portless

---
name: portless
description: Named HTTPS .localhost URLs with portless (v0.15.x). Eliminates port collisions, gives agents stable URLs, adds branch-named subdomains for git worktrees, LAN mode (--lan), and Tailscale sharing. Use when setting up a local dev environment or testing from phones and tablets on the same wifi. Do NOT use for production deployments, CI environments (set PORTLESS=0), or DNS/hosting configuration.
license: MIT
---

# Portless Integration

Named `.localhost` URLs for local development. Replaces `localhost:3000` with `https://myapp.localhost`.

> **Full CLI reference**: Load `Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/portless/references/upstream.md")` for complete command docs.

## New in 2026-04 → 2026-07 (portless 0.10.x → 0.15.0)

- **`portless doctor` (0.15.0)** — read-only diagnostics that check Node.js, the state directory, proxy liveness, route entries, hostname resolution, HTTPS CA trust, and LAN prerequisites, then print suggested fixes. Run it before filing an issue or when a `.localhost` URL won't resolve.
- **HTTP/2 Host forwarding fix (0.15.0)** — the proxy now forwards the HTTP/2 `:authority` as `Host` to HTTP/1.1 backends, fixing apps that read `Host` and previously saw `127.0.0.1` for browser traffic. `--force` takeover cleanup now removes only routes still owned by the exiting process, so a forced takeover no longer deregisters the new owner's route.
- **`--ngrok` flag (0.14.0)** — share an app publicly via ngrok while local access keeps its `.localhost` URL. Pair with the existing Tailscale/Funnel options when you need a public URL without giving up the named-subdomain dev experience.
- **Node.js 24+ required (0.13.1, BREAKING)** — the proxy and CLI now require Node.js 24 or newer; older runtimes are unsupported. This release also hardens startup-service persistence so `.localhost` URLs survive reboot reliably.
- **State directory moved to `~/.portless` (0.11, BREAKING)** — state relocated from scattered/temp locations to `~/.portless`; override with `PORTLESS_STATE_DIR`. Old state from pre-0.11 installs is not migrated automatically.
- **OS startup service (0.13.0)** — `portless service install` / `service status` / `service uninstall` register a native startup service for the HTTPS proxy across macOS launchd, Linux systemd, and Windows Task Scheduler. `.localhost` URLs survive reboot without a manual `portless proxy start`. `portless clean` removes the service alongside CA + hosts cleanup.
- **Tailscale readiness preflight (0.13.0)** — `--tailscale` and `--funnel` now validate Tailscale HTTPS + Funnel prerequisites before starting the child process, surfacing actionable errors instead of hanging during registration.
- **Tailscale integration (0.12.0)** — `--tailscale` shares your app over your tailnet with automatic HTTPS on port 443; `--funnel` exposes it publicly via Tailscale Funnel. Apps receive `PORTLESS_TAILSCALE_URL` so they can reference their own public address. `portless list` now shows tailnet URLs.
- **Zero-config mode (0.11.0)** — bare `portless` auto-discovers dev scripts from `package.json`. Multi-app monorepos get automatic subdomain assignment; Turborepo task-graph integration is wired in. `portless.json` config file supported. `--script` overrides the default "dev" script.
- **`portless prune`** — removes orphaned dev servers and stale Tailscale registrations.
- **`portless clean` (extended)** — now also tears down Tailscale registrations alongside CA + hosts cleanup.
- **Rsbuild + VitePlus auto-port injection** — same auto-wiring as Vite/Next.
- **State directory** moved to `~/.portless` (was scattered).
- **HTTPS on 443 by default** (breaking from 0.9.x http:1355). Valid cert, no setup. `--no-tls` reverts.
- **`NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS` auto-injected (0.10.2)** into child processes — node HTTPS calls trust portless CA with zero setup.
- **`--wildcard` subdomains** — `https://*.myapp.localhost` for multi-tenant / preview routing.
- **`portless alias <name> <port>`** — map a docker-compose / emulate port to a named URL without a long-running `run` process.
- **`portless clean`** — full teardown: stops proxy, removes CA, wipes state, cleans `/etc/hosts`.
- **`--lan` mode** — mDNS `.local` hostnames reachable across wifi (phone, tablet, other machines) without router config.
- **Fixed app ports** — `--app-port 3000` / `PORTLESS_APP_PORT` for tools that need a known port (debuggers, docker).
- **hosts-sync on by default** for Safari compat (disable with `PORTLESS_SYNC_HOSTS=0`).
- **HTTP/2 HMR fixes** for Vite/VitePlus/Next.js dev — websocket upgrades no longer break under h2.
- **Expo / React Native** support — `portless run expo start` gives Metro a stable URL for device QR codes.

