How to add a custom domain name on your localhost using XAMPP. Codes are based on Windows, but Step 2 onwards are pretty much applicable on other operating system.

custom-domain-localhost-xampp

Step 1:
Go to: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts
And add this to the bottom of the file:

=============
127.0.0.1     your.domain.com
=============

Step 2:
Go to [your XAMPP directory]/apache/conf/httpd-xampp.conf

Step 3:
Go to the bottom of the file and copy & paste this code:

=============
<VirtualHost *:80>
   DocumentRoot "[PATH TO YOUR CUSTOM FOLDER]"
   ServerName your.domain.com
   
   <Directory "[PATH TO YOUR CUSTOM FOLDER]">
     Options Indexes FollowSymLinks Includes ExecCGI
      AllowOverride All
      Require all granted
	</Directory>

</VirtualHost>
=============

* Replace [PATH TO YOUR CUSTOM FOLDER] to the folder where your files are located.
  Ex: C:/my/www/folder/
* your.domain.com must be the same on Step 1 & Step 3


Step 4:
Stop Apache on XAMPP, wait for 5 seconds, then click "Start" to start again your Apache.


If all things go well, you can go to your browser, type your.domain.com 
and it will now happily point to your custom local folder.

Thank you very much

Hello, thanks for these instructions.
I followed them for a Mac (v 10.12.6), and when I went to "localhost" (which is what my domain.com is set up to be), I get the message: Forbidden: You don't have permission to access / on this server.
Any ideas?
Thanks

It doesn't work in my case... Google respond this site can't be reached

Hi, thanks for this simple explanation. It really saved my time.
One thing though, I think there's a slight mistake on Step 2: Go to [your XAMPP directory]/apache/conf/httpd-xampp.conf , shouldn't it be httpd-vhosts.conf?

Thanks a lot men, It's working on my XAMPP

Дякую

On mac, I get this message after following the instructions, any ideas?
Forbidden
You don't have permission to access / on this server.
Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

Excellent. Great job man

Nice but I have a question. I'm trying to access this subdomain from a mobile device connected to the same wifi. So I type the IP address of my machine and I get redirected to the subdomain but I get "Could not connect to the server".
I'm running an SSL self signed, XAMPP, Windows 10. Do you have suggestion?

great effort.... short and easy to understand (Y)

It works. As easy as it seems. Thank you!