Switch from localtunnel to qURL

Checked against the qURL™ CLI 3.4.1 source and documentation on October 14, 2026. Link and session behaviour is tested separately.

Content updated October 18, 2026. The verification date above records the original review; later behaviour checks are dated in the guide.

What is the qURL command for npx localtunnel --port 3000?

Replace npx localtunnel --port 3000 or lt --port 3000 with qurl publish http://127.0.0.1:3000, then run qurl share <CRID> for each person. Like localtunnel, qURL needs no account, but the app gets no public loca.lt URL and recipients meet no tunnel password page. Keep localtunnel when a webhook sender needs a public URL.

What you need

• An HTTP app running on this machine that you shared with localtunnel, for example on port 3000
• The qURL CLI 3.4.1 or later
• No account, API key, or sign-in

Steps

1. Map your localtunnel commands

   localtunnel forwards anyone who requests a random loca.lt subdomain to your app while the client stays connected; --subdomain asks for a name but does not guarantee it. qurl publish takes the app’s full local address and gives it no public URL, and qurl share makes a link for one recipient. There is no subdomain to choose: the link is the way in.

   # localtunnel                     # qURL
   npx localtunnel --port 3000       # qurl publish http://127.0.0.1:3000
   lt --port 3000                    # qurl publish http://127.0.0.1:3000
                                     # qurl share <CRID>   (one link per person)
   lt --port 3000 --subdomain myapp  # no counterpart: no public name
   stop the lt client                # qurl stop <CRID>, or qurl delete <CRID>

2. Install the qURL CLI

   On macOS, install it with Homebrew. On Linux and Windows, download the package for your platform from the latest release; the CLI page lists each one. Nothing asks you to sign up.

   brew install layervai/tap/qurl
   qurl --version

3. Publish the app

   The first publish creates this device’s identity, starts a background service that keeps serving after you close the terminal (while you stay logged in), and prints the app’s CRID, its stable ID. The Access row says who can open the app: a plain publish makes it private from qurl 3.4.1 on. qurl share turns the CRID into an access link, and the link is what you send.

   qurl publish http://127.0.0.1:3000

   Published
   
     Target:  http://127.0.0.1:3000
     Access:  private — only you and the people you allow can open it
     Status:  serving
   
   CRID: ae4jqpd7eaoslq7jinmjv4yikgzmcxgpjfsuobiniqnko32lpw743ivbeyha

4. Create a link for each person

   qurl share prints an access link (https://qurl.link/#…). On a terminal, the lines below it say who published the resource and when the link expires, for example “Expires in 1d (single use)”. Today LayerV has verified only its own account, so for every other publisher the Publisher line says UNVERIFIED. With no flags the link can be opened once and expires within 24 hours. If the expiry line does not say “single use”, don’t send the link. Add --ttl 1h for a shorter window.

   qurl share <CRID>

5. Allow qurl.site in your dev server

   Requests through a qURL link arrive with a qurl.site host. If you added .loca.lt to Vite’s server.allowedHosts or *.loca.lt to Next.js allowedDevOrigins for the tunnel, add .qurl.site and *.qurl.site beside it and restart the dev server. Leave off --host: qURL reaches the dev server on localhost.

   // vite.config.js (merge into your existing config)
   export default {
     server: { allowedHosts: ['.qurl.site'] },
   }
   // next.config.js
   module.exports = {
     allowedDevOrigins: ['*.qurl.site'],
   }

6. Send the link to one person

   Send it in a direct message, not a public channel: whoever opens it first uses it. Avoid email and apps that preview links, because a scanner that runs the page could use its one opening. Don’t open it yourself to check it, for the same reason. Run qurl share again whenever you need a fresh link.

What the recipient sees

The recipient clicks the link and lands on your app at an address like https://r_….qurl.site/. There is no reminder page asking for a tunnel password, and no sign-up or install. Their session lasts 1 hour by default, and your app’s own login still applies if it has one.

Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions