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Set up and use portless for named local dev server URLs (e.g. https://myapp.localhost instead of http://localhost:3000). Use when integrating portless into a project, configuring dev server names, setting up the local proxy, working with .localhost domains, or troubleshooting port/proxy issues.
| name | portless |
| description | Set up and use portless for named local dev server URLs (e.g. https://myapp.localhost instead of http://localhost:3000). Use when integrating portless into a project, configuring dev server names, setting up the local proxy, working with .localhost domains, or troubleshooting port/proxy issues. |
Replace port numbers with stable, named .localhost URLs. For humans and agents.
EADDRINUSE when two projects default to the same portlocalhost bleed across apps; localStorage lost when ports shift.env files break when ports changelocalhost:3000 history is a mix of unrelated projectsInstall globally (recommended) or as a project dev dependency. Do NOT use npx or pnpm dlx for one-off execution.
# Global (available everywhere)
npm install -g portless
# Or per-project dev dependency
npm install -D portless
When installed per-project, invoke via package.json scripts or npx portless (since the package is local, npx will not download anything).
# Install globally (or add -D to a project)
npm install -g portless
# Run your app (auto-starts the HTTPS proxy on port 443)
portless run next dev
# -> https://<project>.localhost
# Or with an explicit name
portless myapp next dev
# -> https://myapp.localhost
The proxy auto-starts when you run an app. You can also start it explicitly with portless proxy start. Auto-start reuses the configuration (port, TLS, TLD) from the most recent proxy run, so a restart or reboot does not silently revert to defaults. Explicit env vars always take priority.
In non-interactive environments (no TTY, or CI=1), portless exits with a descriptive error instead of prompting. Task runners like turborepo should pre-start the proxy.
Bare portless works out of the box. It runs the "dev" script from package.json through the proxy, inferring the app name from the package name, git root, or directory:
portless # -> runs "dev" script, https://<project>.localhost
pnpm dev # -> works without portless, plain "next dev"
Use an optional portless.json to override defaults (name, script, port):
{ "name": "myapp" }
portless # -> runs "dev" script, https://myapp.localhost
One portless.json at the repo root. Portless discovers packages from pnpm-workspace.yaml, or the "workspaces" field in package.json (npm, yarn, bun):
{
"apps": {
"apps/web": { "name": "myapp" },
"apps/api": { "name": "api.myapp" }
}
}
portless # from repo root: start all packages with a "dev" script
cd apps/web && portless # start just one package
portless --script start # run "start" instead of "dev"
The apps map is optional and only provides name overrides. Unlisted packages auto-discover with inferred names.
Without an apps map, hostnames follow <package>.<project>.localhost. The project name comes from the most common npm scope (e.g. @myorg/web and @myorg/api produce myorg), falling back to the workspace root directory name. If a package's short name matches the project name, it uses the bare <project>.localhost.
For turborepo projects, use portless as the dev script with the real command in a separate script:
{
"scripts": { "dev": "portless", "dev:app": "next dev" },
"portless": { "name": "myapp", "script": "dev:app" }
}
pnpm dev runs turbo, which runs portless in each package. Portless detects the package manager and runs pnpm run dev:app through the proxy.
You can still use portless directly in scripts:
{
"scripts": {
"dev": "portless run next dev"
}
}
The proxy auto-starts when you run an app. Or start it explicitly: portless proxy start.
portless myapp next dev # https://myapp.localhost
portless api.myapp pnpm start # https://api.myapp.localhost
portless docs.myapp next dev # https://docs.myapp.localhost
By default, only explicitly registered subdomains are routed (strict mode). Start the proxy with --wildcard to allow any subdomain of a registered route to fall back to that app (e.g. tenant1.myapp.localhost routes to the myapp app). Exact matches always take priority over wildcards.
portless run automatically detects git worktrees. In a linked worktree, the branch name is prepended as a subdomain prefix so each worktree gets a unique URL:
# Main worktree (no prefix)
portless run next dev # -> https://myapp.localhost
# Linked worktree on branch "fix-ui"
portless run next dev # -> https://fix-ui.myapp.localhost
No config changes needed. Put portless run in package.json once and it works in all worktrees.
