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How to Deploy a Docker Compose App on Coolify With Examples

A practical guide to deploying multi-container Docker Compose applications on Coolify, with YAML examples, networking rules, persistent storage, updates, and troubleshooting.
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The reliable way to run a multi-container Docker Compose application on Coolify is to create a Service inside a project and environment. Choose Docker Compose Empty (or a suitable one-click Service), select the destination server and network, add your Compose definition, enter its environment variables, configure a domain for only the HTTP-facing component, attach persistent storage, and deploy. Coolify parses the file and generates the deployment files on the selected server.

Your Compose definition remains the source of truth for services, images, ports, networks, health checks, dependencies, and Compose-owned mounts. Treat container filesystems as disposable: databases, uploads, media, and generated assets need a named volume, bind mount, file mount, or external storage before the first deployment.

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What a Coolify Service does with a Compose file

Coolify represents a multi-container stack as a Service, rather than as several unrelated application resources. The Service contains the Compose definition and the settings Coolify needs to deploy it. During deployment, Coolify parses the definition, renders the configured variables, and writes generated deployment files on the selected server.

The Compose file describes the stack’s services and images, environment variables, ports, storage mounts, networks, health checks, and dependencies. That makes it the authoritative description of how containers fit together. Dashboard settings still matter for the destination server, domain routing, and secret values, but changing a running container manually is not a durable configuration method; a later deployment can replace it.

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A typical stack has one publicly reachable application service and private dependencies such as a database, cache, queue, or worker. Coolify’s proxy can route a configured domain to the selected application component. Other components should remain reachable only over the internal Compose network unless an outside client genuinely needs access.

Prepare the application before creating the resource

Have the following ready before opening Coolify. Preparation prevents a first deployment from succeeding with an unusable or non-persistent stack.

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Item What to decide
Compose definition Keep a production-oriented docker-compose.yml in Git when practical, or prepare the YAML you will paste into Coolify. Pin image tags where predictable updates matter.
Application listener Identify the port on which the web-facing container listens inside the container. This is the port Coolify’s proxy must reach; it is not automatically the host port.
Dependencies List databases, queues, caches, workers, and any health checks or startup ordering they require.
Secrets Collect database passwords, application keys, OAuth credentials, and other required values. Keep them out of Git and enter them in Coolify’s environment-variable configuration.
Data paths For every database, upload directory, media folder, or generated-file location, identify the exact path used by the image or application.
Domain and DNS Choose the hostname for the HTTP-facing service and point its DNS record at the server that will run the Service.
Server and network Choose the Coolify server and network where the stack should run, taking account of available CPU, memory, disk, and outbound access to image registries.

Mount destinations are image-specific. The path used by one database image is not necessarily valid for another, so use the image or application’s documented data directory rather than guessing.

A production-oriented Compose example

The following pattern has a web service and PostgreSQL database. Replace the image names, commands, ports, and mount destinations with values required by your application.

services:
  web:
    image: ghcr.io/example/web:1.2.3
    environment:
      DATABASE_URL: postgres://app:${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}@db:5432/app
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
    expose:
      - '8080'
    volumes:
      - uploads:/var/lib/app/uploads

  db:
    image: postgres:16
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: app
      POSTGRES_USER: app
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
    volumes:
      - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ['CMD-SHELL', 'pg_isready -U app -d app']
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5

volumes:
  uploads:
  pgdata:

How the example works

  • web is the component that will receive the public domain. expose documents its internal listening port without publishing the database or web service directly on a host port.
  • db is addressed by the Compose service name db. Containers on the same Compose network resolve that name without using a public DNS record.
  • depends_on waits for the database health check before starting the web service. It coordinates startup; it does not replace application-level retry logic.
  • pgdata stores PostgreSQL’s data directory outside the replaceable database container. uploads does the same for user files.
  • The password is referenced as ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD} so it can be supplied through Coolify instead of committed to the repository.

Health-check commands and mount paths must match the selected image. A syntactically valid Compose file can still fail if an image listens on a different port, expects another data directory, or uses a different readiness command.

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Create the Service in Coolify

  1. Open the target project and environment. A Service belongs to the project/environment where its variables, domain, and deployment history will be managed.
  2. Select Create New Resource. Choose Docker Compose Empty for a custom stack. If a maintained one-click Service matches your application, you can choose that template instead.
  3. Select the destination server and network. Pick the server that should run every component and the network available to the stack. Confirm that the server can pull the referenced images.
  4. Add the Compose definition. Paste the YAML into the editor or load it from the source offered by your Coolify setup. Ensure service names, indentation, variable references, and volume declarations are complete.
  5. Save the resource. Saving first lets Coolify parse the definition and expose the remaining configuration sections, including variables, domains, and parsed mounts.

