Build an internal business application locally, verify it, and make it available through a controlled public HTTP endpoint
NocoBase is an open-source AI and no-code platform for building business systems such as CRM, ERP, project management, and workflow applications. In this guide, we first install a NocoBase application with its official CLI workflow, confirm that the application is running, and explain the additional requirements for restoring the official CRM solution. After local verification, we connect the working HTTP service to Localtonet as a separate remote-access step. This keeps application installation and network exposure clearly separated, which makes troubleshooting and security review easier.
What you are installing
NocoBase provides an open-source platform for creating data-driven business applications through a visual, WYSIWYG no-code interface. Its architecture includes data models, permissions, workflows, plugins, and user-facing pages that can be configured for internal processes. A CRM built with NocoBase can organize leads, opportunities, customers, contacts, products, quotations, orders, and related workflows without requiring every interface to be developed from scratch.
This article covers two related but distinct installation goals. The first is installing a basic NocoBase application using the NocoBase CLI. The second is restoring NocoBase's documented CRM solution into a compatible running environment. You can stop after the basic installation if you want to build your own CRM manually. If you want the supplied CRM solution, follow the compatibility and restoration section before configuring remote access.
Prerequisites for the CLI installation
The current official NocoBase application installation guide lists Node.js 22 or newer and Yarn 1.x as prerequisites. If you choose a Docker-based installation path, Docker must already be installed and running. This tutorial follows the NocoBase CLI and UI wizard because that is the directly documented quick-start workflow in the supplied installation evidence.
Confirm the prerequisite versions using the normal version commands provided by those tools. Installation procedures for Node.js and Yarn differ by operating system and package manager, so use the official instructions appropriate to your environment. Do not continue with an unsupported runtime version merely because the CLI happens to launch.
The current detailed NocoBase installation documentation uses the alpha-tagged CLI command shown below, while the project README shows the package without an explicit tag. Release channels can change. Review the current NocoBase installation page before using this workflow for a long-lived or production deployment, and select the channel that matches your deployment policy.
Install and initialize NocoBase
Install the NocoBase CLI
Install the CLI globally with npm, then ask it to print its version. A successful version response confirms that the nb executable is available in the current terminal environment.
Initialize the application with the UI wizard
Start the documented UI-driven initializer. In the wizard, set the environment identifier, choose to install a new app, configure the application basics and storage location, choose the runtime port, select the application source and version, configure the database, create the first administrator account, and enter the application access URL and authentication method.
Confirm that the application is ready
Verify that the environment was saved, the application started normally, and the administrator can sign in. Use the documented environment and log commands when you need to inspect the installation. A default local installation can usually be opened at http://localhost:13000, but use the actual access URL and runtime port selected by your wizard if they differ.
npm install -g @nocobase/cli@alpha
nb --version
nb init --ui
NocoBase also documents nb init for terminal interaction and nb init --yes --env app1 for non-interactive initialization. The UI wizard is preferable for this guide because it makes important decisions, including storage, runtime port, database, administrator account, access URL, and authentication, explicit during setup.
nb env list
nb env info
nb app logsDo not expose the application remotely until you can sign in locally and have reviewed its authentication and permission configuration. Use a strong, unique administrator password, avoid sharing administrator credentials, and grant ordinary users only the access required for their work. A public URL changes reachability, but it does not replace application-level authorization.
Verify NocoBase locally before adding a tunnel
Local verification establishes whether a problem belongs to NocoBase or to the remote-access layer. Open the application using the access URL configured during initialization. For a default local installation, the official guide says that http://localhost:13000 will usually work. Confirm that the sign-in page loads, authenticate with the administrator account created in the wizard, and navigate through the application.
Next, inspect the saved environment with nb env list and nb env info. If the browser cannot connect, review nb app logs before attempting to create a tunnel. The service must remain running, and the Localtonet client must be installed on a device that can reach it. If NocoBase is running in a container, virtual machine, or another host, confirm the actual address that is reachable from the Localtonet client rather than assuming that every use of localhost refers to the same network namespace.
Optional: restore the documented NocoBase CRM solution
Installing the base platform does not automatically install the documented CRM solution. NocoBase currently distributes that solution through a backup-and-restore workflow. The official CRM installation page requires an existing NocoBase environment at version v2.1.0-beta.2 or newer, the specified CRM backup file, and a compatible PostgreSQL 16 environment.
The CRM backup was built with PostgreSQL 16. Database version, character set, case-sensitivity behavior, and schema naming must remain compatible with the backup source. The documentation also states that DB_UNDERSCORED must not be set to true for this restoration because that setting conflicts with the solution backup.
Start with the full NocoBase image
For the CRM restoration workflow, NocoBase strongly recommends starting the application with its full Docker image because it includes the supporting database client programs required by Backup Manager. The documented example image is nocobase/nocobase:beta-full. Image tags and release suitability should be checked against the current NocoBase documentation before deployment.
Enable Backup Manager
Sign in to NocoBase, open Plugin Manager, find Backup Manager, and enable it. NocoBase documents Backup Manager as open source and available to all editions, including the Community Edition.
