> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.repocloud.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Coolify

> Self-hosted Heroku/Netlify alternative on a dedicated VPS with git-push deploys, 280+ templates, managed databases, and automatic SSL

## Coolify on RepoCloud

Coolify is an open-source, self-hosted platform-as-a-service (PaaS) that turns any server into a Heroku-like deployment environment. On RepoCloud, Coolify runs on a dedicated VPS with full root access, SSH, a browser console, and all the management tools in the RepoCloud dashboard.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Git-Push Deploys" icon="code-branch">
    Connect GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Gitea and deploy on every push with automatic builds via Nixpacks, Dockerfile, or Docker Compose
  </Card>

  <Card title="280+ Templates" icon="grid-2">
    One-click deployment for WordPress, n8n, Grafana, Plausible, MinIO, Ghost, and hundreds more
  </Card>

  <Card title="Managed Databases" icon="database">
    Provision PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, and Redis in a few clicks with backups and monitoring
  </Card>

  <Card title="Automatic SSL" icon="lock">
    Traefik reverse proxy with Let's Encrypt certificates, per-branch preview URLs, and wildcard domain support
  </Card>

  <Card title="Full Root Access" icon="terminal">
    SSH into your server, use the browser console, and manage everything at the OS level
  </Card>

  <Card title="S3 Backups" icon="cloud-arrow-up">
    Automated backups to any S3-compatible storage with one-click restore
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Prerequisites

* A RepoCloud account with credit balance (VPS Apps work with free sign-up credit)
* An email address for the Coolify admin account

## Deploying Coolify on RepoCloud

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find Coolify in the Marketplace">
    Go to the RepoCloud marketplace and search for "Coolify". Click on the Coolify VPS listing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter a Project Name">
    Choose a friendly name for your project (e.g., "my-coolify"). This is for your reference in the RepoCloud dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Your Admin Email">
    Provide the email address you want to use for the Coolify admin account. It defaults to your RepoCloud account email.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Resource Settings">
    Select a tier for your server. Tiers below 2 GB RAM are greyed out because Coolify requires at least 2 GB to install without running out of memory. Servers can be upgraded to a higher tier but not downsized.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deploy">
    A dedicated IPv4 address is included with every VPS at no extra charge. Click **Deploy Coolify** and wait 5–10 minutes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check Your Email">
    Once deployment finishes, you receive an email with:

    * **Dashboard URL** — the HTTPS link to your Coolify dashboard
    * **App Credentials** — admin email and any generated passwords
    * **SSH command** — `ssh root@<your-ip>`
    * **SSH Private Key** — save it to a file, `chmod 600`, and use it to connect
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Coolify requires a minimum of 2 GB RAM. If you select a tier with less, the deployment page disables it and shows "Below minimum system requirements for this app."
</Note>

## First-Time Setup

After deployment, open the dashboard URL from your email. Coolify walks you through an onboarding wizard:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create Your Admin Account">
    On first visit, register with the admin email and a secure password. The first account created becomes the Coolify administrator.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Server Type">
    Select **Quick Start** to use the current server (localhost) for deployments. This is the right choice for most users — the Coolify VPS is both the control plane and the deployment target. Advanced users can choose "Recommended" to connect a separate remote server later.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure SSH Authentication">
    Select **Use Existing Key**. Coolify automatically generated an SSH key during installation that it uses to manage the local Docker runtime. No manual key setup is needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Your First Project">
    Coolify organizes work into projects. Create one (e.g., "My First Project") to group your applications, databases, and services.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  After the wizard, go to **Settings** in the Coolify sidebar and set your **Instance Domain** (e.g., `https://coolify.yourdomain.com`) if you want to access the dashboard through your own domain with automatic SSL.
</Tip>

