Hey there, web warriors! 👋 Ever found yourself working on a local web project and thought, “Man, I wish I could show this off to someone who’s not on my local network”? Maybe you’re building a kickass web app, tinkering with a cool API, or testing out some IoT devices. Well, you’re in luck. This blog post is all about helping you expose your local web server to the great wide world of the internet.

This guide is perfect for developers, students, or anyone who needs to share their local work temporarily without going through the hassle of deploying it on a public server. Trust me; it’s way easier than you think. Let’s dive in!

Why?

Now you might be thinking, “Why go through this? Can’t I just deploy my project on a public server?” Great question! You absolutely can, but exposing a local web server has its perks:

1. Quick and Dirty Testing: Want to share your prototype with a client or get quick feedback from a friend? No need to go through a full deployment process. Just expose your local server and you’re good to go.

2. API and Webhook Testing: If you’re working with third-party APIs or webhooks, having a public URL is often necessary to catch incoming data. Testing becomes a whole lot easier when you don’t have to deploy every single time.

3. Save Money: Public servers cost money. If you’re just testing or sharing something temporarily, why pay for an entire month’s service? Learning: If you’re a student or just diving into web development, this is a low-risk way to understand how servers and networking function in the wild, without worrying about ongoing server costs or complicated setups.

4. Iterate Fast: When your server is local, you don’t have to wait for code to deploy to see your changes. Show those updates in real-time as you code.

So there you have it. There are plenty of good reasons to take this route. Stay tuned as we dive into the how-to’s!