## When to Use

- Starting a dev server that agents or browser tests will target
- Running multiple services locally (API + frontend + docs)
- Working in git worktrees (branch-named subdomains)
- Local OAuth flows (stable callback URLs)
- Connecting emulate API mocks to named URLs

## Quick Start

```bash
# Instead of: npm run dev (random port)
portless run npm run dev
# → https://myapp.localhost (stable, named, HTTPS on 443 — default in 0.10+)

# Multi-service
portless run --name api npm run dev:api
portless run --name web npm run dev:web
# → https://api.localhost, https://web.localhost

# LAN mode (0.10.0) — reachable from phone/tablet via mDNS
portless proxy start --lan
portless run npm run dev
# → https://myapp.local (resolves across the local network, no router config)

# Full teardown (0.10.1) — stops proxy, removes CA, wipes state, cleans /etc/hosts
portless clean

# Boot persistence (0.13.0) — install native startup service (launchd / systemd / Task Scheduler)
portless service install
portless service status
# Removed automatically by `portless clean`, or explicitly:
portless service uninstall
```

> **0.10.x breaking change:** default switched from `https://app.localhost` to `https://app.localhost` on port 443. Use `--no-tls` to revert. `NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS` is injected into child processes automatically (0.10.2) — no manual cert setup. `/etc/hosts` is synced automatically for Safari; disable with `PORTLESS_SYNC_HOSTS=0`.

## Framework-Specific Setup

> Load `Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/portless/references/framework-integration.md")` for full framework recipes.

Most frameworks (Next.js, Vite, Express) work with `portless run <cmd>`. Some need explicit flags:

| Framework | Auto-detected? | Extra flags needed |
|-----------|:-:|---|
| Next.js | Yes | None |
| Vite / Astro | Yes | None |
| Express / Fastify / Hono | Yes | None (reads `PORT` env var) |
| Ruby on Rails | Yes | None |
| FastAPI / uvicorn | **No** | `--port $PORT --host $HOST` |
| Django | **No** | `$HOST:$PORT` positional arg |

## Why `.localhost`?

| Feature | `.localhost` (RFC 6761) | `127.0.0.1:PORT` | `/etc/hosts` hack |
|---------|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| No `/etc/hosts` editing | Yes | Yes | No |
| HTTPS with valid cert | Yes | No | Manual |
| Wildcard subdomains | Yes | No | No |
| Works in all browsers | Yes | Yes | Varies |
| Cookie isolation per service | Yes | No | Yes |
| No port conflicts | Yes | No | Yes |

## Key Environment Variables

When portless runs your command, it injects:

| Variable | Value | Use in agents |
|----------|-------|---------------|
| `PORT` | Assigned ephemeral port (4000-4999) | Internal only |
| `HOST` | `127.0.0.1` | Internal only |
| `PORTLESS_URL` | `https://myapp.localhost` | **Use this in agent prompts** |
| `NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS` | Path to portless CA *(auto-injected 0.10.2)* | Child node processes trust portless certs without setup |

### Toggle env vars

| Variable | Effect |
|----------|--------|
| `PORTLESS=0` | Bypass portless entirely (CI) |
| `PORTLESS_SYNC_HOSTS=0` | Disable auto `/etc/hosts` sync (default: on in 0.10.1+) |
| `PORTLESS_STATE_DIR` | Override state dir (default: `~/.portless` or `/tmp/portless` for privileged ports) |

## OrchestKit Integration Patterns

### 1. Agent-Accessible Dev Server

```bash
# Start with portless, then agents can target PORTLESS_URL
portless run npm run dev

# In ork:expect or agent-browser:
agent-browser open $PORTLESS_URL
```

### 2. Emulate + Portless (Named API Mocks)

```bash
# Register emulate ports as named aliases
portless alias github-api 4001
portless alias vercel-api 4000
portless alias google-api 4002

# Now agents can target:
#   https://github-api.localhost — GitHub emulator
#   https://vercel-api.localhost — Vercel emulator
```

### 3. Git Worktree Dev

```bash
# In worktree for feature/auth-flow:
portless run npm run dev
# → https://auth-flow.myapp.localhost (auto branch prefix)
```

### 4. Bypass in CI

```bash
# Disable portless in CI — direct port access
PORTLESS=0 npm run dev
```

## Anti-Patterns

| Don't | Do Instead |
|-------|------------|
| Hardcode `localhost:3000` in tests | Use `PORTLESS_URL` or `process.env.PORTLESS_URL` |
| Run portless in CI | Set `PORTLESS=0` in CI environments |
| Use numeric ports in AGENTS.md | Document the portless URL |

## References

| File | Content |
|------|---------|
| `references/upstream.md` | Full portless CLI reference (synced from Vercel) |
| `references/upstream-oauth.md` | OAuth callback patterns with stable URLs |
| `references/framework-integration.md` | Framework recipes (FastAPI, Django, Docker, gotchas) |
| `checklists/new-project-setup.md` | Step-by-step: add portless to a new project |