---
title: TestingBot Tunnel CLI Reference - All Flags and Options
description: Complete commandline reference for TestingBot Tunnel. Every flag, every
  environment variable, with descriptions and default values.
source_url:
  html: https://testingbot.com/support/tunnel/commandline
  md: https://testingbot.com/support/tunnel/commandline/index.md
---
# Every flag, every variable

The complete commandline reference for TestingBot Tunnel. Pass credentials positionally, via environment variables, or from a `.testingbot` file in your `$HOME`.

## Three ways to authenticate

Method 1

Positional args

`java -jar testingbot-tunnel.jar KEY SECRET`

Method 2

Env vars

`TESTINGBOT_KEY` + `TESTINGBOT_SECRET`

Method 3

.testingbot file

In `$HOME`, key on line 1, secret on line 2.

## Environment variables

Use environment variables to keep sensitive credentials out of your shell history and the system process list.

| Variable | Replaces / purpose |
| --- | --- |
| TESTINGBOT\_KEY | Your TestingBot API key. Replaces the first positional argument. |
| TESTINGBOT\_SECRET | Your TestingBot API secret. Replaces the second positional argument. |
| TESTINGBOT\_AUTH | Basic-auth credentials in the form `host:port:user:password`. Replaces `-a`. |
| TESTINGBOT\_PROXY\_USERPWD | Upstream proxy credentials as `user:password`. Replaces `-z`. |
| TESTINGBOT\_METRICS\_AUTH | HTTP-basic credentials for the metrics endpoint as `user:password`. Replaces `--metrics-auth`. |

## All command-line options

| Option | Description |
| --- | --- |
| -a,--auth \<host:port:user:passwd\> | Perform HTTP Basic Authentication for specific hosts. HTTP only. |
| -b,--nobump | Do not perform SSL bumping. Required for WebSocket and SSE proxying. |
| -d,--debug | Enable debug messages. Outputs request and response headers. |
| --dns \<ip\> | Use a custom DNS server, for example `8.8.8.8`. |
| --doctor | Run sanity and health checks. Detects misconfiguration, port conflicts and missing prerequisites. |
| --extra-headers \<JSON\> | Inject extra HTTP headers into every request the tunnel makes. |
| -f,--readyfile \<FILE\> | This file is touched when the tunnel is ready for use. Useful in CI pipelines. |
| -F,--fast-fail-regexps \<LIST\> | Comma-separated regexes for domains the tunnel should not proxy. Improves test speed by skipping analytics, ads and trackers. |
| -h,--help | Display help text and exit. |
| -i,--tunnel-identifier \<id\> | Tag the tunnel with an identifier. When you have multiple tunnels, set this identifier in your test capabilities to pick which tunnel handles the test. |
| -j,--localproxy \<port\> | Port the local proxy listens on. Default `8087`. |
| -l,--logfile \<FILE\> | Write logs to a file in addition to stdout. |
| --log-level \<level\> | Set verbosity. One of `error`, `warn`, `info` (default), `debug`, `trace`. |
| --metrics-port \<port\> | Port to serve Prometheus metrics on. Default `8003`. |
| --metrics-auth \<user:password\> | Protect the metrics endpoint with HTTP Basic Authentication. |
| -P,--se-port \<port\> | Local Selenium port your tests connect to. Default `4445`. |
| -p,--hubport \<port\> | Connect to port 80 on the TestingBot hub instead of the default port 4444. |
| --pac \<url\> | Proxy auto-configuration. Should be a http(s) URL pointing to a PAC file. |
| -q,--nocache | Bypass the caching proxy running on the tunnel VM. Required for WebSocket and SSE proxying. |
| -s,--shared | Share this tunnel with other users on your team. Tunnels are private by default. |
| -v,--version | Display the tunnel version and exit. |
| -w,--web \<directory\> | Serve a local directory over a built-in webserver. Handy for static-file testing. |
| -x,--noproxy | Do not start the local proxy. Requires you to run your own proxy on port 8087. |
| -Y,--proxy \<host:port\> | Forward tunnel traffic through an upstream HTTP, HTTPS or SOCKS proxy. |
| -z,--proxy-userpwd \<user:pwd\> | Credentials for the upstream proxy configured with `--proxy`. |

See practical configurations on the [examples](https://testingbot.com/support/tunnel/examples) page, or the full [installation guide](https://testingbot.com/support/tunnel/installation) for Docker, Maven and the NodeJS launcher.

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