Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Installing and Setting Up Coolify on a VPS

This guide walks you through installing and configuring Coolify on a VPS, securing it for production use, and deploying your first application with confidence. The instructions are written for beginners as well as developers planning real-world deployments, and are derived from the uploaded installation document

What Is Coolify and Why Use It?

Coolify is an open-source deployment platform that runs on your own server. It uses Docker internally to build, run, and manage applications, databases, and services.

Why developers choose Coolify:

• Full control over infrastructure and data
• No vendor lock-in or per-app pricing
• Supports many stacks (Node.js, PHP, Python, static sites, Docker, Docker Compose)
• Built-in SSL, backups, and monitoring
• Ideal for agencies, startups, and self-hosters

Prerequisites: Server Requirements

Before starting, make sure your VPS meets these minimum requirements:

Minimum (for testing or light usage)

• 2 CPU cores
• 2 GB RAM
• 30 GB storage

Recommended (production or multiple apps)

• 4 CPU cores
• 8 GB RAM
• 100–150 GB storage

Supported Operating Systems

Coolify supports many Linux distributions, but Ubuntu LTS (22.04 or 24.04) is strongly recommended for the smoothest experience and full automation.

Other Requirements

• Fresh VPS (no existing Docker setups)
• Root or sudo access
• SSH access to the server

Step 1: Connect to Your VPS and Update the System

Log in to your server using SSH:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Update system packages to avoid dependency issues:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Install required utilities that Coolify relies on:

apt install curl wget git jq openssl -y

Step 2: Install Coolify Using the Official Script

Coolify provides a one-command installation script that automatically installs Docker, configures services, and sets up everything needed.

Run the installer:

curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | bash

Optional: Pre-configure Admin Credentials

If you prefer not to create the admin account manually later, you can define credentials during installation:

env ROOT_USERNAME=admin \

ROOT_USER_EMAIL=admin@example.com \

ROOT_USER_PASSWORD=StrongPasswordHere \

bash -c 'curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | bash' 

What the Installer Does

• Installs Docker and Docker Compose
• Sets up directories under /data/coolify
• Configures Docker networking
• Generates SSH keys
• Starts Coolify as a system service

The installation usually completes in a few minutes.

Step 3: Access Coolify and Create the Admin Account

Once installation finishes, you’ll see a URL like:

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8000 

Open it immediately in your browser.

⚠️ Important: The first person to register becomes the admin. Do not leave this page exposed.

Create your admin account using:

• Username
• Valid email address
• Strong password

After login, you’ll see the onboarding wizard.

Step 4: Configure Server and Proxy Settings

During onboarding:

• Choose localhost as the server destination (Coolify runs on the same VPS)
• Enable the reverse proxy (Traefik or Caddy)

The proxy handles:

• HTTP → HTTPS redirection
• SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt
• Domain-based routing for your apps

Step 5: Connect a Custom Domain and Enable SSL

Add DNS Records

From your domain provider, create an A record pointing to your VPS IP.

Example:

• Type: A
• Name: coolify or * (wildcard)
• Value: YOUR_SERVER_IP

A wildcard record allows unlimited subdomains without extra DNS entries.

Configure Domain Inside Coolify

1. Go to Settings → Instance Domain
2. Enter your domain with HTTPS (e.g., https://coolify.example.com)
3. Save the settings

Coolify will automatically:

• Verify DNS
• Request SSL certificates
• Secure the dashboard with HTTPS

Step 6: Secure Your Server Before Production

Enable Firewall (UFW)

ufw allow 22/tcp    # SSH 

ufw allow 80/tcp    # HTTP 

ufw allow 443/tcp   # HTTPS 

ufw allow 8000/tcp  # Coolify panel (temporary) 

ufw enable 

Once your domain works, you can block port 8000 to prevent IP-based access.

Create a Non-Root Admin User

adduser admin 

usermod -aG sudo admin

Install Fail2Ban

apt install fail2ban -y 

systemctl enable fail2ban

This protects against brute-force login attempts.

Enable Automatic Security Updates

apt install unattended-upgrades -y 

dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades

Step 7: Deploy Your First Application

Create a Project

1. Go to Projects
2. Create a new project
3. Add an environment (e.g., Production)

Deploy from GitHub

1. Add a new Application
2. Select GitHub (public repo or GitHub App)
3. Choose a build method:
   • Nixpacks (auto-detect)
   • Dockerfile
   • Static site
   • Docker Compose
4. Configure environment variables
5. Click Deploy

Coolify handles the build, container creation, and live deployment.

Step 8: Add Databases, Backups, and Monitoring

Databases & Services

You can add:

• PostgreSQL
• MySQL
• MongoDB
• Redis
• Search engines and queues

Each service runs in its own container.

Backups

• Schedule automatic database backups
• Send backups to S3-compatible storage
• Monitor backup success directly from the dashboard

Monitoring

Coolify includes:

• Disk usage alerts
• Container health checks
• Deployment logs
• Email notifications

Step 9: Ongoing Maintenance Best Practices

• Keep Coolify auto-updates enabled
• Monitor CPU, RAM, and storage regularly
• Review user access and activity logs
• Periodically audit firewall and SSH rules

Final Thoughts

Coolify bridges the gap between full DevOps complexity and expensive managed platforms. With one VPS, you can host multiple applications, databases, and services securely—without losing control or flexibility.

If you’re an agency, freelancer, or developer who values ownership and predictable costs, Coolify is a powerful foundation for modern deployments.