How to get an app from localhost onto the internet | Ample

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

This guide is for anyone whose app works at localhost but is not yet reachable by teammates, customers, or testers.

How to do it

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.
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.
Run the Ample plan
The plan chooses the runtime and records services, databases, volumes, links, and visibility.
```
ample plan --write  
```
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  
```
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.

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

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.