Do not split a single Compose stack into unrelated Coolify applications merely to make the dashboard list shorter. Keeping its services together preserves the network names, dependencies, and lifecycle that the Compose file defines.

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Configure environment variables and secrets

Open Configuration → Environment Variables and enter every value the Compose file or application requires. This includes database credentials, application secrets, signing keys, API tokens, and any non-secret configuration that the image expects.

Variable names must match the references in the YAML and the names expected by the application. For the example above, add POSTGRES_PASSWORD; Coolify can then render the Service’s .env data and the Compose configuration with that value at deployment time.

  • Keep secrets in Coolify rather than in a public repository or a committed .env file.
  • Check for variables required by secondary services, not only the web container. A worker or migration container can fail even while the web service starts.
  • After adding or changing a variable, deploy or restart the Service. Editing a value in the dashboard does not alter already-running containers until a lifecycle action recreates them.
  • When a value appears blank inside a container, first verify the variable name, scope, and saved value in Coolify, then redeploy so the generated files are refreshed.

Set up domains and internal networking

Expose only the HTTP-facing component

Assign the public domain to the web-facing service and specify the internal port on which that container listens. Coolify’s proxy uses that mapping to route requests from the domain to the component. The domain will not work if it points to the wrong service or to a port where the process is not listening.

A Compose expose entry can document an internal port without making it a public host port. Use host ports only when the application genuinely needs direct host-level access and you understand the security implications.

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Connect services by name

Use the Compose service name for internal connections. In the example, the web container connects to PostgreSQL at db:5432, not at localhost and not through the public domain. localhost inside the web container refers to the web container itself.

Confirm that the communicating services share the stack’s network. If you define custom networks, attach each dependent service to the appropriate one and keep the network names consistent with the connection settings.

Do not publish databases and queues by default

Databases, queues, and caches generally need only the internal network. Publishing their ports creates an external attack surface and can cause clients to bypass the access controls you intended. Add public access only for a specific external integration, and then apply the authentication, firewall, and exposure controls required by that service.

Make state survive redeployments

Containers are replaceable. Files written only into a container’s writable layer can disappear when Coolify recreates the stack during a redeploy, image update, or configuration change. Persistence must be declared before the first deployment that creates valuable data.

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Storage method Use it for Important consideration
Named volume Database directories, uploads, and other application data local to the server Declare the volume in Compose and mount it at the application’s real data path.
Bind mount A specific directory on the host that you manage directly The host path, permissions, ownership, and backup process become your responsibility.
File mount Files that must be supplied to a container and managed through Coolify’s storage features Ensure the mounted file is present and readable by the process that needs it.
External data service Managed or separately hosted databases and object storage Configure its endpoint and credentials as variables; verify network reachability from the Service.

For Compose resources, define mounts in the Compose file. Coolify displays the mounts it parsed in the dashboard, which gives you a chance to check that the intended source and destination are present before deploying.

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A mount added after data was written to a container does not recover those files. If a deployment already lost container-local data, restore it from a backup or another surviving copy, then add the correct mount before recreating the stack again.

Deploy and verify the stack

  1. Review the parsed configuration. Check services, images, variables, domains, ports, networks, health checks, and mounts. Pay particular attention to the database data path and the web service’s internal port.
  2. Select Deploy. Follow the deployment output as Coolify pulls images, creates networks and volumes, and starts the containers.
  3. Check component status. Confirm that every expected service is running and that health checks report the intended state. A web container can be running while a dependency is repeatedly restarting.
  4. Open the configured domain. Exercise a representative request rather than checking only that the proxy returns a response. Test login, a database-backed operation, uploads, or another path that proves the relevant dependency works.
  5. Inspect logs. Review startup output for failed migrations, authentication errors, connection refusals, missing variables, permission problems, and listening-port mismatches.
  6. Test persistence. Create a harmless test record or file, perform a controlled restart or redeploy, and confirm it remains. Do this before the application has accumulated irreplaceable data.

Use the deployment output and per-service logs together. A proxy error often reflects an application that never became reachable, while an application error can indicate that the proxy is healthy but the app cannot connect to its database.

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Update the Compose application safely

Changes to the Compose definition, image references, environment variables, domains, ports, networks, storage, or component settings do not affect running containers until you perform a lifecycle action.

