> Create your first Localport tunnel and get a public URL in under 60 seconds. Step-by-step with HTTP and TCP examples.

# Quick Start

This guide gets you from zero to a working tunnel in about 60 seconds. By the end, you'll have a public URL pointing to something running on your machine.

## Prerequisites

1. [Install Localport](/docs/installation) (takes ~30 seconds)
2. Have something running locally — a web app, API, file server, anything on a port
3. A tunnel token from the [Localport dashboard](https://dashboard.localport.io)

Don't have a local server handy? Start a quick one:

```bash
# Python (built-in on most systems)
python3 -m http.server 3000

# Node.js
npx serve -p 3000
```

## Start your first tunnel

```bash
localport http 3000 --token YOUR_TOKEN
```

`http` is the protocol your service speaks, `3000` is the port it's listening on. Use `tcp` for game servers, databases, SSH, and any non-HTTP service. Full reference in the [CLI docs](/docs/cli).

## Open the URL

Localport prints the public URL once the tunnel connects — copy it from the status panel into your browser, send it to a teammate, or paste it into a webhook setting. Your local app is now reachable over a valid HTTPS connection from any device, anywhere.

## Stop the tunnel

Press `Ctrl+C` in the terminal. The public URL stops working immediately. There's no cleanup, no lingering processes.

## Common flags

| Flag | Short | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| `--token` | `-t` | Tunnel authentication token | `--token tok_abc` |
| `--local` | `-l` | Local address (optional scheme prefix) | `--local tcp://192.168.1.50:5432` |
| `--proto` | — | Protocol: `http`, `tcp`, or `tls` | `--proto tcp` |
| `--region` | `-r` | Edge region: `eu`, `us`, `ap` | `--region eu` |
| `--name` | — | Client name (for mesh tunnels) | `--name my-laptop` |

> [!INFO] HTTP tunnels give you both HTTP and HTTPS
> When you create an HTTP tunnel, Localport automatically provides both `http://` and `https://` URLs. The HTTPS URL has a valid TLS certificate — no browser warnings.

## What to read next

Pick the guide that matches what you're building:

- [HTTP Tunnels](/docs/http-tunnels) — Share a web app, test webhooks, demo to clients
- [TCP Tunnels](/docs/tcp-tunnels) — Expose databases, game servers, SSH
- [Mesh Tunnels](/docs/mesh-tunnels) — Connect a fleet of devices, each with its own URL
- [Shared Tunnels](/docs/shared-tunnels) — Broadcast webhooks to your whole team
- [CLI](/docs/cli) — Every flag, option, and exit code
- [Configuration](/docs/configuration) — Multi-tunnel YAML config reference