VS Code Extension · current build

Share every
local version.

PortDrop turns local ports, static folders, named HTML files, and parallel preview sessions into controlled guest links. Keep authenticated SA preview access separate, track each guest, chat during review, comment on Code View lines, capture selected code as session-only images, and manage every live session from VS Code.

Install Extension↓What's next →

v0.4.0 live: isolated host access, secure guest invites, per-guest timers, chat, Code View, guest-to-host captureLatest package: portdrop-0.4.0.vsix

Free to use·VS Code 1.89+·Cross-platform·Live Server ready

host-controlled · guest-tracked · time-limited

What it does

Built for the way
developers actually work

Zero-install tunneling

Cloudflare tunnel spins up automatically. No accounts, no config files, no API keys.

Named HTML paths

Share /v10.html, /v11.html, or /certready-landing-v12.html directly. No forced index.html rename.

Multi-session sharing

Run several active PortDrop links at the same time, including multiple paths from one port or several local ports in one workflow.

Color-coded identity

Each session gets a stable color and label shown in VS Code and on the receiver launch page.

Follow-owner Code View

Turn on Follow in the sidebar and viewers automatically jump to the file you open, while Code View stays read-only.

TTL-controlled sessions

Choose 15 min, 1 h, 4 h, or a custom window. The tunnel closes itself — no cleanup needed.

Device preview QR

The sidebar QR and Open in Browser use authenticated SA access, skip guest gates, and never consume guest capacity or invite claims.

Auto port detection

Combines common dev ports with OS-discovered local HTTP listeners, including Live Server and Five Server.

Live countdown

Shared sessions show their fixed deadline. Host-only sessions show the rolling 15-minute inactivity deadline.

Session actions sidebar

Issue open or secured guest links, choose all or selected Code View files per secure invite, review activity, adjust time, and stop sessions.

Code View

Authenticated SA access always includes Preview and Code View. Secure invites can grant guests all shareable files or an invite-specific file selection.

Session chat

Guests message the session owner privately by default. Each screen labels its own messages as me while preserving the other participant’s name.

File allowlist

Use the searchable checkbox picker to grant exact files to one secure invite. Other guests and session defaults remain unchanged.

Secured one-time invites

Secured sessions mint a fresh one-time invite every time you copy, email, or text a link from the sidebar.

Recipient acknowledgement gate

Guests opening a secured invite must enter their name and confirm they understand the link is single-use before the session opens.

Named secured invites

The sender can mint one-time invite links tied to one required guest name and decide whether that guest gets preview only or preview plus Code View.

Secured batch invites

Create one limited-claim invite link for a group. Each successful guest claim becomes individually manageable and returning from the same browser does not spend another slot.

Open vs Secure access

Open access is one reusable preview-only guest link. Secure access issues individual, named, or limited-claim batch invites from the sidebar.

Per-guest timers

Each guest receives their own access window when they enter. The sender can extend or shorten one guest without changing everyone else.

Workflow

From zero to shared
in under a minute

Install the extension

Enter your name and email, download portdrop-0.4.0.vsix from portdrop.app, then install via VS Code: Extensions panel → ··· → Install from VSIX. Marketplace listing is planned next. PortDrop is free to use.

Choose how to share

Right-click any open local file and choose Open with PortDrop. In Explorer, files use Open with PortDrop and folders use Open with PortDrop (root). Folder roots become secured, permission-filtered browser explorers. Use PortDrop: Start Session for an existing framework or dev-server port.

Serve static projects live

PortDrop static previews always refresh the authenticated host after saved changes. Guest Manual/Auto controls remain independent, so unfinished changes do not have to reload guest screens.

Pick a page path

Share the server root, the active HTML file, or several paths like /v1.html, /v2.html, /v3.html. Existing running ports still support the same path picker.

Choose the session lifetime

Choose Host-only first for authenticated owner access with a rolling 15-minute inactivity timeout, or choose a fixed duration and continue to guest limit plus Open or Secure access.

