How Zuplo Works
Zuplo is a programmable API gateway that runs at the edge. This page explains the architecture, runtime, and deployment model.
Architecture
Zuplo sits between your clients and your backend APIs. Clients send requests to Zuplo, which applies policies (authentication, rate limiting, validation, etc.), then forwards the request to your backend. Responses pass back through outbound policies before reaching the client.
Zuplo is cloud-agnostic. It works with backends running on any cloud provider or private infrastructure. Multiple secure connectivity options are available including mTLS, shared secrets, and secure tunnels.
Edge runtime
Zuplo's runtime is based on Web Worker technology, the same foundational approach used by platforms like Deno Deploy, Vercel Edge Functions, and Cloudflare Workers. Code runs in lightweight V8 isolates rather than containers or virtual machines.
This architecture provides:
- Near-zero cold starts - isolates start in milliseconds, not seconds
- High throughput - tested at over 10,000 requests per second with policies enabled
- Low latency - the gateway typically adds 20-30ms for basic request processing
- Web Standards - built on familiar browser APIs like fetch, Request, Response, and Web Crypto
Custom code is written in TypeScript or JavaScript. Your backend can be written in any language that speaks HTTP.
See Web Standard APIs and Platform Limits for specifics on available APIs and constraints.
Deployment model
Zuplo offers three hosting options:
- Managed Edge - Runs in 300+ data centers worldwide. Deploys in seconds via Git. Best for most use cases.
- Managed Dedicated - Dedicated infrastructure in your preferred cloud region. For teams with compliance, data residency, or performance isolation requirements.
- Self-Hosted - Run Zuplo in your own infrastructure.
All hosting options use the same runtime, configuration, and APIs. Your project code works identically across all three.
GitOps workflow
Everything in Zuplo is defined as code and stored in source control. The typical workflow is:
- Develop locally or in the Zuplo Portal
- Push to your Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Azure DevOps)
- Deploy automatically - Zuplo builds and deploys your gateway globally
Deployments complete in seconds. Each Git branch gets its own isolated environment with its own URL, making it easy to test changes before merging to production.
See Environments and Source Control for details.
Protocols
Zuplo can proxy any HTTP traffic including REST, GraphQL, WebSockets, and other HTTP-based protocols. HTTP/2 is fully supported.
Programmability
While most API gateways limit you to configuration, Zuplo lets you write custom logic that runs in-process at the gateway layer:
- Custom policies - intercept requests and responses with TypeScript
- Custom handlers - implement entire request handlers in code
- Runtime extensions - add global hooks that run on every request
Custom code has access to the full Programming API including caching, logging, environment variables, and more.
See Request Lifecycle for details on how these extension points compose together.