helpmetest-proxy

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Set up HelpMeTest proxy tunnels for local development testing. Use when user needs to test localhost, wants to substitute production URLs with local ports, or needs to route multiple services. Use when user says 'set up proxy', 'test localhost', 'tunnel to local', or before running tests against local development servers.

1installs

Sourcehelp-me-test/skills

Added on2026-03-08

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add help-me-test/skills helpmetest-proxy

SKILL.md Content

View Translation Comparison →

HelpMeTest Proxy Setup

Sets up proxy tunnels to test local development servers through HelpMeTest.

Purpose

HelpMeTest tests run against URLs (http://localhost, http://my.app.com). For local development, the proxy tunnels these URLs to your local ports so tests can access your dev servers.

When to Use

Testing against localhost during development
Substituting production URLs with local versions
Routing frontend and backend on different ports
Before writing or running any local tests

Quick Start

Basic setup:

bash

# If your app runs on port 3000
helpmetest proxy start localhost:3000

Verify it works:

robot

# Use HelpMeTest interactive command
helpmetest_run_interactive_command({ command: "Go To  http://localhost" })
# Should load your local app

Then write/run tests using:

robot

Go To  http://localhost

Three Proxy Strategies

Strategy 1: Single Tunnel to Frontend

When to use: Your dev server already proxies some routes internally (e.g.,

/api

→ backend port)

Setup:

bash

# Frontend on port 5001, it proxies /api internally to port 3001
helpmetest proxy start localhost:5001

In tests:

robot

Go To  http://localhost
# Both UI and /api calls work through the single tunnel

Example: Vite, webpack-dev-server with proxy configuration

Strategy 2: Separate Tunnels for Frontend and Backend

When to use:

Services need different hostnames (cookies, CORS)
You want explicit separation in tests
No internal proxy configured

Setup:

bash

# Frontend on port 5001
helpmetest proxy start frontend.local:5001

# Backend on port 3001
helpmetest proxy start backend.local:3001

In tests:

robot

Go To  http://frontend.local      # For UI
# API calls use http://backend.local/api

Strategy 3: Substitute Production with Local

When to use:

You have tests running against production URLs
Want to test local changes without modifying test code
Need production domain for cookies/sessions

Setup:

bash

# Intercept my.awesome.app and route to local port 3000
helpmetest proxy start my.awesome.app:80:3000

In tests:

robot

Go To  http://my.awesome.app
# Routes to localhost:3000 instead of production

The port mapping format:

```
domain
```
- hostname in test URLs
```
external_port
```
- port in test URLs (usually 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS)
```
source_port
```
- your local development port

Example: Production tests use

http://my.awesome.app:80

, but you want to test local code running on port 3000

Verification

After starting proxy, always verify using HelpMeTest:

The proxy only intercepts traffic within HelpMeTest's infrastructure. Use interactive commands to verify:

robot

# For localhost
helpmetest_run_interactive_command({ command: "Go To  http://localhost" })

# For custom hostnames
helpmetest_run_interactive_command({ command: "Go To  http://frontend.local" })

# For production substitution
helpmetest_run_interactive_command({ command: "Go To  http://my.awesome.app" })

Expected: You should see your local app load successfully, not a connection error.

If verification fails: Don't write tests yet - fix the proxy setup first.

Troubleshooting

Tests can't reach the URL

Check proxy is running:

bash

ps aux | grep "helpmetest proxy"

Check local server is running:

bash

# Direct connection to your local port (bypasses proxy)
curl http://127.0.0.1:3000

Check proxy output shows your tunnel:

✓ Proxying localhost -> localhost:3000
# or
✓ Proxying frontend.local -> localhost:5001

If tunnel missing: Restart the proxy command

Custom hostname not resolving (frontend.local, etc.)

Custom hostnames are handled by the proxy - you don't need to edit

/etc/hosts

. If verification fails:

Verify proxy is running
Check the exact hostname in proxy output
Ensure you're using HTTP (not HTTPS) unless you configured SSL

Production substitution not working

Check port mapping:

bash

# Wrong (missing source port)
helpmetest proxy start my.awesome.app:80

# Correct
helpmetest proxy start my.awesome.app:80:3000

Verify substitution:

robot

# Use HelpMeTest to verify routing
helpmetest_run_interactive_command({ command: "Go To  http://my.awesome.app" })
# Should load from localhost:3000, not production

Multiple Services Example

Complex setup with frontend, backend, and production substitution:

bash

# Local frontend
helpmetest proxy start frontend.local:5001

# Local backend API
helpmetest proxy start api.local:3001

# Production service running locally
helpmetest proxy start prod.myapp.com:80:8000

Tests can now use all three:

robot

Go To  http://frontend.local
# Make API call to http://api.local/endpoint
# Access production service at http://prod.myapp.com

Best Practices

Start proxy BEFORE writing tests - Don't waste time debugging test failures caused by proxy not running
Always verify with HelpMeTest - Use
```
helpmetest_run_interactive_command
```
to confirm routing works before writing automated tests
Choose simplest strategy - If frontend already proxies backend, use Strategy 1 (single tunnel)
Keep proxy running - Start in background/separate terminal, don't restart unnecessarily
Use consistent hostnames - If you use
```
frontend.local
```
in one test, use it in all tests for that service

Output Messages

Success:

✓ Proxying localhost -> localhost:3000

Already exists (safe to ignore):

[W] new proxy type error: proxy already exists

Means tunnel is already registered - your tests will still work.

Version: 0.1

helpmetest-proxy

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

HelpMeTest Proxy Setup

Purpose

When to Use

Quick Start

Three Proxy Strategies

Strategy 1: Single Tunnel to Frontend

Strategy 2: Separate Tunnels for Frontend and Backend

Strategy 3: Substitute Production with Local

Verification

Troubleshooting

Tests can't reach the URL

Custom hostname not resolving (frontend.local, etc.)

Production substitution not working

Multiple Services Example

Best Practices

Output Messages