# File Backends

Like any other reverse proxy, Træfik can be configured with a file.

You have three choices:

- [Simple](/configuration/backends/file/#simple)
- [Rules in a Separate File](/configuration/backends/file/#rules-in-a-separate-file)
- [Multiple `.toml` Files](/configuration/backends/file/#multiple-toml-files)

To enable the file backend, you must either pass the `--file` option to the Træfik binary or put the `[file]` section (with or without inner settings) in the configuration file.

The configuration file allows managing both backends/frontends and HTTPS certificates (which are not [Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org) certificates generated through Træfik).

## Simple

Add your configuration at the end of the global configuration file `traefik.toml`:

```toml
defaultEntryPoints = ["http", "https"]

[entryPoints]
  [entryPoints.http]
  address = ":80"
    [entryPoints.http.redirect]
    entryPoint = "https"
  [entryPoints.https]
  address = ":443"
    [entryPoints.https.tls]
      [[entryPoints.https.tls.certificates]]
      certFile = "integration/fixtures/https/snitest.org.cert"
      keyFile = "integration/fixtures/https/snitest.org.key"

[file]

# rules
[backends]
  [backends.backend1]
    [backends.backend1.circuitbreaker]
    expression = "NetworkErrorRatio() > 0.5"
    [backends.backend1.servers.server1]
    url = "http://172.17.0.2:80"
    weight = 10
    [backends.backend1.servers.server2]
    url = "http://172.17.0.3:80"
    weight = 1
  [backends.backend2]
    [backends.backend2.maxconn]
    amount = 10
    extractorfunc = "request.host"
    [backends.backend2.LoadBalancer]
    method = "drr"
    [backends.backend2.servers.server1]
    url = "http://172.17.0.4:80"
    weight = 1
    [backends.backend2.servers.server2]
    url = "http://172.17.0.5:80"
    weight = 2

[frontends]
  [frontends.frontend1]
  backend = "backend2"
    [frontends.frontend1.routes.test_1]
    rule = "Host:test.localhost"

  [frontends.frontend2]
  backend = "backend1"
  passHostHeader = true
  priority = 10

  # restrict access to this frontend to the specified list of IPv4/IPv6 CIDR Nets
  # an unset or empty list allows all Source-IPs to access
  # if one of the Net-Specifications are invalid, the whole list is invalid
  # and allows all Source-IPs to access.
  whitelistSourceRange = ["10.42.0.0/16", "152.89.1.33/32", "afed:be44::/16"]

  entrypoints = ["https"] # overrides defaultEntryPoints
    [frontends.frontend2.routes.test_1]
    rule = "Host:{subdomain:[a-z]+}.localhost"

  [frontends.frontend3]
  entrypoints = ["http", "https"] # overrides defaultEntryPoints
  backend = "backend2"
  rule = "Path:/test"

# HTTPS certificate
[[tlsConfiguration]]
entryPoints = ["https"]
  [tlsConfiguration.certificate]
    certFile = "integration/fixtures/https/snitest.com.cert"
    keyFile = "integration/fixtures/https/snitest.com.key"
```

!!! note
    If `tlsConfiguration.entryPoints` is not defined, the certificate is attached to all the `defaultEntryPoints` with a TLS configuration.

!!! note
    Adding certificates directly to the entryPoint is still maintained but certificates declared in this way cannot be managed dynamically.
    It's recommended to use the file provider to declare certificates.

## Rules in a Separate File

Put your rules in a separate file, for example `rules.toml`:

```toml
# traefik.toml
[entryPoints]
  [entryPoints.http]
  address = ":80"
    [entryPoints.http.redirect]
      entryPoint = "https"
  [entryPoints.https]
  address = ":443"
    [entryPoints.https.tls]

[file]
filename = "rules.toml"
```

```toml
# rules.toml
[backends]
  [backends.backend1]
    [backends.backend1.circuitbreaker]
    expression = "NetworkErrorRatio() > 0.5"
    [backends.backend1.servers.server1]
    url = "http://172.17.0.2:80"
    weight = 10
    [backends.backend1.servers.server2]
    url = "http://172.17.0.3:80"
    weight = 1
  [backends.backend2]
    [backends.backend2.maxconn]
    amount = 10
    extractorfunc = "request.host"
    [backends.backend2.LoadBalancer]
    method = "drr"
    [backends.backend2.servers.server1]
    url = "http://172.17.0.4:80"
    weight = 1
    [backends.backend2.servers.server2]
    url = "http://172.17.0.5:80"
    weight = 2

[frontends]
  [frontends.frontend1]
  backend = "backend2"
    [frontends.frontend1.routes.test_1]
    rule = "Host:test.localhost"
  [frontends.frontend2]
  backend = "backend1"
  passHostHeader = true
  priority = 10
  entrypoints = ["https"] # overrides defaultEntryPoints
    [frontends.frontend2.routes.test_1]
    rule = "Host:{subdomain:[a-z]+}.localhost"
  [frontends.frontend3]
  entrypoints = ["http", "https"] # overrides defaultEntryPoints
  backend = "backend2"
  rule = "Path:/test"
  
# HTTPS certificate
[[tlsConfiguration]]
  entryPoints = ["https"]
  [tlsConfiguration.certificate]
    certFile = "integration/fixtures/https/snitest.com.cert"
    keyFile = "integration/fixtures/https/snitest.com.key"

[[tlsConfiguration]]
  entryPoints = ["https"]
  [[tlsConfiguration.certificates]]
  certFile = "integration/fixtures/https/snitest.org.cert"
  keyFile = "integration/fixtures/https/snitest.org.key"
```

## Multiple `.toml` Files

You could have multiple `.toml` files in a directory (and recursively in its sub-directories):

```toml
[file]
directory = "/path/to/config/"
```

If you want Træfik to watch file changes automatically, just add:

```toml
[file]
watch = true
```