Localghost Brand Guidelines

Localghost should feel like a tiny ghost-world utility: mysterious, goofy, magical, funny, and a little absurd. The vibe can nod toward playful platform games, spellbooks, hidden doors, and terminal tricks.

The guardrail: Localghost is still serious developer infrastructure. Copy must stay clear, exact, and trustworthy. The joke can wave hello, but the command must land.

Voice

• Lead with the useful fact.
• Keep jokes short and optional.
• Make every error actionable.
• Use plain command names, paths, and file names.
• Treat system changes like serious business.
• Avoid spooky fog when the user needs a precise fix.

Good Copy

Buh. Created .localghost
Caddy: missing
Run: brew install caddy
Localghost will not install it for you. No surprise spells.

Missing .localghost. Run `localghost init` or create .localghost.

Friendly names for local services.

Avoid

The spirits demand a proxy before the portal can awaken.

Too much theme makes infrastructure feel untrustworthy. Keep the ghost world in the margins, not in the critical path.

Copy Rule

Use the brand voice for greetings, empty states, docs headings, and small success messages. Use precise engineering language for permissions, /etc/hosts, Caddy, ports, HTTPS, package managers, and errors.