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docs/content/codespaces/developing-in-codespaces/forwarding-ports-in-your-codespace.md
Amy Burns 7d3aa6dfda Minor improvements to Codespaces docs (#22476)
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title, intro, product, versions, redirect_from, type, topics, shortTitle
title intro product versions redirect_from type topics shortTitle
Forwarding ports in your codespace {% data reusables.codespaces.about-port-forwarding %} {% data reusables.gated-features.codespaces %}
fpt ghec
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/github/developing-online-with-codespaces/forwarding-ports-in-your-codespace
how_to
Codespaces
Fundamentals
Developer
Forward ports

About forwarded ports

Port forwarding gives you access to TCP ports running within your codespace. For example, if you're running a web application on a particular port in your codespace, you can forward that port. This allows you to access the application from the browser on your local machine for testing and debugging.

When an application running inside a codespace prints output to the terminal that contains a localhost URL, such as http://localhost:PORT or http://127.0.0.1:PORT, the port is automatically forwarded. If you're using {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} in the browser or in {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}, the URL string in the terminal is converted into a link that you can click to view the web page on your local machine. By default, {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} forwards ports using HTTP.

Automatic port forwarding

You can also forward a port manually, label forwarded ports, share forwarded ports with members of your organization, share forwarded ports publicly, and add forwarded ports to the codespace configuration.

Forwarding a port

You can manually forward a port that wasn't forwarded automatically.

{% include tool-switcher %}

{% webui %}

{% data reusables.codespaces.navigate-to-ports-tab %}

  1. Under the list of ports, click Add port.

    Add port button

  2. Type the port number or address, then press enter.

    Text box to type port button

Using HTTPS forwarding

By default, {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} forwards ports using HTTP but you can update any port to use HTTPS, as needed.

{% data reusables.codespaces.navigate-to-ports-tab %}

  1. Right click the port you want to update, then hover over Change Port Protocol. Option to change port protocol
  2. Select the protocol needed for this port. The protocol that you select will be remembered for this port for the lifetime of the codespace.

{% endwebui %}

{% vscode %}

{% data reusables.codespaces.navigate-to-ports-tab %}

  1. Under the list of ports, click Add port.

    Add port button

  2. Type the port number or address, then press enter.

    Text box to type port button

{% endvscode %}

{% cli %}

{% data reusables.cli.cli-learn-more %}

To forward a port use the gh codespace ports forward subcommand. Replace codespace-port:local-port with the remote and local ports that you want to connect. After entering the command choose from the list of codespaces that's displayed.

gh codespace ports forward <em>codespace-port</em>:<em>local-port</em> 

For more information about this command, see the {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} manual.

To see details of forwarded ports enter gh codespace ports and then choose a codespace.

{% endcli %}

Sharing a port

{% note %}

Note: You can only make a port private to an organization if your organization uses {% data variables.product.prodname_team %} or {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_cloud %}. This feature is not currently available in the beta version of {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %}.

{% endnote %}

If you want to share a forwarded port with others, you can either make the port private to your organization or make the port public. After you make a port private to your organization, anyone in the organization with the port's URL can view the running application. After you make a port public, anyone who knows the URL and port number can view the running application without needing to authenticate.

{% include tool-switcher %}

{% webui %}

{% data reusables.codespaces.navigate-to-ports-tab %}

  1. Right click the port that you want to share, select the "Port Visibility" menu, then click Private to Organization or Public. Option to select port visibility in right-click menu
  2. To the right of the local address for the port, click the copy icon. Copy icon for port URL
  3. Send the copied URL to the person you want to share the port with.

{% endwebui %}

{% vscode %}

{% data reusables.codespaces.navigate-to-ports-tab %}

  1. Right click the port you want to share, then click Make Public. Option to make port public in right-click menu
  2. To the right of the local address for the port, click the copy icon. Copy icon for port URL
  3. Send the copied URL to the person you want to share the port with.

{% endvscode %}

{% cli %}

To change the visibility of a forwarded port, use the gh codespace ports visibility subcommand. {% data reusables.codespaces.port-visibility-settings %}

Replace codespace-port with the forwarded port number. Replace setting with private, org, or public. After entering the command choose from the list of codespaces that's displayed.

gh codespace ports visibility <em>codespace-port</em>:<em>setting</em> 

You can set the visibility for multiple ports with one command. For example:

gh codespace ports visibility 80:private 3000:public 3306:org

For more information about this command, see the {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} manual.

{% endcli %}

Labeling a port

You can label a port to make the port more easily identifiable in a list.

{% data reusables.codespaces.navigate-to-ports-tab %}

  1. Hover over the port you want to label, then click the label icon. Label icon for port {% data reusables.codespaces.type-port-label %}

Adding a port to the codespace configuration

You can add a forwarded port to the {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} configuration for the repository, so the port will automatically be forwarded for all codespaces created from the repository. After you update the configuration, any previously created codespaces must be rebuilt for the change to apply. For more information, see "Configuring {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} for your project."

You can manually configure forwarded ports in a .devcontainer.json file using the forwardPorts property, or you can use the "Ports" panel in your codespace.

{% data reusables.codespaces.navigate-to-ports-tab %}

  1. Right click the port you want to add to the codespace configuration, then click Set Label and Update devcontainer.json. Option to set label and add port to devcontainer.json in the right-click menu {% data reusables.codespaces.type-port-label %}