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Firewall and Router Setup

Allowing Port 3000 for Articles Webhook

When Articles Webhook listens for incoming data, it opens a small local web server on your computer using:

http://<your-ip-address>:3000/

For external services to reach your Articles Webhook listener, two things must be configured:

  1. Windows 11 Firewall must allow inbound traffic on port 3000
  2. Your home or office router must forward port 3000 to your computer

Why Port 3000 Is Needed

Articles Webhook receives incoming HTTP requests from external services. These requests must pass through:

  • Your router
  • Your Windows Firewall
  • Your local machine, where Articles Webhook is listening on port 3000

If either the router or firewall blocks the port, the webhook cannot reach Articles.


Allowing Port 3000 Through Windows 11 Firewall

Windows Firewall blocks most inbound ports by default. You must create a rule that explicitly allows port 3000.

Step‑by‑Step Instructions

1. Open Windows Firewall

  • Press Start
  • Type Windows Defender Firewall
  • Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security

2. Create a New Inbound Rule

  1. Select Inbound Rules on the left
  2. Click New Rule… on the right
  3. Choose Port → click Next
  4. Select TCP
  5. Select Specific local ports and enter:
3000
  1. Click Next
  2. Choose Allow the connection
  3. Click Next
  4. Ensure all profiles are checked (Domain, Private, Public)
  5. Click Next
  6. Name the rule:
Articles Webhook Port 3000

Click Finish.

Your Windows 11 machine now accepts inbound traffic on port 3000.


Finding Your Computer’s Local IP Address

Your router needs to know which computer should receive the webhook.

Articles makes this easy: your IP address is displayed directly inside the application.

To find your IP address:

  • Open Articles
  • Go to About Articles
  • Look for the Local IP Address section

This is the IP address you will enter into your router’s port forwarding settings.


Setting Up Port Forwarding on Your Router

Every router is different, but the process is always the same.

Port forwarding tells your router:

“When a request comes in on port 3000, send it to this computer.”

General Steps (Applies to All Routers)

  1. Log into your router’s admin page
    • Usually: http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1
    • The login information is often printed on the router
  2. Look for a section named:
    • Port Forwarding
    • Virtual Server
    • NAT
    • Applications & Gaming
  3. Add a new port forwarding rule:
    • Service Name: Articles Webhook
    • Port Range: 3000–3000
    • Protocol: TCP
    • Local IP: (the IP shown in About Articles)
    • Local Port: 3000
    • Enable: Yes
  4. Save or Apply the settings
  5. Restart the router if required

Important Notes

Your local IP may change

If your computer receives a new IP address from the router, port forwarding will stop working.

To prevent this:

  • Set a DHCP reservation in your router, or
  • Assign a static IP to your computer

Some ISPs block inbound ports

Most allow port 3000, but a few block all inbound traffic. If the webhook cannot connect, your ISP may need to enable it.

Testing the Port

You can test whether port 3000 is open using:

Enter 3000 and check if it is reachable.


Summary

To receive webhook data using Articles Webhook:

  • Allow port 3000 in Windows Firewall
  • Forward port 3000 on your router to your computer’s IP
  • Find your IP inside About Articles
  • Ensure Articles Webhook is actively listening on port 3000

Once these steps are complete, external services can successfully send webhook requests to your Articles Webhook listener.