diff --git a/client/Makefile b/client/Makefile
index 308b6fc4..9ba3713c 100644
--- a/client/Makefile
+++ b/client/Makefile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ clean:
 
 .PHONY: develop
 develop: .env.development node_modules/gatsby
-	npx gatsby develop -p 80
+	npx gatsby develop -p 8000
 
 .PHONY: format
 format:
diff --git a/client/src/pages/index.tsx b/client/src/pages/index.tsx
index cd9de745..c1674745 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/index.tsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/index.tsx
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ import {
   EMAIL_URL_PARAM_KEY,
   EVENTS_KEY,
   LS_EMAIL_KEY,
+  LS_LEFT_HOME_PAGE,
   LS_USER_ID_KEY,
   LS_X_API_EMAIL_KEY,
   POST_SURVEY_TIME_KEY,
@@ -429,6 +430,11 @@ function IndexPage(props: {
   ]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    const leftHomePageData = getParamURL(LS_LEFT_HOME_PAGE);
+    if (leftHomePageData) {
+      setLocalStorage(LS_LEFT_HOME_PAGE, leftHomePageData);
+      removeQueryParam(LS_LEFT_HOME_PAGE);
+    }
     const chatSessionId = uuid();
     dispatch(setChatSessionId(chatSessionId));
 
@@ -485,7 +491,6 @@ function IndexPage(props: {
     ) {
       return;
     }
-
     const findMentor = async () => {
       // check local store=
       if (!mentor) {
diff --git a/cypress/cypress.config.ts b/cypress/cypress.config.ts
index 119ea57c..d625e54f 100644
--- a/cypress/cypress.config.ts
+++ b/cypress/cypress.config.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@ export default defineConfig({
     setupNodeEvents(on, config) {
       return require("./cypress/plugins/index.js")(on, config);
     },
-    baseUrl: "http://localhost:80/",
+    baseUrl: "http://localhost:8000/",
   },
 });
diff --git a/cypress/cypress/e2e/url-params.cy.ts b/cypress/cypress/e2e/url-params.cy.ts
index a9d05034..6ed1bcef 100644
--- a/cypress/cypress/e2e/url-params.cy.ts
+++ b/cypress/cypress/e2e/url-params.cy.ts
@@ -146,4 +146,28 @@ describe("Display Mentor Grid", () => {
     );
     cy.get("[data-cy=username-modal-container]").should("not.exist");
   });
+
+  it("leftHomePage data is pulled from url params", () => {
+    mockDefaultSetup(cy, {
+      config: {
+        displayGuestPrompt: false,
+      },
+    });
+    cy.visit(
+      `/?mentor=carlos&leftHomePage=${encodeURIComponent(
+        JSON.stringify({
+          targetMentors: ["carlos"],
+          time: new Date().toISOString(),
+        })
+      )}`
+    );
+    cy.wait(1000);
+    cy.window().then((win) => {
+      const leftHomePageData = JSON.parse(
+        win.localStorage.getItem("leftHomePage")
+      );
+      console.log("leftHomePageData", leftHomePageData);
+      cy.wrap(leftHomePageData.targetMentors).should("deep.equal", ["carlos"]);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/cypress/cypress/support/helpers.ts b/cypress/cypress/support/helpers.ts
index d182e0b5..d437a9f7 100644
--- a/cypress/cypress/support/helpers.ts
+++ b/cypress/cypress/support/helpers.ts
@@ -378,3 +378,14 @@ export function updateLocalStorageUserData(
     JSON.stringify({ ...startingData, ...updatedObject })
   );
 }
+
+export function appendHomePageData(targetMentors: string[], url: string) {
+  const time = new Date().toISOString();
+  const data = {
+    targetMentors,
+    time,
+  };
+  const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(url);
+  urlParams.set("leftHomePage", JSON.stringify(data));
+  return `${url}?${urlParams.toString()}`;
+}