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Main Window

The main window is where you manage all your tunnels.

Main window dashboard

Window Layout

Area Purpose
Sidebar (left) List of all your tunnels
Detail View (right) Information about selected tunnel
Toolbar (top) Add Tunnel, Dashboard, Status/History

The sidebar lists all tunnels. A line under each tunnel name shows its state; it is hidden while a tunnel is idle.

Status Text

Status line Meaning
(none) Disconnected
Connection stage Connecting (for example, checking port or authenticating)
Connected (green) Connected
Disconnecting… Stopping
Connection failed (red) Error. Select the tunnel for details

Tunnels using the command-line SSH client show CLI Mode.

Quick Actions

  • Click a tunnel to see its details
  • Connect or disconnect with Cmd+Enter or the context menu
  • Right-click for more options (edit, duplicate, connect or disconnect, delete)

Search and Filtering

Search filters tunnels in real time across these fields:

Field Example
Tunnel Name "dev-postgres"
Remote Host Server hostname, or the AWS database or service host
SSH User / Instance ID SSH username, or the AWS instance ID
Local Port "5432"
Remote Port "5432"

To search:

  1. Click Search Tunnels at the top of the sidebar
  2. Type your query -- results update instantly
  3. Press Esc or clear the text to show all tunnels

Search is case-insensitive, matches partial strings, and searches all fields at once.

Detail View

When you select a tunnel, the detail view shows:

  • Header -- tunnel name, type, AWS profile and region (or SSH user), and a start/stop button
  • Status & Connection Test -- connection state, tunnel type, process ID while running, and a Test button
  • Port Mapping -- a local-to-remote diagram, Local Port, SSM Instance (AWS), AWS Target or Remote Host, and Target Port
  • Command -- the generated aws or ssh command (expand to view or copy)

Use the Status / History switch in the toolbar to see the selected tunnel's connection history.

Dashboard

When no tunnel is selected, the dashboard lists Active Connections, Recent Connections, and Most Used tunnels. Click a row to select the tunnel. Press Esc or click Dashboard in the toolbar to return to it.

Toolbar

Control Action Shortcut
Dashboard Return to the dashboard (when a tunnel is selected) Esc
Status / History Switch the detail view (when a tunnel is selected)
+ (Add Tunnel) Create new tunnel Cmd+N

Open Settings from the StormTunnel menu or with Cmd+,.

Duplicate Tunnel

Create a copy of an existing tunnel:

  • Keyboard: Shift+Cmd+D
  • Right-click: Select "Duplicate" from the context menu

The copy gets " (Copy)" appended to its name.

File Menu

Item Action Shortcut
New Tunnel… Create a tunnel Cmd+N
Import Tunnels… Import from file Shift+Cmd+I
Export Tunnels… Export to file Shift+Cmd+E

Tunnel Menu

Item Action Shortcut
Toggle Selected Tunnel Connect or disconnect Cmd+Enter
Edit Selected Tunnel… Edit connection settings Alt+Cmd+E
Start All Tunnels Start configured tunnels Shift+Cmd+R
Stop All Tunnels Stop active tunnels Shift+Cmd+.

Window Menu

Open Connection History, SSH Key Management, or Error Analytics from the Window menu. View → Show Sidebar controls sidebar visibility.

Help Menu

StormTunnel Help (Cmd+?) opens the in-app help window. Online Documentation and Report an Issue open the website.

See Keyboard Shortcuts for the complete list.

Tips

Resize the Sidebar

Drag the divider between the sidebar and detail view to adjust widths.

Use the Menu Bar

Enable Show Status in Menu Bar in Settings > General for quick access without opening the main window.

Copy Commands

Expand Command in the tunnel detail view and click Copy (Shift+Cmd+C) to copy the generated SSH or AWS command. Useful for debugging or running manually in Terminal.

Right-Click for Options

Right-click any tunnel for quick access to edit, duplicate, connect/disconnect, and delete.