Set PORTLESS=0 to run the command directly without the proxy:
PORTLESS=0 pnpm dev # Bypasses proxy, uses default port
portless proxy start starts an HTTPS reverse proxy on port 443 as a background daemon. Auto-elevates with sudo on macOS/Linux; falls back to port 1355 if sudo is unavailable. Use --no-tls for plain HTTP on port 80. Configurable with -p / --port or the PORTLESS_PORT env var. The proxy also auto-starts when you run an app.portless <name> <cmd> assigns a random free port (4000-4999) via the PORT env var and registers the app with the proxyhttps://<name>.localhost; the proxy forwards to the app's assigned port.localhost domains resolve to 127.0.0.1 natively in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Safari relies on the system DNS resolver, which may not handle .localhost subdomains on all configurations. Run portless hosts sync to add entries to /etc/hosts if needed.
Most frameworks (Next.js, Express, Nuxt, etc.) respect the PORT env var automatically. For frameworks that ignore PORT (Vite, VitePlus, Astro, React Router, Angular, Expo, React Native), portless auto-injects the correct --port flag and, when needed, a matching --host CLI flag.
Portless stores its state (routes, PID file, port file) in ~/.portless. Override with the PORTLESS_STATE_DIR environment variable.
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
PORTLESS_PORT | Override the default proxy port (default: 443 with HTTPS, 80 without) |
PORTLESS_APP_PORT | Use a fixed port for the app (skip auto-assignment) |
PORTLESS_HTTPS | HTTPS on by default; set to 0 to disable (same as --no-tls) |
PORTLESS_LAN | Set to 1 to always enable LAN mode (auto-detects LAN IP) |
PORTLESS_LAN_IP | Pin a specific LAN IP for LAN mode |
PORTLESS_TLD | Use a custom TLD instead of localhost (e.g. test) |
PORTLESS_WILDCARD | Set to 1 to allow unregistered subdomains to fall back to parent |
PORTLESS_SYNC_HOSTS | Set to 0 to disable auto-sync of /etc/hosts (on by default) |
PORTLESS_TAILSCALE | Set to 1 to share apps on your Tailscale network (same as --tailscale) |
PORTLESS_FUNNEL | Set to 1 to share apps publicly via Tailscale Funnel (same as --funnel) |
PORTLESS_NGROK | Set to 1 to share apps publicly via ngrok (same as --ngrok) |
PORTLESS_STATE_DIR | Override the state directory |
PORTLESS=0 | Bypass the proxy, run the command directly |
HTTPS with HTTP/2 is enabled by default (faster page loads for dev servers with many files). First run generates a local CA and adds it to the system trust store. After that, no prompts and no browser warnings.
portless proxy start --cert ./c.pem --key ./k.pem # Use custom certs
portless proxy start --no-tls # Disable HTTPS (plain HTTP)
portless trust # Add CA to trust store later
On Linux, portless trust supports Debian/Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora/RHEL/CentOS, and openSUSE (via update-ca-certificates or update-ca-trust). On Windows, it uses certutil to add the CA to the system trust store.
portless proxy start --lan
portless proxy start --lan --https
portless proxy start --lan --ip 192.168.1.42
--lan advertises <name>.local hostnames over mDNS so any device on the same Wi-Fi can reach your apps. Portless auto-detects your LAN IP and follows network changes automatically, but you can pin a specific address with --ip <address> or the PORTLESS_LAN_IP environment variable. Set PORTLESS_LAN=1 to default to LAN mode every time the proxy starts.
Portless remembers LAN mode via proxy.lan, so if you stop a LAN proxy and start again, it stays in LAN mode. All proxy settings (port, TLS, TLD, LAN) are persisted and reused on auto-start unless overridden by explicit flags or env vars. Use PORTLESS_LAN=0 for one start to switch back to .localhost mode. If a proxy is already running with different explicit LAN/TLS/TLD settings, portless warns and asks you to stop it first.
LAN mode depends on the system mDNS helpers that portless launches: macOS includes dns-sd, while Linux uses avahi-publish-address from avahi-utils (install via sudo apt install avahi-utils or your distro’s tooling).
Next.js: add your .local hostnames to allowedDevOrigins:
// next.config.js
module.exports = {
allowedDevOrigins: ["myapp.local", "*.myapp.local"],
};
Expo / React Native: portless always injects --port. React Native also gets --host 127.0.0.1. Expo gets --host localhost outside LAN mode, but in LAN mode portless leaves Metro on its default LAN host behavior instead of forcing --host or HOST.
Share dev servers with teammates on your Tailscale network using --tailscale, or expose to the public internet with --funnel:
portless myapp --tailscale next dev
# -> https://myapp.localhost (local)
# -> https://devbox.yourteam.ts.net (tailnet)
portless myapp --funnel next dev
# -> https://myapp.localhost (local)
# -> https://devbox.yourteam.ts.net (public internet)
Tailscale HTTPS certificates must be enabled before --tailscale or --funnel can register HTTPS URLs. Funnel must also be enabled for the tailnet and node before --funnel can register the public URL. If either setting is missing, portless exits before starting the child process.
