A little help
getting started.

Install Local Monitor

The current download is for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 14 or later. Local Monitor manages local development servers; install the runtime and dependencies required by each project before starting it.

Open the latest DMG, drag Local Monitor into Applications and launch it. Click its menu bar icon to open your project panel.

Add projects and workspace apps

Add a project folder, or the root containing package.json and its npm workspaces list. Local Monitor finds runnable apps with dev or start scripts and lets you choose which ones to save.

Use Workspace Apps on a project card or in Settings → Projects to add sibling apps later. Importing an app preserves its saved settings and does not start or stop it.

Check your launch settings

In Settings → Projects → Launch Settings, review the working folder, command, preferred port, hostname and health-check path. The command’s {port} placeholder follows the project’s saved port.

A local hostname such as studio.localhost is used for browser links, copied URLs and HTTP health checks. Detected literal local origins can also appear as browser shortcuts on the same running port.

If your app needs an API or another service, start that service separately or include it in a saved group. Dependencies are not started automatically.

Understand readiness and groups

Listening ports are detected locally. Optional HTTP checks test your saved address and path, allowing initial startup time before repeated failures are reported as No Response. Turning HTTP checks off uses listening ports only.

Save a group of projects when you want one Start or Stop action for your regular setup. Open at Login, notifications, browser opening and Stop on Quit can be adjusted in Settings.

Use logs and clean framework caches

Project actions let you open the browser, copy its URL, inspect logs and reveal the folder. If a project fails to start, check its logs, command, dependencies and preferred port.

Local Monitor shows cache sizes and can clean supported Next.js and Astro framework cache folders on demand. Cache cleanup is separate from removing a saved project.

Keep Local Monitor updated

Use Check for Updates in the app to look for a newer version. Install it with the in-app update flow, or download the latest stable DMG here.

Need a hand?

Include your macOS version, Local Monitor version, framework and a short description of the issue.