browser-sync

Start a server from a specific directory

$ browser-sync start --server [path/to/directory] --files [path/to/directory]

$ browser-sync start --server --files '[path/to/directory/*.css]'

$ browser-sync init

$ browser-sync start --config [config_file]

browser-sync [options] [path]

--files "globs"
    Files/directories to watch for changes
e.g., CSS, HTML, JS patterns

--server ["path"]
    Serve files from current (or given) directory

--proxy "url"
    Proxy all requests to given URL/server

--watch
    Watch project files for changes (default)

--no-open
    Prevent automatic browser opening

--port <port>
    Port for BrowserSync to bind (default: 3000)

--host <host>
    Host IP to bind (default: localhost)

--ignore "globs"
    Files/directories to exclude from watching

--tunnel ["subdomain"]
    Expose via public tunnel URL

--https
    Serve over HTTPS

--no-notify
    Disable browser notifications

--ui
    Enable BrowserSync UI control panel

--reload-delay <ms>
    Delay before browser reload (default: 0)

--poll
    Use filesystem polling instead of native watchers

-h, --help
    Show help and options

BrowserSync is a Node.js-based command-line tool designed for modern web development workflows.

It automatically monitors your project files for changes and synchronizes actions across multiple browsers and devices. Key capabilities include live reloading of CSS/JS changes without full page refreshes, full-page reloads for HTML/images, and synchronization of user interactions like clicks, scrolls, and form inputs.

Ideal for cross-browser and cross-device testing, it supports static file serving, proxying to backend servers, URL tunneling for external access, and HTTPS. Developers can watch specific file patterns, ignore directories, debounce reloads, and customize ports/UI.

Usage typically involves running browser-sync start --server --files "**/*.css, **/*.html" from the project root, opening synced browsers automatically. It enhances productivity by eliminating manual refreshes and ensuring consistent testing environments.

Requires Node.js/npm; not a native Linux binary.

Requires Node.js/npm installation: npm install -g browser-sync.
Not suitable for production serving.
May conflict with firewalls/antivirus on watched dirs.
Polling (--poll) increases CPU on large projects.

npm install -g browser-sync
Verify: browser-sync --version

browser-sync start --server --files "css/*.css"
Serves ./, watches CSS, syncs browsers.

browser-sync start --proxy localhost:3000 --files "**/*.js"
Proxies backend, watches JS.

Created by Shane Osbourne in 2013 as open-source tool.
Popularized in Grunt/Gulp ecosystems; now CLI-focused.
Active development on GitHub with v2.30+ supporting modern Node/ESM.

http-server(1), live-server(1), nodemon(1)