Separate host and guest usage

Use the sidebar QR or Open in Browser for authenticated SA access. Host opens have their own activity log and never reduce guest capacity or consume an invite.

Optional Code View

Secure invite actions offer Preview only or Include Code View. Code View can include all shareable files or exact invite-specific files selected through a searchable checkbox list.

Guide and manage every live link

Track guest names and access windows, adjust one guest at a time, chat privately or with the group, follow the owner in Code View, watermark the session, and stop or extend it from VS Code.

Reference

Commands & config

Installation · v0.4.0Free extension · source private

Option A — VS Code UI

1. Download the current package portdrop-0.4.0.vsix from portdrop.app
2. Open VS Code → Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Click ··· → Install from VSIX… → select the file
4. In VS Code, the extension ID is FrandySlueue.portdrop, version 0.4.0, with Frandy Slueue shown in the author credit surfaces.
⚠ Windows: do not double-click the file — that opens Visual Studio, not VS Code.

By downloading PortDrop, you agree that we may use your submitted information for product analytics, product improvement, and essential PortDrop-related communication. We do not sell your information, use it for third-party advertising, or send commercial promotional email.

Download tracking

Downloads require name and email so PortDrop can understand product usage and follow up when needed. This information is used for product analytics and essential PortDrop-related communication only. The download flow always serves the latest VSIX package for this release and uses no-cache headers so browsers do not reuse an older build. Extension usage telemetry follows VS Code telemetry settings and does not collect code, paths, raw invite tokens, or tunnel URLs.

Option B — Terminal

Provide your name and email, then unlock the terminal install option to view the command.

Commands

PortDrop: Start Session

Detect ports → pick one or more paths → spin up share links

PortDrop: Serve Static Project

Pick a static folder → PortDrop starts a live local server → share without installing Live Server

PortDrop: Serve Selected File or Folder

Right-click an HTML file or folder → start PortDrop static serving from that resource

PortDrop: Start Multi-Port Session

Select several local HTTP ports → start each share workflow together

PortDrop: Stop Session

Stop one selected session or stop every active session

PortDrop: Copy Session URL

Copy the selected guest link. Secured sessions mint a fresh preview-only one-time invite before copying.

PortDrop: Open Dashboard

Open the authenticated SA session without consuming guest usage

PortDrop: Run Diagnostics

Check dashboard reachability, cloudflared, relay health, active sessions, and detected ports

Test the new live flow

1. Confirm extension identity

The VS Code install identifier is FrandySlueue.portdrop. The visible author credit uses Frandy Slueue with the CodeBreeder diamond mark.

2. Set owner name

VS Code Settings → PortDrop: Owner Name, or set portdrop.ownerName in settings.json

3. Open static folder

Use any folder with index.html, CSS, and JS. No Live Server extension is required.

4. Quick launch option

Right-click any local file in its editor or Explorer and choose Open with PortDrop. Explorer folders expose Open with PortDrop (root), which makes the selected folder the secured session root and opens its breadcrumb explorer.

5. Command Palette option

Use Ctrl+Shift+P -> PortDrop: Serve Static Project when you want to pick a folder from the PortDrop flow instead of right-clicking.

6. Finish session setup

Choose Host-only to skip guest prompts and use a rolling 15-minute idle deadline. Otherwise choose a fixed duration, viewer limit, and Open or Secure access.

7. Test as SA

Scan the sidebar QR or choose Open in Browser. SA access skips guest name and invite gates, always includes Preview and Code View, and appears under Host activity as heartbeat-based Active tabs plus deduplicated Opens.

8. Open as a guest

Use Open Share Link for regular previews or a secured invite. Folder-root sessions are secured-only: Preview-only guests can browse HTML projects, while Code View guests see all files or exact selected files permitted by their invite.

