Usage

Get productive in minutes: organize files, activate rules, verify behavior, and recover safely.

1) Create and organize hosts files

• Create folders for each project/client.
• Add local .helm files for each environment (local/staging/prod, etc.).
• Keep each file focused (for example: one service or one test scenario).

2) Edit with validation

In the editor, Helm highlights:

• Valid IPv4/IPv6 entries
• Domain names
• Comments
• Invalid IP segments (with red dotted underline)

This helps you catch syntax issues before saving.

3) Enable and apply changes

• Select a hosts file and toggle it active/inactive.
• Helm merges all active files with your Original File and writes the merged result to /private/etc/hosts.
• Press Save (Command + S) after editing.

4) Verify your mappings

Open the Diagnostics panel and run:

• Verify Selected Line
• Verify Current File
• nslookup
• dig
• Connect (TCP)

Use these tools to confirm DNS resolution and connectivity without leaving Helm.

5) Remote subscriptions and auto sync

• Add a remote hosts subscription URL.
• Trigger Update Now from a remote file’s context menu, or enable auto-sync.
• Auto-sync intervals are configurable (5 min to 24 hrs).

6) Time Machine restore

Helm automatically creates snapshots when active hosts content is written.

• Open Hosts Time Machine
• Preview historical snapshots
• Restore any snapshot when needed

Helpful shortcuts

• Command + N: New file
• Option + Command + N: New remote subscription
• Shift + Command + N: New folder
• Command + E: Enable/disable selected file
• Command + S: Save
• Option + Command + D: Toggle Diagnostics panel
• Shift + Command + T: Toggle Hosts Time Machine
• Shift + Command + O: Open system hosts file
• Command + D: Duplicate
• Command + /: Toggle comment
• Command + +: Make text bigger
• Command + 0: Reset text size
• Command + -: Make text smaller