Reverse Proxy

Overview

Think of Loco's reverse proxy as a helpful traffic director for your local development work. When you send a request to a .local domain you've set up in Loco, the reverse proxy:

Receives the request: Listens for incoming requests destined for your .local domains.

Forwards the request: Sends the request to the right address (server, port), based on the configuration you've provided in Loco.

Handles communication: Streamlines the back-and-forth between your browser and your development server.

Why use Loco's reverse proxy?

Smooth .local domain experience: Access your projects using standard web addresses with no need to remember specific port numbers (e.g., https://myapp.local)

Secure connections (HTTPS): Loco automatically creates certificates so your development work can use secure connections.

Flexible Routing: Easily point your .local domains to different servers within your network, even if they use non-standard ports. This is handy for testing on multiple devices or having specific project setups.

HTTPS vs. HTTP

Loco's reverse proxy operates on two standard ports to accommodate different types of connections:

HTTPS (port 443): Handles secure connections. Loco makes HTTPS easy by providing certificates for your .local domains.

HTTP (port 80): Manages regular, unencrypted connections and ensures proper redirection to your intended server location.