| name | hostc-public-preview |
| description | Use hostc when an agent needs to expose a local development server as a temporary public preview URL, share localhost with another device or teammate, test webhooks against a local app, or create a public tunnel for localhost. Trigger on public preview, share local app, expose localhost, tunnel localhost, webhook preview, remote preview, or similar requests. |
| metadata | {"short-description":"Expose localhost as a temporary public URL with hostc"} |
Hostc Public Preview
Use hostc when the user or task needs a temporary public URL for a local development server.
Quick start
If the local app is running on port 3000:
npx hostc@latest 3000
Use the printed public URL for previews, webhook callbacks, mobile-device testing, or sharing the local app with another person.
Self-hosted server
If the user has their own hostc server:
HOSTC_SERVER_URL=https://hostc.example.com npx hostc@latest 3000
For persistent config:
npx hostc@latest config set server-url https://hostc.example.com
npx hostc@latest 3000
Agent workflow
- Confirm or infer the local port from the dev server output.
- Prefer
npx hostc@latest <port> so the CLI stays compatible with the current protocol.
- Wait for hostc to print the public URL.
- Give the user the public URL and keep the command running while the preview is needed.
- If the tunnel fails, first check that the local server is reachable on the requested port.
- To stop the preview, terminate the running hostc process. In an interactive terminal this is usually Ctrl+C. If the agent started hostc as a background process, stop or kill that process.
Safety notes
- Do not expose sensitive admin panels, database consoles, credential dashboards, or private internal services unless the user explicitly asks and understands the risk.
- Treat the public URL as temporary. Do not use it as a permanent production endpoint.
- If hostc reports a protocol mismatch, ask the user to run
npx hostc@latest <port> or upgrade their installed CLI.
- If the local service is unavailable, fix the local server first; hostc cannot proxy a port that is not serving traffic.