## Deploying Applications

### From a Git Repository

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a New Resource">
    In the Coolify dashboard, click **New Resource** and select **Application**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect Your Git Provider">
    Choose GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Gitea. For GitHub, authorize Coolify via the GitHub App integration. For other providers, add a deploy key or OAuth token.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Repository and Branch">
    Pick the repository and branch you want to deploy. Enable "Auto Deploy" to redeploy on every push.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the Build">
    Coolify auto-detects your build system via **Nixpacks** (the default). You can also select a **Dockerfile** or **Docker Compose** build. Set environment variables, build arguments, and resource limits as needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a Domain">
    Under the **Domains** tab, add a domain or subdomain. Coolify provisions a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate automatically. If you do not have a domain yet, Coolify assigns a port-based URL on your server's IP.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deploy">
    Click **Deploy**. Watch the build log in real time. Once the build completes, your app is live at the configured domain.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### From a Template

Coolify ships with 280+ pre-configured service templates:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Browse Templates">
    In the Coolify dashboard, click **New Resource** and select **Service**. Browse or search the template catalog.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a Template">
    Choose a template (e.g., WordPress, Plausible Analytics, n8n, Uptime Kuma). Each template comes with sensible defaults.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure and Deploy">
    Adjust any settings (domain, environment variables, resource limits) and click **Deploy**. Coolify pulls the required images and starts the service.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Popular templates include:

* **CMS**: WordPress, Ghost, Strapi, Directus
* **Analytics**: Plausible, Umami, Matomo
* **Automation**: n8n, Huginn, Activepieces
* **Monitoring**: Uptime Kuma, Grafana, Prometheus
* **Storage**: MinIO, Nextcloud, Seafile
* **Development**: Gitea, Code Server, Coder

## Managing Databases

Coolify can provision and manage databases as first-class resources:

* **PostgreSQL** — with pgAdmin or direct connection strings
* **MySQL / MariaDB** — standalone or as part of a service stack
* **MongoDB** — single node or replica set
* **Redis** — caching, pub/sub, and session storage

For each database, Coolify provides:

* Connection strings and credentials
* Automated backups on a schedule (configure S3-compatible storage under **Settings > Backup**)
* One-click restore from any backup point
* Resource monitoring (CPU, memory, disk usage)

## Custom Domains and SSL

Coolify manages its own domains and SSL certificates through its built-in Traefik reverse proxy. This is separate from the RepoCloud custom domain feature.

**For applications deployed inside Coolify:**

1. Go to the application's **Domains** tab in the Coolify dashboard
2. Add your domain (e.g., `app.yourdomain.com`)
3. Create a DNS **A record** pointing to your VPS IPv4 address
4. Coolify automatically provisions a Let's Encrypt certificate

**For the Coolify dashboard itself:**

1. Go to **Settings** in the Coolify sidebar
2. Set the **Instance Domain** (e.g., `https://coolify.yourdomain.com`)
3. Create a DNS **A record** pointing to your VPS IPv4 address
4. Save — Coolify reconfigures Traefik to serve the dashboard on that domain with SSL

<Warning>
  Do not use the RepoCloud "Custom Domain" feature in the manage page for domains intended for applications running inside Coolify. Use Coolify's own domain management instead, as it controls the Traefik routing rules and certificate issuance.
</Warning>

## RepoCloud Manage Page

Your Coolify VPS has a dedicated manage page in the RepoCloud dashboard with these sections:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Access">
    View your server's default domain (HTTPS link to Coolify dashboard), dedicated IPv4 address, SSH connection command (`ssh root@<ip>`), and app credentials (admin email and generated passwords).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Power">
    **Power Off** stops the server (data is preserved). **Power On** starts it again. **Reboot** performs a graceful restart. Use these for maintenance or to stop billing on a fixed-tier server.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Console">
    Opens a browser-based serial console (xterm.js) for emergency access. Useful if SSH is unreachable — for example, after a firewall misconfiguration or a failed system update.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="SSH Keys">
    Lists all registered SSH public keys. RepoCloud auto-generates an Ed25519 key pair at deployment and sends the private key in your email. You can add more keys (e.g., from other machines or team members) and remove old ones.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Resize">
    Switch between tiers. Upsizing is always available; disk cannot be shrunk after an upgrade (if you need a smaller disk, create a new instance). Changes take effect within a few minutes.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Snapshots">
    Create up to 5 point-in-time snapshots. Take one before upgrading Coolify or making risky changes so you can roll back. To restore, click **Restore** next to the target snapshot. If newer snapshots exist, a warning lists which ones will be permanently destroyed. The server restarts during restore (\~10–25 seconds) and the page refreshes automatically when complete.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Custom Domain (VPS-level)">
    Point your own domain to the VPS itself by creating an A record to your IPv4 and registering it here. This sets the top-level domain for the server — individual app domains are managed inside Coolify.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Danger Zone">
    Permanently delete the server, all data, snapshots, and the IPv4 reservation. Requires typing the project name to confirm.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Upgrading Coolify

