metatron-open-seo/docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md
Ben Senescu 3e39c65265
docs: clarify self-hosting troubleshooting (#140)
* docs: clarify self-hosting troubleshooting

* docs: simplify Docker env troubleshooting
2026-04-28 17:39:38 -04:00

2.5 KiB

Docker Self-Hosting

Run OpenSEO locally with Docker.

In Docker mode, OpenSEO uses AUTH_MODE=local_noauth (no auth checks, local admin user admin@localhost). Only expose it behind your own auth-protected reverse proxy, tunnel, or private network.

The default compose.yaml uses the published GHCR image:

  • ghcr.io/every-app/open-seo:latest

Prerequisites

  • Docker Desktop (or Docker Engine + Docker Compose)

Quickstart

cp .env.example .env
docker compose up -d

Set DATAFORSEO_API_KEY in .env, then open http://localhost:<PORT> (default 3001).

Docker Compose passes .env values into the container, and compose.yaml enables CLOUDFLARE_INCLUDE_PROCESS_ENV=true so the Cloudflare Vite runtime can read them as Worker bindings during local self-hosting.

Optional env values:

  • PORT (defaults to 3001)
  • ALLOWED_HOST (single reverse-proxy hostname to allow in Vite preview)
  • AUTH_MODE=local_noauth (already set in compose)
  • OPEN_SEO_IMAGE (defaults to ghcr.io/every-app/open-seo:latest)

If you are putting Docker behind a reverse proxy or a temporary tunnel, remember that Docker self-hosting runs with app auth disabled. Only expose it behind your own auth-protected reverse proxy, tunnel, or private network, and add the public hostname before restarting:

ALLOWED_HOST=yourdomain.com docker compose up -d

You can also persist it in .env.

Pin to a specific image tag

Set OPEN_SEO_IMAGE in .env and restart:

OPEN_SEO_IMAGE=ghcr.io/every-app/open-seo:v1.2.3
docker compose up -d

Build your own image locally

If you are testing local code changes, build and run a local tag:

docker build -f Dockerfile.selfhost -t open-seo:local .
OPEN_SEO_IMAGE=open-seo:local docker compose up -d

Common commands

  • Restart service after env changes:
docker compose up -d open-seo
  • Pull latest published image and restart:
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
  • Stop:
docker compose down
  • Stop and remove volumes:
docker compose down -v

Troubleshooting environment variables

To confirm Docker Compose is using the expected environment variables:

docker compose config

Check that AUTH_MODE=local_noauth, and that DATAFORSEO_API_KEY is the base64 encoded value of your DataForSEO email and API password in this format: email:password.

If you changed .env, recreate the container so Compose reapplies it:

docker compose up -d --force-recreate open-seo