Quickstart: from zero to the internet in 30 seconds

Install rl-tunnel with npm and expose your local port with a single command. Works on macOS, Linux and Windows.

1 min read

Exposing your local application takes two steps, plus a one-time login: the CLI opens your browser the first time (the account is free).

Step 1: global install

Available through npm for macOS, Linux and Windows. npm only delivers the right native binary for your system, so you don't need Node.js to *run* the CLI, just to install it this way.

terminal

npm install -g resolvelabs-tunnel

Prefer another package manager, or don't want to install anything?

terminal

# pnpmpnpm add -g resolvelabs-tunnel# yarnyarn global add resolvelabs-tunnel# no install (one-off)npx resolvelabs-tunnel http 3000

Check that the CLI is available:

terminal

rl-tunnel --version

Step 2: start the tunnel

Point the CLI at the port where your app is running (for example, port 3000 for React or Node.js).

terminal

rl-tunnel http 3000

Expected result

The CLI generates a secure URL instantly and then lists every request that goes through the tunnel:

output

Tunnel Status:    ● OnlineForwarding:       https://dev-xyz.t.resolvelabs.com.br -> http://localhost:3000HTTP Requests-------------GET   /                       200 OK     8msPOST  /api/webhooks/stripe    200 OK     42ms

Done. Anyone with that link can securely reach your local machine. Press Ctrl+C to close the tunnel.

Next steps

Create a free account to keep the same URL across restarts: Accounts and tokens.
Receive real webhooks locally: see use cases.
See what each request contained: Traffic inspector.