Press Shift F on a Pod, Service, Deployment, StatefulSet or DaemonSet. A Route or Ingress forwards to its backend Service. Alt Shift F forwards the first port in one click.
The dialog
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Remote port | Pick a service or container port, or enter Other remote port. |
| Local port | 0 picks a free port. |
| Bind address | Default 127.0.0.1. Must be an IP address or localhost. |
| Open in browser when ready | Opens the forwarded URL once the tunnel is up. |
| Save this forward | Keeps it for later under Port Forward: Saved Forwards…. |
| Start when the cluster connects | Restarts a saved forward automatically. |
Staying connected
- If the target pod disappears, the forward shows “reconnecting” and keeps the local port open.
- A Service forward re-resolves the pod on every connection and probes every 4 seconds, so it survives pod restarts.
- Forwards stop when their cluster disconnects or is removed.
- Every forward is listed under Active Sessions with a stop button.
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| CtrlAltO | Open the last port-forward in the browser |
Saved forwards live in state.json. Port-forwarding is blocked on read-only clusters. To open a web UI on a service, see Web views.