ngrok

Expose a local HTTP service on a given port

$ ngrok http [80]

$ ngrok http [foo.dev]:[80]

$ ngrok http https://localhost

$ ngrok tcp [22]

$ ngrok tls -hostname=[foo.com] [443]

ngrok command [ arguments ]

http port
    Exposes a local HTTP server running on the specified port to the internet.

tcp port
    Exposes a local TCP server running on the specified port to the internet.

tls port
    Exposes a local TLS server running on the specified port to the internet.

start tunnel_name
    Starts a specific tunnel defined in the ngrok configuration file.

start-all
    Starts all tunnels defined in the ngrok configuration file.

config path
    Specifies the path to the ngrok configuration file.

authtoken token
    Sets the ngrok authtoken for authentication (usually found on the ngrok dashboard).

region region
    Specifies the region where the ngrok server will be located (e.g., us, eu, ap).

version
    Displays the ngrok version information.

help
    Displays help information about ngrok commands.

ngrok is a cross-platform application that creates secure tunnels from a local machine to ngrok's servers.
This allows you to expose local web servers, development environments, and other services running on your machine to the public internet without needing to configure port forwarding, DNS records, or deploy to a remote server.
ngrok is commonly used for:
* Testing webhooks and integrations.
* Sharing local websites for demos or collaboration.
* Remotely accessing IoT devices or APIs.
* Debugging applications running in development environments.
The core function is to establish a secure connection and provide a public URL that forwards traffic to a specified port on your local machine. ngrok is very popular due to its ease of use and support for various protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and TLS. The free tier has limitations, but paid plans offer more features and stability.

The free version of ngrok has limitations on connection time, number of tunnels, and bandwidth. Connection stability and consistent URLs are typically available with paid plans. The service requires an internet connection to work.

ngrok can be configured using a YAML configuration file. This allows you to define multiple tunnels with specific settings, such as the protocol, local port, and subdomain. The configuration file is typically located in the user's home directory under `.ngrok2/ngrok.yml`.

When running ngrok, a web interface is available (typically at http://127.0.0.1:4040) that provides information about active tunnels, request logs, and other debugging tools.

ngrok was created to address the problem of exposing local development servers for testing webhooks and integrations. It has become a popular tool for developers and testers to easily share and access local applications without complex networking configuration.