This article provides you with information on how to access your website should via localhost.


Modifying the 'hosts' file allows overriding DNS for a domain on a particular machine and causes local machine to look directly at the IP address specified.

For example, the domain example.com is hosted on a server with IP address 203.0.113.2, but is not resolved to this IP from the Internet. To make your PC/Mac resolve this website to this particular IP address, just add the line below to your local 'hosts' file like this:


203.0.113.2 example.com www.example.com


Modifying the 'hosts' file...


on Windows OS


  • Start a command prompt as an Administrator.

  • Run the following command to open the 'hosts' file in Windows Notepad:
C:\> notepad C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts
  • Add domain's IP address and a domain name on a new line.
  • Click File > Save to save your changes.

 

on macOS

  • Open Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

  • Open the hosts file by typing the following line in a terminal window:

    # sudo nano /private/etc/hosts

    Type your domain user password when prompted

  • Add domain's IP address and a domain name on a new line.
    Note: The file contains some comments (lines starting with a hash "#" symbol) and some default hostname mappings (for example, 127.0.0.1 – local host). Add your new mappings after the default mappings.

  • Save the hosts file by pressing 'Control+x' and answering y.

  • Make changes take effect by flushing the DNS cache with the following command:

    # dscacheutil -flushcache

     

on Linux OS

  • In Linux terminal, open the 'hosts' file in a text editor:

    # vi /etc/hosts
  • Add domain's IP address and a domain name on a new line.

  • Save the changes and close the file.