Expose Your Flow-Like HTTP Events to the Internet

Flow-Like’s HTTP event system lets you trigger automation flows via local API endpoints on http://localhost:9657. While perfect for local development and testing, you’ll often need to expose these endpoints to the internet—for receiving webhooks from external services, triggering flows remotely, or integrating with cloud platforms.

This guide walks you through two powerful (and free!) tunneling solutions: Cloudflare Tunnel and ngrok. Both create secure HTTPS endpoints that forward traffic to your local Flow-Like instance, no firewall configuration required.

Understanding Flow-Like’s HTTP Event System

Before we dive into tunneling, let’s understand what we’re exposing. Flow-Like runs a local HTTP server on port 9657 that listens for incoming requests to trigger events.

How HTTP Events Work

When you create an HTTP event in Flow-Like, you configure:

Path: The endpoint route (e.g., /webhook, /api/trigger)
Method: HTTP verb (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, etc.)
Authentication: Optional Bearer token for secure access
App ID: Your Flow-Like application identifier

The resulting endpoint looks like:

http://localhost:9657/{app-id}{path}

For example, with app ID my-app and path /webhook:

http://localhost:9657/my-app/webhook

Why You Need Tunneling

Your local endpoint at localhost:9657 is only accessible from your machine. To receive webhooks from services like:

GitHub (push notifications, issue events)
Stripe (payment confirmations)
Discord (bot commands)
Slack (slash commands, events)
Any external API or service

…you need a publicly accessible HTTPS URL that forwards to your local instance.

Option 1: Cloudflare Tunnel (Recommended)

Cloudflare Tunnel (formerly Argo Tunnel) is our recommended solution for several compelling reasons:

Why Cloudflare Tunnel?

✅ 100% Free - No credit card required, no paid plans needed
✅ No firewall changes - Uses outbound connections only
✅ Automatic HTTPS - TLS certificates managed for you
✅ Fast & reliable - Powered by Cloudflare’s global network
✅ No account required for Quick Tunnels - Start tunneling in seconds

Step 1: Install cloudflared

The Cloudflare Tunnel client (cloudflared) is available for all major platforms.

macOS

brew install cloudflare/cloudflare/cloudflared

Windows

winget install --id Cloudflare.cloudflared

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

curl -L --output cloudflared.deb https://github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared/releases/latest/download/cloudflared-linux-amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i cloudflared.deb

For other platforms or installation methods, see Cloudflare’s official download page.

Step 2: Start a Quick Tunnel

Quick Tunnels are the fastest way to get started—no account or configuration needed:

cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:9657

Within seconds, you’ll see output like:

2025-10-29T10:15:30Z INF |  Your quick Tunnel has been created! Visit it at:
2025-10-29T10:15:30Z INF |  https://random-subdomain.trycloudflare.com

Step 3: Configure Your Webhook

Copy the generated URL and append your Flow-Like endpoint path. For example, if your endpoint is:

http://localhost:9657/my-app/webhook

Your public URL becomes:

https://random-subdomain.trycloudflare.com/my-app/webhook

Use this URL when configuring webhooks in external services like GitHub, Stripe, or Discord.

Testing Your Tunnel

Test your public endpoint with curl:

# Public endpoint (replace with your tunnel URL)
curl -X POST https://random-subdomain.trycloudflare.com/my-app/webhook \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"test": "data"}'

If you configured authentication in Flow-Like, include the Bearer token:

curl -X POST https://random-subdomain.trycloudflare.com/my-app/webhook \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your-token-here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"test": "data"}'

Pro Tips for Cloudflare Tunnel

Quick Tunnel Limitations:

URL changes every time you restart the tunnel
Random subdomain assignment
Great for testing and temporary use

For Permanent URLs:

If you need a stable, persistent URL, create a named tunnel (still free, but requires a Cloudflare account):

# Login to Cloudflare
cloudflared tunnel login

# Create a named tunnel
cloudflared tunnel create flow-like-tunnel

# Create a config file
cloudflared tunnel route dns flow-like-tunnel flow-like.yourdomain.com

# Run the tunnel
cloudflared tunnel run flow-like-tunnel

Named tunnels give you:

Custom subdomains on your own domain
Persistent URLs that survive restarts
Better logging and monitoring
Traffic policies and access controls

See Cloudflare’s named tunnel guide for full setup instructions.

Running Cloudflare Tunnel in the Background

For production use, run cloudflared as a system service:

macOS/Linux (systemd)

sudo cloudflared service install
sudo systemctl start cloudflared

Windows

cloudflared service install
net start cloudflared

Option 2: ngrok

ngrok is another popular tunneling solution with a generous free tier and excellent developer experience.