9. Control static updates

The authenticated host always reloads after saved changes. Manual queues guest updates until Apply; Auto reloads guests on save.

10. Chat during review

Each screen labels its own messages as me. Guest chat is private by default; the SA can reply to one guest or intentionally choose Group.

11. Guide Code View followers

Grant all files or selected files on a secured invite, then enable Follow. Guests switch only among files their invite and current access rule allow.

12. Review access

Following lists guest names, scans, and access time controls. Host activity separately shows Active tabs and Opens without changing guest usage. Use Run Diagnostics when ports, relay health, or dashboard reachability need inspection.

Settings

Open settings

Ctrl+Shift+P -> Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)

portdrop.defaultPort

number · default: 5500 · preferred when detected, with fallback candidates including 3000, 3001, 5173, and 4321

portdrop.defaultTTL

"15m" | "1h" | "4h" · default: "1h" · preselects the session lifetime in the launch flow

portdrop.ownerName

string · example: "Your Name" · shown on guest gates, launch pages, and the shared-session watermark

portdrop.watermarkMode

off | subtle | strong · default: subtle · controls shared preview and Code View watermark strength

portdrop.autoDetectPort

boolean · default: true · detects common local dev server ports automatically

portdrop.showBadge

boolean · default: true · shows the PortDrop badge/watermark in shared previews when available

portdrop.staticUpdateMode

"manual" | "auto" · default: "manual" · Manual waits for Apply; Auto reloads viewers on save

portdrop.blocklist

string[] · default: [] · legacy key used to add owner-defined warning paths; warnings never prevent the owner from continuing

History

What's shipped

v0.4.0

June 2026

Guest code captures now use an in-app selection flow that sends session-scoped host-only image attachments with an optional note
Session chat with private guest messages, owner replies, and intentional group broadcast
Chat now labels the current sender as me on each screen while keeping real names for the other participant and stored session history
Sidebar QR and Open in Browser now use authenticated host access that skips guest gates, keeps host activity separate from guest limits, and expires with the session
Host QR scans, Open in Browser, and manually entered host codes now establish host access before redirecting, avoiding browser-dependent fragment failures
Host activity now separates heartbeat-based Active tabs from cumulative tab Opens, deduplicates refreshes, and never changes guest usage
Host-only sessions skip guest setup and stop after 15 minutes without meaningful browser or VS Code activity; passive presence heartbeats do not extend them
PortDrop static previews keep host live reload always on while guest Manual/Auto updates use an independent reload channel
Host polling now keeps sessions and activity counters available during temporary Code View relay interruptions instead of showing a false timeout
Open with PortDrop (root) now creates a secured breadcrumb explorer rooted at the selected folder, with HTML preview and invite-filtered read-only files
Folder-root selected-file invites resolve paths relative to the selected folder, and out-of-root symlink access is rejected
Owners can share every in-root file; PortDrop now advises with yellow, orange, or red severity guidance and never blocks a confirmed owner action
Unsupported inline file types remain accessible through a raw open/download action
Every PortDrop-controlled page now displays a persistent Frandy Slueue · CodeBreeder developer credit separate from the sharer watermark
Open with PortDrop (root) supports index.html, index.htm, or a safe non-listing root page when no index file exists
Authenticated host access always includes Preview and Code View, with owner authorization enforced through dashboard APIs and the local relay
Code View file/line comments — guests can comment on a specific line and the owner receives the file/line context in session chat
Editor right-click now supports every local file, while Explorer uses Open with PortDrop for files and Open with PortDrop (root) for folders
Secure Code View invites now choose all files or exact invite-specific files through a searchable checkbox picker, with selected paths enforced per claimed guest
Follow-owner Code View mode — viewers can follow the owner between shared files without edit access
Live session ACL controls — admins can revoke or restore file access for selected guests without killing the link
Visitor identity and recent follower names surfaced in the VS Code sidebar
Owner watermark modes — choose off, subtle corner watermark, or strong repeated diagonal watermark on shared preview and code views
Secured sessions now mint a fresh one-time invite every time the sender copies, emails, or texts a link from the VS Code sidebar
Guests opening a secured invite must enter their name and acknowledge that the link expires once first opened
Named secured invites now bind a one-time invite link to one required guest name without revealing that name in rejection states
Individual secured and named secured invites now reject every reopen attempt after the first successful claim; same-browser resume is reserved for secure batch invites
Session setup now uses viewer limit plus Open or Secure access instead of a separate single-use versus multi-use step
Open access stays preview-only, while secure invite actions decide preview-only or preview plus Code View per guest from the sidebar
Secured batch invites now create one limited-claim link for a group, with each successful claim stored as an individual guest access record
Sidebar preview QR codes now resolve through a short 6-8 character code that the owner can type manually if scanning fails
Email and Text actions launch the sender's default app with an official PortDrop invite message and portdrop.app reference
Sidebar share actions now show immediate success or setup feedback when a link is copied, emailed, or texted
Guest access windows now start when each guest enters, owner TTL changes shift every active guest, and sidebar controls can adjust one guest at a time
Viewer limits now count distinct guests for gated session entry, while stopped or expired sessions are rejected before Code View routes contact the relay
Sidebar Reset Access now clears visitor capacity records as well as scan count, and secure batch copy better explains limited-claim group sharing
VSIX downloads now stream with no-cache headers so each new package download pulls the latest extension build without manual browser cache clearing
Extension listing and sidebar credits now follow the app footer pattern: crafted by Frandy Slueue / CodeBreeder with the diamond mark
Extension details now use the CodeBreeder binary-rain diamond mark rendered from the provided logo source
A matching SVG source asset was added for the static CodeBreeder diamond while the VS Code README keeps the packaged PNG required by vsce
VS Code extension identifier moved to FrandySlueue.portdrop while preserving the visible Frandy Slueue author credit
The publisher-test checklist was refreshed to cover the current launch flow, package identity, static sharing, chat, follow-owner, watermark, and Marketplace gate

