> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://pode.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://pode.gitbook.io/docs/functions/listen.md).

# Listen

## Description

The `listen` function allows you to specify the IP, Port and Protocol that your `Server` will listen on. If the protocol is `https` then you can also specify a certificate to bind, even having Pode create a self-signed certificate for you.

## Examples

1. The following example will listen on every IP over port 8080 for HTTP requests:

   > This will setup an web server and will require `route`s to be configured

   ```
    Server {
        listen *:8080 http
    }
   ```
2. The following example will listen on localhost over port 25 for SMTP requests:

   > This will setup an SMTP server and will require a `handler` to be configured

   ```
    Server {
        listen 127.0.0.1:25 smtp
    }
   ```
3. The following example will listen on a specific IP address over port 8443 for HTTPS requests; it will also inform Pode to create and bind a self-signed certifcate to the IP:Port:

   > This will setup an web server and will require `route`s to be configured

   ```
    Server {
        listen 10.10.1.4:8443 https -cert self
    }
   ```

## Parameters

| Name   | Type   | Required | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Default |
| ------ | ------ | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| IPPort | string | true     | The IP:Port combination that the server should listen on                                                                                                                                                       | null    |
| Type   | string | true     | The type of server: HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, TCP                                                                                                                                                                     | null    |
| Cert   | string | false    | The certificate to bind to the IP:Port. If the certificate is `self` then Pode will create a self-signed certifcate. If the certifcate is `*.example.com` then it must be installed to `Cert:/LocalMachine/My` | null    |