LOCALHOST TO LIVE
How to get an app from localhost onto the internet
Move a working local app to a public URL with a production runtime, health checks, TLS, and routing handled by Ample.
DIRECT ANSWER
The short version
Localhost is only reachable on your computer. To put the app on the internet, deploy its source to a production runtime that listens on the assigned PORT and expose it through a public route. Ample packages the project, selects a compatible runtime, checks the release, and returns an HTTPS URL.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Before you start
This guide is for anyone whose app works at localhost but is not yet reachable by teammates, customers, or testers.
STEP BY STEP
How to do it
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1
Identify what is listening locally
Determine whether the project is a static site, a web server, an API, or several linked services. Ample can detect common structures, but knowing the shape makes the plan easier to review.
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2
Make the server production-ready
A web process must listen on 0.0.0.0 and use the PORT value supplied by the platform. Do not hard-code localhost as the production host.
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3
Run the Ample plan
The plan chooses the runtime and records services, databases, volumes, links, and visibility.
ample plan --write -
4
Deploy and wait for the result
Ample builds the source, boots the release, runs health checks, and activates public routing only after the app is ready.
ample up -
5
Test the public path
Open the returned HTTPS URL and test the same path and workflow you used locally. Pay special attention to API URLs, environment variables, and persistent files.
FIT CHECK
What this supports
Good fit
- Generated HTTPS URLs for public web and static services
- Automatic runtime selection for supported languages
- Health-gated activation
- Custom domains after the first successful release
Know the limits
- Files written only to a release filesystem do not become durable storage
- A process bound only to 127.0.0.1 cannot receive platform traffic
- Local services and localhost URLs must be replaced with deployed links
TROUBLESHOOTING
Common failure modes
Health checks time out
Confirm the process binds to 0.0.0.0:$PORT and that the configured health path returns success.
The page loads but data does not
Replace localhost API or database addresses with Ample links or environment variables.
Uploaded data disappears after a release
Put runtime-written data on a volume or managed database instead of the release filesystem.