Restore the local CRM backup
Refresh the page after enabling the plugin. Open System Management, select Backup Manager, choose Restore from local backup, place the downloaded CRM backup in the upload area, and submit the restoration. Wait for the operation to finish before testing CRM modules.
The CRM restoration can fail when the database environment is incompatible or when the backup depends on commercial plugins that are absent from the local environment. NocoBase also states that current CRM solution upgrades are full replacements that overwrite custom modifications. Back up the environment before restoring or upgrading, and validate the procedure in a non-production environment first.
Choose the correct Localtonet access method
NocoBase presents a browser-based HTTP application, so an HTTP tunnel is the natural Localtonet option for its web interface. Our client establishes an outbound connection to a Localtonet relay server and provides a public URL for the local target. This avoids inbound router port forwarding, firewall changes, VPN setup, and the requirement for a public IP address.
| Localtonet option | Appropriate use | Target behavior |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP tunnel | NocoBase browser interface | Points to the local IP address and HTTP port used by the running NocoBase application. |
| TCP tunnel | A raw TCP service when specifically required | Forwards a TCP port rather than providing the standard public HTTPS web address used by an HTTP tunnel. |
| File Server | Publishing a local folder | Targets a folder path and is not the correct method for exposing the NocoBase web interface. |
| VPN Manager | Private mesh networking and LAN bridging | Provides actual VPN functionality and should not be confused with a standard HTTP tunnel. |
Access the running NocoBase application with Localtonet
Install and run our client
Install the Localtonet client on the NocoBase host or on another device that can reach the NocoBase HTTP service. Keep NocoBase running and confirm the target from that device before continuing.
Authenticate the client device
Select the device using its device-specific authentication token. Treat the token as a secret. Never publish it in documentation, screenshots, configuration examples, or source control.
Select an available relay server
Choose an available relay server or region from the current dashboard. Available values can vary, so obtain the server selection from the product rather than copying a hardcoded server code from a tutorial.
Create an HTTP tunnel
Create an HTTP tunnel and set its local target to the IP address and port where NocoBase is reachable from our client. For a default installation on the same machine, the application will usually be available through localhost on port 13000. If you selected another runtime port or network arrangement, enter the verified values instead.
Start the tunnel and test the assigned URL
Creating a tunnel does not start it. Press Start, then open the assigned public URL in a separate browser session. Confirm that the NocoBase sign-in page appears and that authorized users can complete the expected workflow.
Stop or delete access when it is no longer required
Stop the tunnel when remote access is not needed, or delete it if the endpoint should not be retained. The endpoint is available only while the selected client device is connected and the tunnel is running.
HTTP tunnels can use Random Sub Domain, Custom Sub Domain, or Custom Domain as their Process Type. Each option serves the same local content at a public HTTPS address. Custom-domain DNS requirements can change, so consult the current Localtonet HTTP tunnel documentation before configuring DNS.
If the public endpoint does not work, retest NocoBase locally from the Localtonet client device. Confirm the actual IP address, runtime port, application state, container port publication, and logs. Do not change multiple layers at once. A tunnel cannot make a stopped or unreachable local service respond.
Remote-access security checklist
Treat a remotely reachable CRM as a business system, even during a trial. Review NocoBase roles and permissions, disable accounts that are no longer required, and avoid using the primary administrator account for routine work. Verify that forms, records, attachments, and workflows expose only the information intended for each role.
Start the tunnel only when remote access is required during testing. Before broader use, review the current NocoBase production deployment guidance, backup procedures, database durability, update process, logging, and authentication configuration. The NocoBase documentation recommends a reverse proxy with HTTPS rather than relying on an IP address and port for long-term direct user access. A Localtonet HTTP tunnel supplies a public HTTPS address at the tunnel edge, but application security, permissions, data handling, and deployment suitability remain responsibilities that must be evaluated for the specific environment.
Frequently asked questions
What are the prerequisites for installing NocoBase with the CLI?
The current official installation guide lists Node.js 22 or newer and Yarn 1.x. Docker must also be running if you select a Docker-based installation path.
Which local URL does NocoBase use?
The official guide says a default local installation can usually be opened at http://localhost:13000. The UI wizard allows the runtime port and access URL to be configured, so confirm the actual values with nb env info rather than assuming the default.
Does installing NocoBase automatically install the CRM solution?
No. A basic NocoBase installation provides the platform on which you can build applications. The documented CRM solution is currently installed through Backup Manager using a supplied backup file and a compatible PostgreSQL 16 environment.
Do I need router port forwarding for Localtonet?
No. Our client creates an outbound connection to a Localtonet relay server, so the workflow does not require inbound router port forwarding, firewall changes, VPN setup, or a public IP address.
Is creating a Localtonet tunnel enough to make it available?
No. After creating the tunnel, you must press Start. The public endpoint remains available only while the selected client device is connected and the tunnel is running.
Can Localtonet fix a NocoBase application that does not load locally?
No. NocoBase must already be running and reachable from the Localtonet client device. Check the NocoBase environment information and application logs, then verify the local URL before troubleshooting the tunnel.
Connect your verified NocoBase application with Localtonet
Once NocoBase is running locally and its authentication and permissions have been reviewed, create an HTTP tunnel to provide authorized remote users with a public address without configuring inbound router port forwarding.
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