Why ngrok?

✅ Developer-friendly - Beautiful web interface for inspecting traffic
✅ Request replay - Replay past requests for debugging
✅ Multiple protocols - HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, TLS
✅ Custom domains - Available on paid plans

⚠️ Free tier limitations:

Requires account signup
URL changes on every restart (unless you upgrade)
Rate limits on requests

Step 1: Install ngrok

macOS

brew install ngrok

Windows

choco install ngrok

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

curl -s https://ngrok-agent.s3.amazonaws.com/ngrok.asc | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ngrok.asc >/dev/null
echo "deb https://ngrok-agent.s3.amazonaws.com buster main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ngrok.list
sudo apt update && sudo apt install ngrok

Create a free account at ngrok.com
Get your auth token from the ngrok dashboard
Configure ngrok with your token:

ngrok config add-authtoken YOUR_TOKEN_HERE

Step 3: Start the Tunnel

Forward port 9657 to the internet:

ngrok http 9657

You’ll see a dashboard with your public URL:

ngrok                                                     (Ctrl+C to quit)

Session Status                online
Account                       your-email@example.com
Version                       3.x.x
Region                        United States (us)
Latency                       12ms
Web Interface                 http://127.0.0.1:4040
Forwarding                    https://abc-123-def.ngrok-free.app -> http://localhost:9657

Connections                   ttl     opn     rt1     rt5     p50     p90
                              0       0       0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00

Step 4: Use Your ngrok URL

Copy the Forwarding URL and append your Flow-Like path:

https://abc-123-def.ngrok-free.app/my-app/webhook

ngrok’s Web Interface

One of ngrok’s killer features is its web interface at http://127.0.0.1:4040. This gives you:

Live request inspection - See every request in real-time
Request/response details - Headers, body, timing
Replay functionality - Resend previous requests
Traffic statistics - Bandwidth, connection counts

This is invaluable for debugging webhook integrations!

ngrok Configuration File

For persistent configuration, create an ngrok.yml:

version: "2"
authtoken: YOUR_TOKEN_HERE
tunnels:
  flow-like:
    proto: http
    addr: 9657
    inspect: true

Then start with:

ngrok start flow-like

Security Best Practices

Both tunneling solutions expose your local server to the internet. Follow these security practices:

1. Use Authentication

Always enable authentication for HTTP events in Flow-Like:

// In your Flow-Like HTTP event configuration
{
  "path": "/webhook",
  "method": "POST",
  "public_endpoint": false,  // Require authentication
  "auth_token": "your-secure-token-here"
}

Generate strong tokens using Flow-Like’s built-in generator or:

# Generate a secure random token
openssl rand -base64 32

2. Validate Request Origins

In your Flow-Like flows, validate that requests come from expected sources:

// Check webhook signatures (example for GitHub)
const signature = headers['x-hub-signature-256'];
const payload = JSON.stringify(body);
const expectedSignature = crypto
  .createHmac('sha256', webhookSecret)
  .update(payload)
  .digest('hex');

if (signature !== `sha256=${expectedSignature}`) {
  throw new Error('Invalid signature');
}

3. Use HTTPS Only

Both Cloudflare Tunnel and ngrok provide HTTPS by default. Never use unencrypted HTTP for public endpoints.

4. Monitor Traffic

Use ngrok’s web interface to monitor requests
Check Flow-Like’s event logs regularly
Set up alerts for unusual activity

5. Limit Endpoint Lifetime

For temporary testing:

Use Quick Tunnels (Cloudflare) or free ngrok tunnels that expire
Don’t publish tunnel URLs in public repositories
Rotate authentication tokens regularly

Real-World Use Cases

GitHub Webhooks

Trigger Flow-Like automation on GitHub events:

# Start tunnel
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:9657

# Configure GitHub webhook
# URL: https://your-tunnel.trycloudflare.com/my-app/github
# Events: Push, Pull Request, Issues

Your Flow-Like flow receives:

{
  "action": "opened",
  "pull_request": { /* ... */ },
  "repository": { /* ... */ }
}

Stripe Payment Processing

Receive payment confirmations:

# Tunnel with ngrok for request inspection
ngrok http 9657

# Configure Stripe webhook
# URL: https://abc-123.ngrok-free.app/my-app/stripe
# Events: payment_intent.succeeded, customer.created

Discord Bot Commands

Create a Discord bot that triggers Flow-Like workflows:

cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:9657

# Discord Interactions Endpoint:
# https://tunnel-url.trycloudflare.com/my-app/discord

IoT Device Reporting

Remote devices can POST status updates:

