diff --git a/deploy/README.md b/deploy/README.md
index aa98f838c..833bf3bd7 100644
--- a/deploy/README.md
+++ b/deploy/README.md
@@ -337,9 +337,13 @@ Alternatively, send `GET` requests with your SPARQL query to the WDQS API endpoi
 
 ### Can I host WBS Deploy locally?
 
-Yes, WBS Deploy can be hosted locally for testing purposes by using the example domain names `*.example` from `template.env` in your `.env` file. Configure those domains in your host machine's `/etc/hosts` file, so that your browser (on your host machine) resolves `*.example` to `127.0.0.1` and access the local WBS Deploy instance.
+Due to the OAuth configuration for MediaWiki and QuickStatements, along with the automatic SSL certification generated by Traefik, you must specify a value for `WIKIBASE_PUBLIC_HOST` in your `.env` file. This value should be a domain name that resolves to the IP address of the server hosting these services and must be accessible on the Internet.
 
-However, due to OAuth requirements, QuickStatements may not function properly without publicly accessible domain name for `WIKIBASE_PUBLIC_HOST`. Also, running locally without publicly accessible addresses will prevent the generation of a valid SSL certificate; to accessing locally running services, you will need to allow the invalid certificate when loading the page for the first time.
+However, for testing purposes WBS Deploy can be run locally or on a server that is not accessible to the Internet, with the following caveats:
+
+- In this configuration, you will still need to set `WIKIBASE_PUBLIC_HOST` to hostnames that resolve locally to the IP address of the machine running the services. Configuring locally resolving DNS entries differs depending on your environment (Linux, MacOS, Windows), so setting this up correctly will require knowledge of or additional research about your specific setup. 
+- Any SSL certificates generated in this setup will be invalid, though you can optionally bypass the warning about these invalid certificates when first loading the Wikibase site in the browser.
+- QuickStatements will not function in this setup, as OAuth will not authorize against a local, non-Internet-accessible Wikibase installation.
 
 ### Can I migrate from another Wikibase installation to WBS Deploy?