What is Ngrok?

Ngrok is a multiplatform tool that allows developers to create a secure tunnel from a public endpoint to a locally running web service. It is particularly useful when working with webhooks, testing APIs or accessing a local server from a remote machine.

Using Ngrok, developers can expose their local development environment to the internet and receive webhooks, test mobile apps connected to a local API, or share a web application running on their computer with others without having to deploy it to a remote server.

Common Use and Commands

To use Ngrok, you need to download and install the tool on your local machine. Once installed, you can start a tunnel to your local server by running the following command:

ngrok http <PORT_NUMBER>

where PORT_NUMBER is the port on which your local server is listening. Ngrok will then generate a public URL that you can use to access your local server from anywhere.

Ngrok also provides various configuration options, such as custom subdomains, basic authentication, custom headers, and more. You can find more information about these options in the official documentation.

More Information

If you want to learn more about Ngrok or contribute to its development, you can check out the official Github repository at https://github.com/inconshreveable/ngrok (opens in a new tab).