflare Workers for WordPress users: how they differ from hosting, workers.dev vs your domain, and how Hatch uses one for you.
Last updated October 29, 2026
If you have only ever run WordPress on a normal web host, a Cloudflare Worker can sound abstract. This article explains what a Worker is in WordPress terms, and how Hatch Connect uses one to serve your site.
A Worker in one sentence
A Worker is a small program that runs on Cloudflare’s network instead of on a server you manage. When a visitor requests a page, Cloudflare runs the Worker and it returns the response. The official reference is the Cloudflare Workers documentation.
How it compares to WordPress hosting
| WordPress host | Cloudflare Worker | |
|---|---|---|
| What runs | PHP and a MySQL or MariaDB database | JavaScript (and other supported languages) in Cloudflare’s runtime |
| Who manages the server | You or your host | Cloudflare |
| Address | Your domain | A free workers.dev address, or a route on your own domain |
| Limits and pricing | Set by your host | Set by Cloudflare; see Workers limits |
A Worker does not replace WordPress. It has no wp-admin and no database of your posts. In a headless setup it reads content from WordPress over an API.
How Hatch uses a Worker
Hatch uploads an Astro-built frontend to your own Cloudflare account as a Worker, sets it up and shows you the live address. Along with the frontend files, Hatch sends a script name, your site’s REST address and three Worker secrets: the user name and Application Password of the low-privilege account you chose, and a cache-refresh secret.
The Worker then reads your posts, pages, menus and other content from the hatch/v1 REST routes. See the hatch/v1 REST bridge, explained.
workers.dev or your own domain
Every Worker can get a free address ending in workers.dev. To use your own domain, the domain must be on Cloudflare (a zone) and the Hatch token needs Zone Read and Workers Routes Edit permissions. Cloudflare documents routes and custom domains in its routing guide.
Where to find your Worker
In the Cloudflare dashboard, open Workers & Pages. Disconnecting or uninstalling Hatch does not delete the Worker; remove it there if you no longer need it.
FAQ
Do I need to write code to use a Worker with Hatch?
No. Hatch builds and uploads the Worker from the setup guide. Developers can also build their own frontend against the REST API.
Is the free plan enough?
The free Cloudflare plan includes Workers. Whether it fits your traffic depends on Cloudflare’s current limits, so check their limits page.
Can a Worker reach a WordPress site on localhost?
No. The Worker runs on Cloudflare’s network and must reach your site over https. Use a public address or a tunnel.