localhostforonline

Expose your local development server to the internet in seconds.
No configuration, no DNS setup, no TLS certificates — just a single command.

npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 3000

How it works

Visitor → localhostfor.online → secure tunnel → your machine (localhost:3000)

1. You start a tunnel from your machine to localhostfor.online
2. The platform generates a unique public URL: https://localhostfor.online/project-<uuid>
3. Anyone with that URL can access your local server through the tunnel

Quick start

# Expose a local HTTP server on port 3000
npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 3000

# Output:
# Tunnel created!
# ✓ Your URL: https://localhostfor.online/project-abc123
# ✓ Local:    localhost:3000

Open the generated URL in your browser — your local app is now online.

Features

🔒 Secure tunnels

All traffic is encrypted end-to-end. Your local server is never directly exposed.

📊 Live dashboard

Monitor every request in real time:

• Request count, methods, paths, status codes
• Response time and bandwidth
• Full request history per tunnel
• Expandable request headers and response body

Access the dashboard

🔑 Account & history

Link your tunnels to an account to keep permanent history:

1. Log in at https://localhostfor.online/login with your WhatsApp (via SMS OTP)
2. Get your personal API key
3. Run the tunnel with your key:

   npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 3000 --api-key lf_sk_xxx

📁 Tunnel history

Every tunnel you create appears in the dashboard.
Click on any tunnel to see its full request log.

👤 Anonymous access

Even without an account, anyone with a tunnel URL can view its request history:

https://localhostfor.online/dashboard?token=<project-id>

🌐 Protocol support

| Protocol | How | Example | |----------|-----|---------| | HTTP (default) | All methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) | npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 3000 | | WebSocket | Auto-detected via Upgrade: websocket header | Same command — no extra flags | | TCP | Dedicated TCP port for raw byte relay | npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 3000 --tcp |

CLI usage

# HTTP / WebSocket (auto-detected)
npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 3000

# TCP forwarding
npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 22 --tcp

# Link to your account
npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 3000 --api-key lf_sk_xxx

# Rewrite Host header (for virtual hosts)
npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 3000 --host-header rewrite

# Generate an auth token
npx localhostforonline register

# Save your auth token
npx localhostforonline login <token>

Options

| Flag | Type | Default | Description | |------|------|---------|-------------| | --port | int | — | Local port to expose | | --url | string | — | Full local URL (alternative to --port) | | --api-key | string | — | API key to link tunnel to your account | | --host-header | string | "" | Rewrite Host header (rewrite = set to localhost:<port>) | | --tcp | bool | false | Enable TCP forwarding (allocates a dedicated port) |

Output format

Tunnel created!
✓ Your URL: https://localhostfor.online/project-abc123
✓ Local:    localhost:3000
✓ Dashboard: https://localhostfor.online/dashboard?token=abc123
✓ TCP Port: 20000               (only when using --tcp)
Press Ctrl+C to stop

TCP forwarding

When using --tcp, the server allocates a dedicated TCP port. Connect by sending the project ID (36 bytes) first, then your raw data:

# Example: expose SSH
npx localhostforonline tunnel --port 22 --tcp

# In another terminal:
(printf '<project-uuid>'; cat) | nc localhostfor.online 20000

Platform

Website

https://localhostfor.online

Endpoints:

• / — Landing page with documentation and quick start
• /dashboard — Tunnel list and request history
• /dashboard?token=<id> — Request log for a specific tunnel
• /login — Sign in with WhatsApp to get an API key
• /account — Your account details

Infrastructure

• Server: Go (chi router + gorilla/websocket)
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Tunnels: WebSocket-based reverse proxy
• Auth: WhatsApp OTP (powered by Pilot Status)

License

MIT