# Named tunnel for stability
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:9657

# Device sends to:
# https://devices.yourdomain.com/my-app/device-status

Troubleshooting

Tunnel Connection Issues

Problem: Tunnel won’t start or keeps disconnecting

Solutions:

Check your firewall allows outbound connections
Verify your internet connection is stable
Try a different tunnel region (ngrok: ngrok http 9657 --region eu)
Update to latest version of cloudflared/ngrok

404 Not Found

Problem: Tunnel works, but requests return 404

Solutions:

Verify Flow-Like is running on port 9657
Check the path matches your HTTP event configuration
Ensure app ID is correct in the URL
Test the local endpoint first: curl http://localhost:9657/app-id/path

Authentication Failures

Problem: Requests fail with 401 Unauthorized

Solutions:

Verify Bearer token matches Flow-Like configuration
Check header format: Authorization: Bearer your-token
Ensure public_endpoint is set to false in config
Token may contain special characters—use quotes in curl

Performance Issues

Problem: Slow response times through tunnel

Solutions:

Check ngrok/cloudflared logs for errors
Test local endpoint latency first
Consider geographic region of tunnel server
For ngrok, try different regions
Cloudflare Tunnel uses nearest datacenter automatically

Comparing the Two Solutions

Feature	Cloudflare Tunnel	ngrok
Free Tier	Unlimited	Limited requests
Account Required	No (Quick Tunnel)	Yes
Persistent URLs	Named tunnels only	Paid plans
Web Interface	Dashboard (named tunnels)	Local (port 4040)
Request Inspection	Via logs	Built-in GUI
Custom Domains	Free (your domain)	Paid plans
Best For	Production, permanent setups	Development, debugging

Our Recommendation

Development & Testing: Use ngrok for its excellent request inspection and replay features
Production & Permanent: Use Cloudflare Tunnel with named tunnels for reliability and zero cost
Quick Demos: Cloudflare Quick Tunnels for instant, no-signup access

Advanced: Running Multiple Tunnels

Cloudflare: Multiple Services

# Tunnel multiple local services
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:9657 &
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:3000 &

ngrok: Multiple Tunnels

# ngrok.yml
tunnels:
  flow-like:
    proto: http
    addr: 9657
  web-app:
    proto: http
    addr: 3000

Start both:

ngrok start --all

Next Steps

Now that your HTTP events are exposed to the internet, explore:

Create Webhook Integrations: Connect GitHub, Stripe, Slack, Discord
Build API Flows: Accept data from mobile apps or external services
Remote Automation: Trigger flows from anywhere in the world
Event Chaining: Use HTTP events as triggers for complex workflows

Check out our HTTP Event Documentation for more configuration options and the Event System Guide for advanced patterns.

Conclusion

Exposing Flow-Like’s local HTTP events to the internet is straightforward with modern tunneling solutions. Both Cloudflare Tunnel and ngrok offer powerful, free options with their own strengths:

Cloudflare Tunnel excels at permanent, production-ready deployments
ngrok shines for development with unmatched debugging tools

Choose the one that fits your workflow, follow security best practices, and unlock the full potential of Flow-Like’s event-driven automation system. Whether you’re receiving webhooks, building public APIs, or integrating with cloud services, these tools make it seamless to bridge local and global automation.

Happy automating! 🚀

#tutorial #http-events #webhooks #ngrok #cloudflare #automation

Expose Your Flow-Like HTTP Events to the Internet

Understanding Flow-Like’s HTTP Event System

How HTTP Events Work

Why You Need Tunneling

Option 1: Cloudflare Tunnel (Recommended)

Why Cloudflare Tunnel?

Step 1: Install cloudflared

macOS

Windows

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

Step 2: Start a Quick Tunnel

Step 3: Configure Your Webhook

Testing Your Tunnel

Pro Tips for Cloudflare Tunnel

Running Cloudflare Tunnel in the Background

macOS/Linux (systemd)

Windows

Option 2: ngrok

Why ngrok?

Step 1: Install ngrok

macOS

Windows

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

Step 2: Sign Up and Authenticate

Step 3: Start the Tunnel

Step 4: Use Your ngrok URL

ngrok’s Web Interface

ngrok Configuration File

Security Best Practices

1. Use Authentication

2. Validate Request Origins

3. Use HTTPS Only

4. Monitor Traffic

5. Limit Endpoint Lifetime

Real-World Use Cases

GitHub Webhooks

Stripe Payment Processing

Discord Bot Commands

IoT Device Reporting

Troubleshooting

Tunnel Connection Issues

404 Not Found

Authentication Failures

Performance Issues

Comparing the Two Solutions

Our Recommendation

Advanced: Running Multiple Tunnels

Cloudflare: Multiple Services

ngrok: Multiple Tunnels

Next Steps

Conclusion