How to Use Ngrok to Share Your Localhost Site

Have you ever needed to share your locally hosted website with a client or test a webhook integration, but found yourself stuck because your development server is only accessible on your machine? This is where Ngrok comes to the rescue. Ngrok is a powerful tool that creates a secure tunnel between your local development environment and the public internet, making your localhost accessible to anyone with the generated URL.

What is Ngrok?

Ngrok (pronounced “en-grok”) is a lightweight tunneling tool that creates secure public URLs for your localhost server. Founded by Alan Shreve in 2013, it has become an essential tool in many developers’ toolkits, with millions of developers using it worldwide.

Think of Ngrok like a secret passage that connects your computer to the internet. When you’re developing a website on your local machine, it’s like having a private art studio where only you can see your work. Ngrok creates a special door that lets others peek into your studio from anywhere in the world.

How to Set Up Ngrok

Let’s break down the setup process into simple, easy-to-follow steps.

Step 1: Download and Install Ngrok

1. Visit ngrok.com and create a free account
2. Download the appropriate version for your operating system
3. Extract the downloaded file to a location on your computer

For Windows users:

• Simply unzip the downloaded file
• Move the ngrok.exe file to a convenient location

For Mac/Linux users:

# Using homebrew on Mac
brew install ngrok

# On Linux
unzip ngrok-stable-linux-amd64.zip

Step 2: Authenticate with Your Authtoken

After creating your account, you’ll receive an authtoken. This is like your personal key to use Ngrok’s services.

1. Copy your authtoken from the Ngrok dashboard
2. Open your terminal or command prompt
3. Run the following command:

ngrok config add-authtoken your_auth_token_here

Step 3: Run the Tunnel

Now comes the exciting part – creating your first tunnel! Let’s say your local website is running on port 5000:

ngrok http 5000

After running this command, you’ll see something like this:

Session Status                online
Account                       your@email.com
Version                       3.5.0
Region                       United States (us)
Web Interface                http://127.0.0.1:4040
Forwarding                   https://abc123def456.ngrok.io -> localhost:5000

The https://abc123def456.ngrok.io is your public URL that anyone can use to access your local site!

How Ngrok Works Under the Hood

Understanding how Ngrok works helps you use it more effectively. Here’s a simple breakdown:

1. Connection Establishment:

• When you start Ngrok, it creates two connections:
  • One to your local server (localhost)
  • Another to Ngrok’s cloud service

1. Traffic Flow:

• When someone visits your Ngrok URL, here’s what happens:
  • Request reaches Ngrok’s servers
  • Ngrok forwards it through the secure tunnel to your computer
  • Your local server processes the request
  • Response travels back through the same tunnel
  • Visitor receives the response

Think of it like a virtual postal service where Ngrok is the mail carrier between your local computer and the internet.

Advanced Features of Ngrok

Custom Subdomains (Paid Plans)

Instead of random URLs, you can use your own subdomain:

ngrok http --subdomain=myapp 5000

IP Whitelisting

Restrict access to specific IP addresses:

ngrok http --cidr-allow "192.168.1.0/24" 5000

TLS Support

Enable HTTPS for secure connections:

ngrok http https://localhost:5000

Inspect Traffic

The Ngrok web interface (http://localhost:4040) provides powerful debugging tools:

• Real-time requests and responses
• Headers inspection
• Request/response body examination
• WebSocket connections monitoring

Ngrok Use Cases

Testing Webhooks

Perfect for developing integrations with services like:

• Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal)
• Communication services (Twilio, SendGrid)
• Version control webhooks (GitHub, GitLab)

Example for Stripe webhook testing:

1. Start your local server
2. Run Ngrok:

ngrok http 5000

3. Copy the HTTPS URL
4. Use it in Stripe’s webhook configuration

Sharing Frontend and Backend

For full-stack applications, you can tunnel multiple ports:

# Frontend on port 3000
ngrok http 3000

# In another terminal, backend on port 5000
ngrok http 5000

Remote Debugging and Client Demos

Perfect for:

• Live debugging sessions with remote team members
• Client presentations of work-in-progress
• Cross-device testing

Ngrok Best Practices

Security Best Practices

1. Always Use HTTPS

• Enable TLS by default
• Use the secure URL provided by Ngrok

1. Monitor Traffic

• Regularly check the Ngrok dashboard
• Look for suspicious activities
• Keep logs for debugging

1. Link Sharing Guidelines

• Share links only with intended recipients
• Avoid posting Ngrok URLs on public forums
• Use password protection when possible:

   ngrok http --auth="username:password" 5000

Performance Best Practices

1. Connection Management

• Restart tunnels periodically for long sessions
• Monitor bandwidth usage
• Use region-specific endpoints when needed:

   ngrok http --region=eu 5000

2. Resource Optimization

• Close unused tunnels
• Limit concurrent connections on free plan
• Monitor system resources

Conclusion

Ngrok is an invaluable tool for modern web development, making local development and testing significantly easier. Its simple setup process, combined with powerful features, makes it perfect for:

• Testing integrations
• Client demonstrations
• Remote debugging
• Cross-device testing

Whether you’re a solo developer or part of a team, Ngrok’s ability to instantly share your localhost can save hours of deployment time and simplify the development process.

FAQs