How to Run Local Web Apps with LPI and Secure Tunnels (Beginner-Friendly Guide)

If you’ve ever worked on a web app locally, you know the struggle: your project runs perfectly on http://localhost:3000, but no one else can access it. Deploying to staging just for feedback is overkill. Screenshots don’t cut it.

This is where secure tunnels come in. A tunnel maps your local machine to a public, shareable HTTPS URL — making it possible to demo, test webhooks, and collaborate remotely.

In this guide, we’ll show how to:

• Run your app locally with LPI Tools
• Expose it securely with popular tunneling providers like ngrok or Cloudflare Tunnel
• Share and secure the public link

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What Are Secure Tunnels?

A secure tunnel is an encrypted connection between your local server and the internet, accessed through a temporary URL. Developers use tunnels for:

• Client demos: Show work-in-progress apps instantly.
• Webhook testing: Stripe, GitHub, or Twilio events reach your machine directly.
• Mobile testing: Point your app to a local backend.
• Remote collaboration: Let teammates hit your localhost.

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Step 1: Install LPI Tools

On macOS/Linux:

curl -s https://lpi.tools/install.sh | bash

Or with Homebrew:

brew install lpi-tools

Check install:

lpi --version

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Step 2: Run Your Local App

Assume a React/Vite app:

npm run dev
# Running on http://localhost:3000

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Step 3: Open a Tunnel

Choose your provider:

With ngrok:

ngrok http 3000

With Cloudflare Tunnel:

cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:3000

LPI simplifies project startup, while tunnels handle exposure. Run your app with lpi dev and then start your preferred tunnel provider. You’ll get a public HTTPS URL like:

https://yourapp-123.ngrok.io

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Step 4: Secure Your Public URL

Most tunnel providers offer security options:

• Basic auth:

ngrok http 3000 --basic-auth="user:pass"

• Token-based auth (Cloudflare Access).
• Custom subdomain (paid tiers).

Pro tip: Always protect demos if you’re sharing outside trusted teammates.

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Step 5: Real-World Uses

• Share a prototype with clients on a call.
• Test webhook integrations without redeploys.
• Demo progress to your team asynchronously.

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Troubleshooting

• Port already in use? Kill the process or use a new port.
• Tunnel drops often? Try --region flags or switch providers.
• Invalid domain errors? Subdomain may already be taken; use a random one.

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Best Practices

• Use tunnels for short-term sharing, not as production hosting.
• Add auth for external demos.
• Combine LPI’s local project management with tunnels for seamless workflows.

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Conclusion

Tunnels make local apps shareable and testable. Pair them with LPI Tools to get a smooth developer workflow: run, expose, and collaborate — all in minutes.

Next up in this series: “From localhost to public URL in two commands: LPI + your favorite tunnel.”

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