> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ngrok.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Share Localhost Overview

> Use ngrok to instantly share your local development server with anyone on the internet for demos, testing, and collaboration.

ngrok makes it easy to [share your localhost](https://ngrok.com/use-cases/share-localhost) with anyone on the internet.
Whether you're demoing a feature to a teammate, testing webhooks from a third-party service, or debugging a mobile app against your local backend, ngrok gives you a secure public URL that forwards traffic directly to your local machine.
No deployment required.

## Why use ngrok to share localhost?

* **Instant public URLs:** Get a publicly accessible HTTPS URL for your local app in seconds with a single command.
* **No deployment needed:** Skip staging environments and cloud deploys. Share what's running on your machine right now.
* **Built-in security:** Every endpoint comes with TLS encryption out of the box. You can also add authentication, IP restrictions, and more with Traffic Policy.
* **Traffic inspection:** See every request and response in real time with ngrok's built-in Traffic Inspector, and replay requests to speed up debugging.

## Use cases

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Webhooks" icon="webhook" href="/guides/share-localhost/webhooks">
    Receive webhook callbacks from third-party services on your local machine
  </Card>

  <Card title="Mobile apps" icon="mobile" href="/guides/share-localhost/mobile">
    Test mobile apps against your local backend without deploying
  </Card>

  <Card title="API development" icon="code" href="/guides/share-localhost/apis">
    Share your local API with teammates or external consumers for testing
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The ngrok platform

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Secure tunnels" icon="lock" href="/guides/share-localhost/tunnels">
    Learn how ngrok creates encrypted tunnels to your localhost
  </Card>

  <Card title="Traffic inspection" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/guides/share-localhost/inspection">
    Inspect HTTP requests and responses in real time
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication" icon="shield-halved" href="/guides/share-localhost/auth">
    Add OAuth, basic auth, or other authentication to your endpoints
  </Card>

  <Card title="Network security" icon="network-wired" href="/guides/share-localhost/security">
    Control access with IP restrictions, mTLS, and more
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/guides/share-localhost/quickstart">
    Get your local app online in minutes with the ngrok Agent CLI
  </Card>

  <Card title="Global infrastructure" icon="globe" href="/gateway/points-of-presence">
    Learn about ngrok's global points of presence and edge network
  </Card>
</CardGroup>