Coolify manages its own updates. When a new version is available, a notification appears in the Coolify dashboard sidebar.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check for Updates">
    In the Coolify dashboard, look for the update notification in the sidebar or go to **Settings > About**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a Snapshot">
    Before upgrading, create a snapshot from the RepoCloud manage page so you can roll back if something goes wrong.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the Upgrade">
    Click the update button in the Coolify dashboard. Coolify pulls the new images and restarts its own containers. Your deployed applications are not affected.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify">
    After the upgrade, confirm the new version number in **Settings > About** and verify your applications are still running.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  You can also upgrade via SSH by running the official Coolify upgrade command: `curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | bash`. This is the same script used for initial installation and handles upgrades in-place.
</Tip>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Dashboard not loading after deployment">
    The Coolify dashboard runs on port 8000 behind the VPS's default domain. If the URL from your email does not load, wait a few more minutes — the installation script needs time to pull Docker images and start all services. If it still does not load after 15 minutes, open the browser console from the RepoCloud manage page and check `docker ps` for running containers.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Out of memory during installation on small tiers">
    Coolify requires at least 2 GB RAM. If you deployed on a tier with less memory (which should not be possible through the UI — tiers below 2 GB are disabled), the install script may fail during `apt-get install` or Docker image pulls. Resize to a 2 GB or larger tier from the manage page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Let's Encrypt certificate not issuing">
    Ensure your DNS A record points to the correct IPv4 address (shown in the manage page Access section). Let's Encrypt uses the HTTP-01 challenge on port 80 — the Traefik container must be running and port 80 must not be blocked. Check Coolify's Traefik logs: in the sidebar, go to **Settings > Traefik** and check the log output.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cannot SSH into the server">
    Verify you are using the correct IP address and that your SSH key file has `chmod 600` permissions. If SSH hangs or is refused, use the browser console from the RepoCloud manage page to diagnose — check `systemctl status sshd` and `ufw status` from the console.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Applications fail to build">
    Check the build log in the Coolify dashboard for specific errors. Common causes: missing Dockerfile or unsupported Node.js/Python version for Nixpacks. Ensure your repository has a supported build configuration. You can always switch the build method between Nixpacks, Dockerfile, and Docker Compose.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Use Cases

Coolify is ideal for:

* **Indie developers and startups** who want Heroku-like convenience without vendor lock-in or per-app pricing
* **Agencies** deploying multiple client sites from Git with automatic SSL and preview environments
* **Teams** that need managed databases alongside their applications with centralized monitoring
* **Self-hosters** migrating from other PaaS providers who want to keep their deployment workflow

## Next Steps

<CardGroup>
  <Card title="Deploy Coolify" icon="rocket" href="https://repocloud.io/details/Coolify%20VPS">
    Launch your Coolify VPS from the RepoCloud marketplace
  </Card>

  <Card title="Coolify Documentation" icon="book" href="https://coolify.io/docs">
    Read the official Coolify documentation for advanced features
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dokploy" icon="docker" href="/deployment/dokploy">
    Explore Dokploy as an alternative Docker-focused deployment platform
  </Card>

  <Card title="VPS Apps Overview" icon="server" href="/deployment/vps-apps">
    Learn about all VPS Apps and the RepoCloud manage page
  </Card>
</CardGroup>