As developers, it’s common to need to share our in-progress work with colleagues or clients who don’t have direct access to our local development environment. Luckily, this is where NGROK shines.

NGROK is a powerful tool that creates a secure tunnel from the public internet to your local machine, thereby facilitating real-time updates and troubleshooting. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to leverage this nifty tool effectively.

Step 1: Download and Install NGROK

First, head to the NGROK website and download the version compatible with your operating system. Once downloaded, extract the NGROK executable file to your preferred directory.

Step 2: Register and Authenticate NGROK

Before you can use NGROK, you need to create a free account on the NGROK website. After registration, you’ll be given an auth token. This token authenticates your NGROK instance. Run the following command in your terminal:

./ngrok authtoken YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN

Step 3: Expose Your Local Server

Let’s say your application is running locally on port 8080. To expose this server to the internet, run the following command in your terminal:

./ngrok http 8080

NGROK will quickly provide you with a unique URL that maps directly to your local server.

Step 4: Share and Inspect Your Work

The magic of NGROK lies in its simplicity. You can now share this URL with anyone, giving them access to your application as if it were hosted on a public server. Plus, NGROK provides an elegant interface at http://localhost:4040 where you can inspect all HTTP traffic for your tunnels.

In conclusion, NGROK offers an incredibly straightforward and effective solution to bridge the gap between local development and public accessibility. This elevates your overall development process, making it more streamlined and interactive.

That's it for this post, thanks for reading!