ZippyServe is a zero-dependency local web server. It lets you test single-page apps quickly. It serves directories, zips, HTML, and Markdown, and it has a built-in MCP for AI coding agents.
- Solves local SPA testing with no bulky web servers required.
- Precompiled binaries ship for Windows, Linux, and macOS in
/bin— no runtime install needed. - Serves local directories, zips, and tarballs.
- Routes index files and READMEs automatically.
- Blocks upward directory traversal securely.
- Excludes dotfiles and dot-directories (
.git,.github,.claude, etc.) from being served by default, since the served root is commonly a project's working directory — pass-serve-dotfilesto opt back in..well-knownis always served (RFC 8615). - Renders GitHub-flavored Markdown natively.
- Launches your browser to
localhostautomatically. - Includes a built-in MCP server so AI coding agents can drive and inspect a live local server directly — see docs/mcp-design.md.
- Adds to any project by copying just
/binand the run script matching your OS — no other files required. - Licensed under GPLv3, unlike many similar web servers, allowing re-use and bundling with other open source or commercial projects.
- Copy
bin/and the run script matching your OS into your project's root. - Run it:
.\run-windows.ps1(Windows),./run-linux.sh(Linux), or double-clickrun-mac.command(macOS). - Your default browser opens automatically to
http://localhost:8010. - Override the port or serve a different directory/zip:
.\run-windows.ps1 -Port 9000or./run-linux.sh --dir ./dist. - Building from source instead of using the checked-in binaries: run
.\build.ps1(Windows) or./build.sh(Linux/macOS) to cross-compile all targets into/bin. - To use the built-in MCP server for AI coding agents, run the scripts with the
-mcpparameter (and optionally-mcp-browserfor console error capture). See docs/mcp-design.md for more information. - Dotfiles and dot-directories (
.git,.github,.claude, and similar) are excluded from serving by default — this applies to plain file serving as well as the MCP tools, not just one or the other. Pass-serve-dotfiles(or-ServeDotfileson Windows) if you genuinely need to serve one:.\run-windows.ps1 -ServeDotfilesor./run-linux.sh --serve-dotfiles..well-known/is always served, dotfile exclusion or not.
- The full documentation is available at: https://michmed.org/efdc-kb
The Mobile Technologies Core provides investigators across the University of Michigan the support and guidance needed to utilize mobile technologies and digital mental health measures in their studies. Experienced faculty and staff offer hands-on consultative services to researchers throughout the University – regardless of specialty or research focus.
Learn more at: https://depressioncenter.org/mobiletech.
To get in touch, contact the individual developers in the check-in history.
If you need assistance identifying a contact person, email the EFDC's Mobile Technologies Core at: efdc-mobiletech@umich.edu.
Copyright © 2026 The Regents of the University of Michigan Licensed under GNU General Public License v3.0.
Mongefranco, Gabriel (2026). ZippyServe. University of Michigan. Software. https://github.com/DepressionCenter/ZippyServe
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21613944
Copyright © 2026 The Regents of the University of Michigan