v0.3.0

June 2026

Dynamic local HTTP detection, including Live Server, Five Server, random preview ports, and common framework ports
Manual port validation before a tunnel opens
Named HTML path sharing for plain files that are not index.html
Multi-path sessions from one port, such as /v1.html, /v2.html, and /v3.html
Multiple active sessions at the same time, each with independent copy, open, scan, and stop controls
Color-coded session identity shared between the VS Code sender view and receiver launch page
Explicit 127.0.0.1 tunnel targeting to avoid localhost IPv4/IPv6 mismatch

v0.2.0

May 2026

Code View — read-only file tree of your workspace alongside the running app
File-level allowlist — pick exactly which files (or whole folders) viewers can see
Hierarchical file picker with inline expand/collapse and folder-level cascade
Custom syntax theme on the code viewer — gray comments, brand-palette tokens
Protected access gate before opening a restricted session link
One-time-scan links — the link burns after the first viewer opens it
Live admin controls — extend TTL or change viewer cap mid-session
Scan count syncs to the VS Code sidebar in real time
Multi-window VS Code support — run independent sessions from multiple windows at once
Logo system — transparent mark, page-unique denim backgrounds across the dashboard

v0.1.0

May 2026

Cloudflare tunnel integration — zero-account, zero-config public URLs
Owner preview QR generation in the VS Code sidebar
TTL picker — 15 min, 1 h, 4 h, and custom durations
Auto port detection for common dev servers
Live countdown in sidebar and status bar
Copy URL and Open in Browser from the sidebar
Session auto-expiry — tunnel closes itself at TTL
Activity bar panel with double-ring logo

Share everylocal version.

Built for the waydevelopers actually work

From zero to sharedin under a minute

Commands & config

What's shipped

Share every
local version.

Built for the way
developers actually work

From zero to shared
in under a minute