Each --tailscale app is root-mounted on its own Tailscale HTTPS port (443, then 8443, 8444, etc.) so no framework basePath configuration is needed. Set PORTLESS_TAILSCALE=1 to share every app by default. portless list shows both local and tailnet URLs. Tailscale serve registrations are cleaned up when the app exits. Requires tailscale CLI installed and connected, with Tailscale HTTPS certificates enabled.
Expose a dev server to the public internet with ngrok using --ngrok:
portless myapp --ngrok next dev
# -> https://myapp.localhost (local)
# -> https://abc123.ngrok.app (public internet)
Set PORTLESS_NGROK=1 to enable ngrok by default when portless runs an app. portless list shows both local and ngrok URLs. The ngrok tunnel is cleaned up when the app exits. Requires the ngrok CLI to be installed and authenticated with ngrok config add-authtoken <token>.
Use the service command when users want the proxy to start automatically after reboot:
portless service install
portless service install --lan
portless service install --wildcard
PORTLESS_STATE_DIR=~/.portless-lan PORTLESS_LAN=1 portless service install
portless service status
portless service uninstall
The service uses portless defaults unless install options or PORTLESS_* environment variables are provided: HTTPS on port 443 with .localhost names. service install accepts proxy options including --port, --no-tls, --lan, --ip, --tld, --wildcard, --cert, and --key. Use --state-dir <path> or PORTLESS_STATE_DIR=<path> to choose where service state and logs are written.
The chosen service configuration is written into launchd, systemd, or Task Scheduler and reused after reboot. portless service status reports the installed port, HTTPS mode, TLD, LAN mode, wildcard mode, and state directory. macOS and Linux install a root-owned service so port 443 can bind at boot. Windows installs a Task Scheduler startup task that runs as SYSTEM. Installation and removal may require administrator privileges. portless clean automatically removes the service.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
portless | Run dev script through proxy |
portless | From monorepo root: run all workspace packages |
portless --script <name> | Run a specific package.json script (default: dev) |
portless run [cmd] [args...] | Infer name from project, run through proxy (auto-starts) |
portless run --name <name> <cmd> | Override inferred base name (worktree prefix still applies) |
portless <name> <cmd> [args...] | Run app at https://<name>.localhost (auto-starts proxy) |
portless get <name> | Print URL for a service (for cross-service wiring) |
portless get <name> --no-worktree | Print URL without worktree prefix |
portless list | Show active routes |
portless trust | Add local CA to system trust store (for HTTPS) |
portless clean | Remove state, CA trust entry, and /etc/hosts block |
portless prune | Kill orphaned dev servers from crashed sessions |
portless prune --force | Kill orphans with SIGKILL instead of SIGTERM |
portless proxy start | Start HTTPS proxy as a daemon (port 443, auto-elevates) |
portless proxy start --no-tls | Start without HTTPS (plain HTTP on port 80) |
portless proxy start --lan | Start in LAN mode (mDNS .local, auto-follows LAN IP changes) |
portless proxy start -p <number> | Start the proxy on a custom port |
portless proxy start --tld test | Use .test instead of .localhost |
portless proxy start --foreground | Start the proxy in foreground (for debugging) |
portless proxy start --wildcard | Allow unregistered subdomains to fall back to parent route |
portless proxy stop | Stop the proxy |
portless service install | Start the HTTPS proxy when the OS starts |
portless service install --lan | Start the service in LAN mode |
portless service install --wildcard | Persist wildcard routing in the startup service |
portless service status | Show service and proxy status |
portless service uninstall | Remove the startup service |
portless alias <name> <port> | Register a static route (e.g. for Docker containers) |
portless alias <name> <port> --force | Overwrite an existing route |
portless alias --remove <name> | Remove a static route |
portless hosts sync | Add routes to /etc/hosts (fixes Safari) |
portless hosts clean | Remove portless entries from /etc/hosts |
portless <name> --app-port <n> <cmd> | Use a fixed port for the app instead of auto-assignment |
portless <name> --tailscale <cmd> | Share the app on your Tailscale network (tailnet) |
portless <name> --funnel <cmd> | Share the app publicly via Tailscale Funnel |
portless <name> --ngrok <cmd> | Share the app publicly via ngrok |
portless <name> --force <cmd> | Kill the existing process and take over its route |
portless --name <name> <cmd> | Force <name> as app name (bypasses subcommand dispatch) |
portless <name> -- <cmd> [args...] | Stop flag parsing; everything after -- is passed to child |
portless --help / -h | Show help |
portless run --help | Show help for a subcommand (also: alias, hosts, clean) |
portless --version / -v | Show version |
Reserved names: run, get, alias, hosts, list, trust, clean, prune, proxy, and service are subcommands and cannot be used as app names directly. Use portless run <cmd> to infer the name, or portless --name <name> <cmd> to force any name including reserved ones.
