Quackshell
Alpha guide
Localhost sharing
How to share a localhost app without deploying.
If your app is running at localhost:3000, it is only reachable from the machine that started it. Sending that URL to someone else sends them back to their own computer, not yours.
A temporary browser link solves that handoff. The local server keeps running where it already is, while a relay gives the reviewer a normal HTTPS URL.
When this works well
- You want to show a local web app before deploying it.
- You need a quick client, teammate, or personal device preview.
- A coding agent created a local app and you want to inspect it in a browser.
- You are reviewing a static report, generated page, or throwaway prototype.
When it is the wrong tool
Quackshell is not intended for long-running, public-facing endpoints. It is a preview channel, not hosting. If the URL needs to be indexed, bookmarked, monitored, load balanced, or treated as production infrastructure, deploy the app instead.
How Quackshell fits
Quackshell runs beside the local server and creates a signed, random URL for the active session. The project does not need Quackshell routing, an SDK, or deployment-specific code. If the app works locally, the relay can make that local output inspectable.
Basic workflow
- Start the local app normally, such as
npm run devor a Python server. - Confirm the local URL works on the same machine.
- Start Quackshell against that port.
- Open the temporary HTTPS URL in a browser.
- Stop Quackshell when the review is done.
Security note
Quackshell access comes from the signed, random URL. Treat the link like a private preview link: it is secure if you do not share it with people who should not have access.