ChatGPT2LocalBridge

ChatGPT2LocalBridge is a self-hosted MCP server that lets ChatGPT access approved local workspaces after OAuth authorization. It is designed for people who want ChatGPT to inspect or operate on local project files without uploading the whole workspace elsewhere.

It is not a legacy ChatGPT plugin. It is best described as:

• MCP Server

• ChatGPT Custom Connector

• OAuth Local Workspace Bridge

Unofficial project. Not affiliated with OpenAI.

Route

ChatGPT
  -> OAuth MCP Connector
  -> HTTPS tunnel
  -> http://127.0.0.1:3838/mcp
  -> ChatGPT2LocalBridge
  -> approved local workspace roots

ChatGPT does not directly mount your disk. It calls MCP tools, and every file operation is checked against bridge.policy.json.

Related MCP server: LocalNest MCP

30-Second Install

npx github:harzva/chatgpt2localbridge init --root ~/Projects
set -a; source .env.local; set +a
npx github:harzva/chatgpt2localbridge --http 3838

Local clone flow:

git clone https://github.com/harzva/chatgpt2localbridge.git
cd chatgpt2localbridge
npm install
npm run build
node dist/index.js init --root ~/Projects
set -a; source .env.local; set +a
node dist/index.js --http 3838

Health check:

curl -sS http://127.0.0.1:3838/health

Local operator console:

http://127.0.0.1:3838/app

ChatGPT Connector Setup

Expose the local server through HTTPS:

ngrok http 3838 --url=your-fixed-domain.ngrok-free.dev

Then create a ChatGPT Custom Connector:

When the authorization page opens, enter the unlock code from .env.local. Do not paste unlock codes or tokens into public chats, issues, screenshots, or commits.

Screenshot Walkthrough

Full guides:

• Human setup tutorial

• Agent + Computer Use tutorial

• Visual showcase gallery

• Markdown human tutorial

• Markdown agent tutorial

Main MCP Tools

File Sync And Activity

• Local files can be read by ChatGPT through approved MCP tools.

• ChatGPT/App-provided cloud file download URLs can be written back to local disk with cloud.download.

• Tool calls are persisted to tool-calls.jsonl.

• File writes, downloads, tasks, processes, and service restarts are persisted to audit.jsonl.

• The local console at /app shows status, tool calls, and audit events.

See file sync flows.

Security Defaults

• Do not run unauthenticated on a public URL.

• Keep allowedProjectRoots narrow.

• Never commit .env.local, bridge.policy.json, OAuth stores, tokens, cookies, or unlock codes.

• Prefer OAuth over URL tokens.

• Set LOCALBRIDGE_DASHBOARD_TOKEN before using /app.

• Review shell deny rules before enabling shell access for broad workspaces.

See security model.

Alternatives

OAuth + fixed HTTPS tunnel is the default because it fits ChatGPT Custom Connectors well. Other options exist:

• OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel, when available to your workspace

• Cloudflare Tunnel

• VPS reverse proxy

• Static bearer token for private clients

• Loopback-only no-auth testing

See alternatives.

GitHub Pages

The static product site lives in docs/. The repository includes a GitHub Actions workflow that deploys it to GitHub Pages after pushing to main.

Development

npm install
npm run typecheck
npm test
npm pack --dry-run

Render README and docs assets:

npm run docs:assets
npm run docs:preview

Public Release Checklist

• Enable GitHub Pages with the included workflow.

• Confirm npm test passes in GitHub Actions.

• Keep .env.local and bridge.policy.json untracked.

• Verify the ChatGPT connector uses OAuth and the correct /mcp URL.

License

MIT