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General Questions

Dokploy is a free, open-source, self-hostable Platform as a Service (PaaS) that simplifies the deployment and management of applications and databases. Think of it as a self-hosted alternative to platforms like Heroku, Vercel, or Netlify.Key features:
  • Deploy any application (Node.js, Python, Go, PHP, Ruby, etc.)
  • Manage databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, Redis)
  • Automated backups and monitoring
  • Docker Compose support
  • Multi-node deployment with Docker Swarm
  • Built-in SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt
Yes! Dokploy is completely free and open-source under the Apache 2.0 license. You can:
  • Use it for personal and commercial projects
  • Self-host on your own servers
  • Modify and customize it
  • Contribute to the project
There’s also Dokploy Cloud, a managed version if you prefer not to manage your own infrastructure.
Similarities:
  • Easy application deployment
  • Automatic SSL certificates
  • Git integration
  • Environment variable management
Differences:
  • Self-hosted: You control your infrastructure and data
  • No vendor lock-in: Use any VPS provider
  • Cost: No monthly fees (only your server costs)
  • Flexibility: Full Docker support, any runtime, any database
  • Privacy: Your data stays on your servers
Minimum:
  • 1 vCPU
  • 2GB RAM
  • 20GB storage
  • Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 11+ (recommended)
Recommended:
  • 2+ vCPUs
  • 4GB+ RAM
  • 50GB+ SSD storage
  • Docker 20.10+
For production workloads, scale according to your application needs.
Dokploy works on any VPS provider that supports Docker:
  • DigitalOcean
  • AWS EC2
  • Google Cloud Platform
  • Hetzner
  • Linode
  • Vultr
  • OVH
  • Any VPS with Ubuntu/Debian
You can even install it on your own hardware!

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Installation & Setup

Installation is simple with one command:
curl -sSL https://dokploy.com/install.sh | sh
This will:
  1. Install Docker (if not present)
  2. Set up all required services
  3. Configure Traefik for routing
  4. Start the Dokploy web interface
See the Installation Guide for detailed steps.
Typically 2-5 minutes on a fresh server, depending on:
  • Server speed and internet connection
  • Whether Docker needs to be installed
  • Initial image downloads
Yes, but be cautious:
  • Dokploy uses ports 80, 443, and 3000
  • It installs and configures Traefik
  • Existing Docker containers won’t be affected
  • Existing web servers (nginx, Apache) may conflict
For production, we recommend a dedicated server.
The installation script:
  1. Checks system requirements
  2. Installs Docker and Docker Compose (if needed)
  3. Downloads Dokploy Docker images
  4. Creates necessary directories and configurations
  5. Starts Dokploy services (app, database, Traefik)
  6. Displays access URL and credentials

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Deployments

Dokploy supports virtually any application:Languages & Frameworks:
  • Node.js (Next.js, Express, Nest.js, etc.)
  • Python (Django, Flask, FastAPI, etc.)
  • Go
  • PHP (Laravel, WordPress, etc.)
  • Ruby (Rails, Sinatra, etc.)
  • Java/Kotlin
  • Rust
  • Static sites (React, Vue, Angular, etc.)
Methods:
  • Git repository (automatic builds)
  • Docker images
  • Docker Compose
  • Dockerfile
Deployment process:
  1. Connect Git repository or provide Docker image
  2. Configure build settings (optional)
  3. Set environment variables
  4. Click Deploy
  5. Dokploy:
    • Clones your repository
    • Detects your runtime (or uses specified builder)
    • Builds your application
    • Creates Docker container
    • Configures routing
    • Starts your app
Subsequent deployments are triggered by Git pushes or manual triggers.
Dokploy supports multiple build strategies:
  • Nixpacks (recommended): Auto-detects and builds most applications
  • Buildpacks: Cloud Native Buildpacks for standard frameworks
  • Dockerfile: Use your own Dockerfile for custom builds
  • Docker Compose: Deploy complex multi-container applications
  • Docker Image: Pull and run existing images from registries
Yes! Dokploy provides:
  • GitHub webhooks: Auto-deploy on push
  • GitLab webhooks: Auto-deploy on push
  • Bitbucket webhooks: Auto-deploy on push
  • Generic webhooks: Trigger deployments via HTTP POST
Configure webhooks in your application settings to enable automatic deployments.
Rollback options:
  1. Redeploy previous version: Select a previous deployment from history
  2. Git revert: Push a revert commit to your repository
  3. Docker image tag: Deploy a specific image tag/version
  4. Manual restore: Restore from backup and redeploy
Each deployment is tracked, making it easy to revert to any previous version.