Action What it does When to use it
Restart Recreates the stack without first pulling newer images. Use after configuration or variable changes when the existing image versions are intentionally retained.
Pull Latest Images & Restart Pulls the tags currently specified in the Compose file, then recreates the stack. Use when you want to refresh image content for the same tags. Review release notes and backups first.
Deploy Applies the saved Service configuration and Compose definition through the normal deployment workflow. Use after editing YAML, changing domains or mounts, or making a source update that must be rendered on the server.

Tagging an image with a moving tag does not by itself update a running container. Conversely, pulling a new image does not fix an unchanged Compose definition. Make the intended edit, save it, choose the lifecycle action that matches the change, and verify health and logs afterward.

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Choose how to supply the Compose definition

Coolify offers more than one way to start a Service. The right choice depends on who should own the YAML and how much control you need over updates.

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Approach Definition ownership Best fit Trade-offs to plan for
Docker Compose Empty You own the YAML entered or connected to the resource. A custom application, an internal game service, or a stack whose images and networking need precise control. You must maintain the Compose file, variables, mounts, backups, and update process.
One-click Service The Service starts from a catalog template, then retains its saved Compose definition. A known application that benefits from a ready-made initial configuration. A catalog refresh does not automatically rewrite an existing Service. Review upstream changes and edit the Service explicitly when you want them.
Git-managed Compose source A repository is the change-controlled source; Coolify deploys the selected definition. Teams that want code review, history, and a repeatable deployment process. Repository changes still need the Coolify deployment workflow, and secrets and server-side persistence remain operational responsibilities.

Whichever route you choose, keep a recoverable copy of the exact Compose definition, document required variables and mount paths, and record how images are updated. A template is a starting point, not a substitute for understanding what the stack stores or exposes.

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Troubleshoot the common failure points

The domain returns an error or times out

  • Verify that DNS points to the selected server.
  • Confirm the domain is assigned to the web-facing component rather than the database, worker, or queue.
  • Check the internal port configured for the proxy against the port on which the process actually listens.
  • Inspect the web service logs for a crash loop, failed startup command, missing variable, or bind error.

The proxy can route only to a reachable application component. A correct DNS record cannot make an application listening on the wrong port reachable.

The web service cannot reach its database

  • Use the Compose service name, such as db, and the database’s internal port.
  • Do not use localhost from the web container.
  • Confirm both services share the intended Compose network.
  • Check database health and startup logs for an invalid password, rejected user, failed initialization, or a readiness delay.
  • Confirm the web service’s DATABASE_URL matches the database name, user, password variable, host, and port in the Compose definition.

Data disappears after a redeploy

Find the application’s real data directory and mount a named volume, bind mount, file mount, or external storage there. Then redeploy and test persistence before restoring production traffic. A volume mounted at the wrong path leaves the application writing to the replaceable container layer.

Environment values are blank

Check that every required variable exists in Configuration → Environment Variables, uses the exact spelling referenced by Compose, and is saved in the correct project and environment. Deploy or restart after correcting it so Coolify regenerates the Service’s environment data.

A one-click template update changes nothing

Existing one-click Services keep their saved Compose definition after the catalog is refreshed. Compare the new template with the saved definition, decide which changes are safe for your data and configuration, and edit the Service explicitly before deploying.

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A service is running but unhealthy

  • Read the health-check command literally: executable name, arguments, interval, timeout, and retry count must suit the image.
  • Check that the process is listening on the expected interface and port inside the container.
  • Review dependency startup ordering and application retry behavior; depends_on coordinates creation but cannot repair a bad credential or schema migration.
  • Inspect disk space, file permissions, and mounted paths when a database or upload service fails during initialization.

Operational checklist for a stable Coolify Compose deployment

  • The Service is in the intended project and environment.
  • The selected server and network can run all components and pull their images.
  • The Compose file has explicit service names, image references, required variables, dependencies, and health checks where useful.
  • Only the HTTP-facing component has a public domain and proxy port.
  • Internal clients use Compose service names and internal ports.
  • Every database, upload, media, and generated-file path is mounted to durable storage.
  • Secrets are stored in Coolify rather than committed to Git.
  • A first deployment was followed by health, domain, log, dependency, and persistence checks.
  • Future edits use Deploy or the appropriate restart action, followed by verification.
  • Backups and restoration procedures exist for volumes or external data services; persistence alone is not a backup.

Final decision

For a Docker Compose application on Coolify, start with a Service and let the Compose definition describe the stack. Put the web component behind a Coolify domain, keep databases and queues on the private network, supply secrets through the environment-variable settings, and mount every path that must survive container replacement. Deploy after configuration changes, then validate health, real requests, logs, and persistence. This workflow keeps the deployment reproducible while avoiding the two most damaging mistakes: exposing internal services unnecessarily and storing valuable data only inside disposable containers.

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