OAuth: how to test with local URLs?

Question

I am trying to test OAuth buttons, but they all (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) come back with errors that seem to signal that I can not test or use them from a local

Answer 1

Google doesn't allow test auth api on localhost using http://webporject.dev or .loc and .etc and google short link that shortened your local url(http://webporject.dev) also bit.ly :). Google accepts only url which starts http://localhost/...

if you want to test google auth api you should follow these steps ...

if you use openserver go to settings panel and click on aliases tab and click on dropdown then find localhost and choose it.

now you should choose your local web project root folder by clicking the next dropdown that is next to first dropdown.

and click on a button called add and restart opensever.

now your local project available on this link http://localhost/ also you can paste this local url to google auth api to redirect url field...

Answer 2

Or you can use https://tolocalhost.com/ and configure how it should redirect a callback to your local site. You can specify the hostname (if different from localhost, i.e. yourapp.local and the port number). For development purposes only.

Answer 3

You can edit the hosts file on windows or linux Windows : C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts Linux : /etc/hosts

localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.

127.0.0.1 mywebsite.com

after you finish your tests you just comment the line you add to disable it

127.0.0.1 mywebsite.com

Answer 4

I found xip.io which automatically converts a fixed url to a embedded localhost domain.

For example lets say your localhost server is running on 127.0.0.1:8000 You can go to http://www.127.0.0.1.xip.io:5555/ to access this server. You can then add this address to Oauth configuration for Facebook or Google.

Answer 5

Update October 2016: Easiest now: use lvh.me which always points to 127.0.0.1.

Previous Answer:

Since the callback request is issued by the browser, as a HTTP redirect response, you can set up your .hosts file or equivalent to point a domain that is not localhost to 127.0.0.1.

Say for example you register the following callback with Twitter: http://www.publicdomain.com/callback/. Make sure that www.publicdomain.com points to 127.0.0.1 in your hosts file, AND that twitter can do a successful DNS lookup on www.publicdomain.com, i.e the domain needs to exist and the specific callback should probably return a 200 status message if requested.

EDIT:

I just read the following article: http://www.tonyamoyal.com/2009/08/17/how-to-quickly-set-up-a-test-for-twitter-oauth-authentication-from-your-local-machine, which was linked to from this question: Twitter oAuth callbackUrl - localhost development.

To quote the article:

You can use bit.ly, a URL shortening service. Just shorten the [localhost URL such as http//localhost:8080/twitter_callback] and register the shortened URL as the callback in your Twitter app.

This should be easier than fiddling around in the .hosts file.

Note that now (Aug '14) bit.ly is not allowing link forwarding to localhost; however Google link shortener works.

PS edit: (Nov '18): Google link shortener stopped giving support for localhost or 127.0.0.1.

Answer 6

For Mac users, edit the /etc/hosts file. You have to use sudo vi /etc/hosts if its read-only. After authorization, the oauth server sends the callback URL, and since that callback URL is rendered on your local browser, the local DNS setting will work:

127.0.0.1       mylocal.com