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Dev-server detection

Kodik monitors terminal output and automatically detects when a local dev server starts. This works for commands the agent runs as well as commands you run yourself.

When a server URL is detected in terminal output, a button appears in the chat panel. Click it to open the URL in the Integrated Browser.

Kodik recognizes common output formats:

  • Vite — lines like Local: http://localhost:PORT
  • Next.js — lines like ready - started server on...
  • Any URL of the form http://localhost:PORT, http://127.0.0.1:PORT, or http://0.0.0.0:PORT

Addresses on 0.0.0.0 are automatically rewritten to localhost.

In Code and Debug mode, the agent can use the preview tool to verify the app in the Integrated Browser. It can:

  • open or reload a local URL;
  • optionally launch a dev-server command first and wait until the URL responds;
  • take screenshots that appear inline in the chat;
  • read the browser console for runtime errors;
  • inspect elements, computed styles, and layout boxes;
  • resize to mobile, tablet, or desktop viewports;
  • click, type, hover, drag, handle dialogs, and run small Playwright snippets.

If preview starts the dev server, stopping the preview also stops that server. Opening arbitrary URLs, launching commands, interacting with the page, and running page scripts follow your auto-approval settings.

Once a server is detected, Kodik polls it every ~2 seconds. The button disappears when the server stops responding. Closing the terminal or ending the process (e.g. with Ctrl+C) also clears the button.

Passive dev-server detection requires no configuration. Agent-driven browser preview is enabled by default and can be turned off with kodik.preview.enabled.