Optional config file. Portless looks for it in the current directory.
| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
name | string | inferred from package.json | Base app name (worktree prefix still applies) |
script | string | "dev" | Name of a package.json script to run |
appPort | number | auto-assigned | Fixed port for the child process |
proxy | boolean | auto-detected | Whether to route through the proxy (false for tasks) |
apps | object | Overrides for workspace packages, keyed by relative path | |
turbo | boolean | true | Set false to use direct spawning instead of turborepo |
Each apps entry has the same shape (name, script, appPort, proxy). When apps is present, top-level fields apply only in single-app mode.
Instead of a separate portless.json, you can add a "portless" key to your package.json. A string value is shorthand for setting the name:
{ "portless": "myapp" }
An object supports all per-app fields (name, script, appPort, proxy):
{ "portless": { "name": "myapp", "script": "dev:app" } }
Precedence (closest wins): CLI flags > package.json "portless" key > portless.json app entry > defaults.
The proxy auto-starts when you run an app with portless <name> <cmd>. If it doesn't start (e.g. port conflict), start it manually:
portless proxy start
Another process is bound to the proxy port. Either stop it first, or use a different port:
portless proxy start -p 8080
Portless auto-injects the right --port flag and, when needed, a matching --host flag for frameworks that ignore the PORT env var: Vite, VitePlus (vp), Astro, React Router, Angular, Expo, and React Native. SvelteKit uses Vite internally and is handled automatically.
For other frameworks that don't read PORT, pass the port manually:
--port $PORTprocess.env.PORT and listen on itThe default ports (80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS) require sudo on macOS and Linux. Portless auto-elevates with sudo when needed. If sudo is unavailable, it falls back to port 1355 (no sudo needed). On Windows, no elevation is required.
portless proxy start --https # Auto-elevates with sudo for port 443
portless proxy start -p 1355 --https # No sudo needed (URLs include :1355)
portless proxy stop # Stop (use sudo if started with sudo)
Safari relies on the system DNS resolver for .localhost subdomains, which may not resolve them on all macOS configurations. Chrome, Firefox, and Edge have built-in handling.
Fix:
portless hosts sync # Adds current routes to /etc/hosts
portless hosts clean # Remove entries later
Auto-syncs /etc/hosts for route hostnames by default. Set PORTLESS_SYNC_HOSTS=0 to disable.
The local CA may not be trusted yet. Run:
portless trust
This adds the portless local CA to your system trust store. After that, restart the browser.
portless clean
Stops the proxy if needed, removes the portless CA from the trust store (when portless added it), deletes known files under state directories, and removes the portless /etc/hosts block. May require sudo on macOS/Linux.
If your dev server proxies requests to another portless app (e.g. Vite proxying /api to api.myapp.localhost), the proxy must rewrite the Host header. Without this, portless routes the request back to the original app, creating an infinite loop.
Fix: set changeOrigin: true in the proxy config (Vite, webpack-dev-server, etc.):
// vite.config.ts
proxy: {
"/api": {
target: "https://api.myapp.localhost",
changeOrigin: true,
ws: true,
},
}
Portless automatically sets NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS in child processes so Node.js trusts the portless CA. If you run a separate Node.js process outside portless, point it at the CA manually: NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS=~/.portless/ca.pem. Alternatively, use --no-tls for plain HTTP.
If --tailscale or --funnel fails:
tailscale status # Check if connected
tailscale up # Connect to your tailnet
Requires the Tailscale CLI to be installed (https://tailscale.com/download) and on PATH.
If --ngrok fails:
ngrok version # Check if installed
ngrok config add-authtoken <token> # Configure authentication
Requires the ngrok CLI to be installed (https://ngrok.com/download) and on PATH.
openssl (for --https cert generation; ships with macOS and most Linux distributions; on Windows, install via winget install -e --id ShiningLight.OpenSSL.Dev or use the copy bundled with Git for Windows)tailscale CLI (optional, for --tailscale and --funnel)ngrok CLI (optional, for --ngrok)