Share Local Site

Expose a local development server to the internet so anyone can access it via a public URL. No deployment needed.

When to use

• - Demo a work-in-progress site to a client or colleague
• Test a local site on a mobile device
• Share localhost for pair programming or review
• Quick external access without deploying

Methods comparison

Method	Signup	Install	Stability	Best for
localhost.run	No	No	⭐⭐	Quickest start. Zero setup, perfect for first-time use
ngrok

Yes | Yes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Most stable. Dashboard, multi-tunnel, longer sessions | | cloudflared | No | Yes | ⭐⭐⭐ | Already installed; quick tunnels |

Quick start

localhost.run (zero-install, fastest to start)

Nothing to install, nothing to sign up for. Just run:

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Look for the URL in the output (e.g. https://xxxxx.lhr.life). Share it immediately.

ngrok (most stable, recommended for longer sessions)

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Get the public URL:
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Web dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:4040

cloudflared

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Pre-send checklist

Before sharing any tunnel URL, always verify:

1. 1. Confirm the tunnel points to the correct port:

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1. 2. Verify the page loads correctly:

   curl -sI <TUNNEL_URL>                        # check HTTP 200
   curl -s <TUNNEL_URL> | grep -i '<title>'     # confirm correct site
   

Watch for: Invalid Host header, wrong project, blank page, 502.

1. 3. Only send the URL after both checks pass.

Multiple tunnels (ngrok)

ngrok free tier supports up to 3 simultaneous tunnels. Run each in a separate terminal or tmux session:

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List all active tunnels:
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Framework-specific fixes

Vue CLI: "Invalid Host header"

Vue CLI's webpack-dev-server blocks non-localhost hosts by default.

Vue CLI 2/3 (webpack-dev-server v3):
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Vue CLI 5+ (webpack-dev-server v4+):
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Vite / Next.js / Nuxt: No config needed — tunnels work out of the box.

Create React App

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Or in .env:
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FAQ

Q: Do I need to restart the tunnel after code changes?
No. The tunnel just forwards traffic. Hot reload works normally — just refresh the page.

Q: How long does the URL last?
As long as the tunnel process is running. Close it and the URL dies.

Q: Can multiple people access the same URL?
Yes. Share the URL with anyone — it's a public endpoint.

Q: ngrok says "too many tunnels"?
Free tier allows 3 tunnels. Close unused ones or upgrade.

Recommended: pair with persistent-process

OpenClaw's exec sessions have automatic cleanup — idle timeout, context compaction, or gateway restart will silently kill any background process, including your tunnel. Your client is mid-demo and the URL just stops working.

To prevent this, install the openclaw-tmux-persistent-process skill. It runs your tunnel inside a tmux session that is completely independent of OpenClaw's exec lifecycle:

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With both skills installed, tell your agent: "share port 3000 with tmux so it stays up" — it will start the tunnel in a persistent tmux session that survives gateway restarts.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
Invalid Host header	See framework-specific fixes above
ngrok token invalid

Re-copy from dashboard.ngrok.com | | localhost.run hangs | Switch to ngrok | | Blank page / 502 | Make sure your local dev server is running | | Wrong project showing | Check curl localhost:4040/api/tunnels for port mapping | | cloudflared 404 | Quick tunnels can be flaky — switch to ngrok |