How do I install the Public Url Hosting skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add ariana-dot-dev/public-url-hosting in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Public Url Hosting safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Public Url Hosting?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Public Url Hosting free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Public Url Hosting?

ariana-dot-dev (@ariana-dot-dev) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Public Url Hosting by ariana-dot-dev

Name: Public Url Hosting
Author: ariana-dot-dev

Public Url Hosting

Host a service on a stable public HTTPS URL straight from a cloud VM — start your app, run one command, get https://<box>-<port>.on.ascii.dev with managed TLS and token-gating. Supports bring-your-own domain and raw TCP/UDP via a dedicated IPv4. Use to host a web app, API, demo, or webhook endpoint without DNS or certificate setup.

File contents

Public URL hosting (Box)

Use this to put a running service on the public internet from inside a Box: a web app, an API, a demo, or a long-lived endpoint. Box handles TLS, routing, and auth — no DNS, no certificates, no separate platform.

Recipe

box_id="$(box new --no-auto-stop --json | jq -r 'select(.event == "ready") | .id')"
box ssh "$box_id" -- bash -s < ./deploy.sh                 # build + start app on 0.0.0.0:8080
box ssh "$box_id" -- "host 8080 --public --title 'my app'"
box ssh "$box_id" -- "host url 8080"                        # https://<box>-8080.on.ascii.dev

host URLs are token-gated by default; --public makes them open. A dedicated IPv4 + full TCP/UDP means you can also point your own domain or host non-HTTP services.

Why Box

Zero infra — TLS + subdomain + auth managed for you.
Stays up — --no-auto-stop keeps the host alive 24-7; persists across resume.
Cheap — per-second billing, ~10× cheaper than typical sandbox/host providers.

Prereqs

curl -fsSL https://box.ascii.dev/install | sh, then box login "$BOX_API_KEY" --json.

Limits

EU-only; 100 active VMs soft cap. For multi-region CDN-grade hosting, use a dedicated host; Box is best for single-VM services, previews, and demos.

Frequently asked questions