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Databases

Dokploy supports:
  • PostgreSQL (recommended for most applications)
  • MySQL
  • MariaDB
  • MongoDB
  • Redis (caching, sessions, queues)
Each database can be created with one click from the dashboard.
Yes! Dokploy provides:
  • Scheduled backups: Configure backup frequency (hourly, daily, weekly)
  • Multiple destinations: Local storage, S3, or other cloud storage
  • Retention policies: Automatically clean up old backups
  • Manual backups: Create backups on demand
  • One-click restore: Restore from any backup
Configure backups in your database settings.
Yes! You can:
  • Use external database providers (AWS RDS, DigitalOcean Managed Databases, etc.)
  • Connect via standard connection strings
  • Use any database Dokploy doesn’t natively support
Simply provide the connection string in your application’s environment variables.
Multiple access methods:
  1. From your application: Use internal Docker network hostname
  2. Database tools: Connect via GUI tools (pgAdmin, MySQL Workbench, etc.)
  3. Terminal: Direct access via Dokploy dashboard
  4. External access: Configure port forwarding (not recommended for production)
Connection details are available in your database settings.

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Domains & SSL

Steps to add a custom domain:
  1. Point your domain to your server’s IP address (A record)
  2. In Dokploy, go to your application settings
  3. Add domain in the Domains section
  4. Save - Dokploy automatically configures routing
  5. SSL certificate is issued automatically via Let’s Encrypt
Your application will be accessible at your custom domain within minutes.
Yes! Dokploy automatically:
  • Issues SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt
  • Renews certificates before expiration
  • Configures HTTPS redirection
  • Handles multiple domains per application
No manual certificate management needed!
Yes! Dokploy supports wildcard domains:
  • Configure *.yourdomain.com
  • Useful for multi-tenant applications
  • Automatic SSL for wildcard domains
Note: Wildcard SSL requires DNS validation with Let’s Encrypt.

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Monitoring & Logs

Dokploy provides:
  • Real-time metrics: CPU, memory, network, disk usage
  • Container stats: Per-application resource monitoring
  • Server monitoring: Overall server health
  • Deployment history: Track all deployments
  • Logs: Real-time application and build logs
All available in the dashboard without additional setup.
View logs in multiple ways:
  1. Dashboard: Real-time logs in the web interface
  2. Download: Export logs for analysis
  3. API: Programmatic log access
  4. Docker CLI: docker logs <container-name>
Logs include both application output and system events.
Yes! Dokploy supports notifications via:
  • Slack
  • Discord
  • Telegram
  • Email
  • Webhooks (for custom integrations)
Configure alerts for:
  • Deployment success/failure
  • Resource usage thresholds
  • Application errors

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Multi-Node & Scaling

Yes! Dokploy supports multi-node deployments using Docker Swarm:
  • Deploy across multiple servers
  • Automatic load balancing
  • High availability
  • Horizontal scaling
See the Multi-Node Guide for setup instructions.
Scaling options:
  • Vertical: Upgrade server resources (CPU, RAM)
  • Horizontal: Add more servers with multi-node setup
  • Container replicas: Run multiple instances of your application
  • Database scaling: Use external managed databases
Configure scaling in application settings.

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API & Automation

Yes! Dokploy provides a complete REST API:
  • Full control over applications, databases, and deployments
  • OpenAPI specification available
  • Authentication via API tokens
  • Perfect for CI/CD integration
See the API Reference for details.
Integrate Dokploy with your CI/CD pipeline:
  • GitHub Actions: Trigger deployments on push
  • GitLab CI: Deploy from GitLab pipelines
  • Jenkins: Use Dokploy API in Jenkins jobs
  • Any CI/CD tool: Use webhooks or API calls
See the Automation Guide for examples.

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Security & Privacy

Dokploy includes multiple security features:
  • Automatic SSL/TLS: All traffic encrypted
  • Isolated containers: Docker container isolation
  • Authentication: Secure admin access
  • API tokens: Controlled API access
  • Regular updates: Security patches and updates
See Security Best Practices for recommendations.
Your data stays on YOUR servers:
  • Application data: On your VPS
  • Databases: On your VPS
  • Backups: Your chosen storage (S3, local, etc.)
  • Logs: On your VPS
You have complete control and ownership of all data.
Access management:
  • Admin users: Full dashboard access
  • API tokens: Programmatic access
  • SSH keys: Git repository access
  • Firewall: Control network access
Configure users and permissions in Settings.

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Support & Community

Multiple support channels:
We welcome contributions!
  • Code: Submit pull requests
  • Documentation: Improve guides and tutorials
  • Templates: Share application templates
  • Bug reports: Help identify issues
  • Feature ideas: Suggest improvements
See the Contributing Guide to get started.
Yes! If you prefer not to manage infrastructure yourself:
  • Dokploy Cloud: app.dokploy.com
  • Fully managed hosting
  • No server setup required
  • Support included
Perfect for those who want the Dokploy experience without the ops work.

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