The shortest supported VPS deployment is a Docker container with a persistent /datastore volume, bound to localhost and placed behind a TLS reverse proxy. Add the project’s Playwright/browser fetcher only for pages that require JavaScript rendering or browser actions.
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This guide covers installation, persistent storage, reverse-proxy settings, JavaScript watches, notifications, tuning, upgrades and the failure modes most likely to matter on a self-managed server.
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What you are deploying
changedetection.io is a self-hosted website change-monitoring service. It periodically fetches URLs, compares the resulting content and can notify you when a selected part of a page changes. A basic deployment uses ordinary HTTP fetching. A second, browser-enabled service can render JavaScript-heavy pages and perform browser steps, but it adds another container and consumes more server resources.
For a VPS, Docker is the practical starting point because the application, its dependencies and its restart policy are defined together. The project also supports a Python/pip installation, which can suit an existing Python environment, but it requires you to manage the runtime and process service yourself.
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Choose the deployment shape first
| Characteristic | HTTP-only container | Browser-enabled deployment |
|---|---|---|
| Containers | One application container | Application plus the browser-fetcher service from the project’s official Compose configuration |
| JavaScript rendering | Limited to what the ordinary HTTP fetcher can retrieve | Designed for pages that build their content in a browser |
| Browser steps and screenshots | Not available for targets that need a real browser | Supports browser-oriented fetching, steps and screenshot workflows documented by the project |
| CPU and memory demand | Lower and easier to operate | Higher; browser processes can be substantial, especially with several concurrent watches |
| Operational complexity | One image, one port and one persistent volume | Multiple services, service dependency, browser-specific variables and more logs to monitor |
Start with HTTP-only fetching. Move a watch to the browser fetcher when the saved response is missing content that appears only after JavaScript runs, or when the watch requires browser actions. Running a browser for every watch wastes resources and makes failures harder to isolate.
Prepare the VPS
Use a current Linux system
Provision a current Linux VPS and apply its security updates. Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose support by following the official instructions for your distribution. The changedetection.io project assumes Docker or Python; it does not prescribe one universal VPS distribution command.
Create an application directory
Keep the Compose file, proxy configuration and operational notes in a dedicated directory. Do not treat the container filesystem as storage. The only data that must survive replacement is the mounted datastore, so plan a backup location before you create watches.
Decide how the public hostname will work
Choose a DNS name for the service and point it at the VPS. The application should listen only on 127.0.0.1; Nginx, Caddy, Traefik or another reverse proxy should own ports 80 and 443, obtain the certificate and forward requests to the local application port.
Install the minimal Docker deployment
Run the official standalone container
The project documents this standalone command:
docker run -d --restart always
-p "127.0.0.1:5000:5000"
-v datastore-volume:/datastore
--name changedetection.io
dgtlmoon/changedetection.ioThe localhost binding is deliberate. It prevents direct Internet access to the application while still allowing a reverse proxy on the same VPS to reach it. The named volume is equally important: watches, previous snapshots and application state are stored under /datastore. Recreating a container without that mount creates an apparently fresh installation.
Use Docker Compose for repeatable changes
A small Compose file makes upgrades and environment changes less error-prone:
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services:
changedetection:
image: dgtlmoon/changedetection.io
container_name: changedetection.io
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "127.0.0.1:5000:5000"
volumes:
- datastore-volume:/datastore
volumes:
datastore-volume:Save it as compose.yml and start it with docker compose up -d. Check startup output with docker compose logs -f changedetection; with the standalone command, use docker logs -f changedetection.io. The exact image tag and browser-service definitions should be kept aligned with the project’s current deployment documentation.
Protect and back up the datastore
Why persistence is non-negotiable
Every watch depends on the datastore. It contains the watch definitions, historical comparison state and related settings. A container update is safe only when the replacement mounts the same volume at /datastore. Never run a second container with an empty volume and assume the old watches will reappear.
Back up before upgrades
Stop or quiesce the application according to your backup method, archive the complete named volume, and store a copy outside the VPS. Test that the archive can be read and that a restore produces the expected watch list. Keep at least one backup from before each image upgrade and rotate older copies according to the value of your monitoring history.
Upgrade without deleting state
- Read the release notes for compatibility changes and note the current image reference.
- Back up
datastore-volume. - Pull the new image with
docker compose pull, or pull it explicitly if you use the standalone container. - Recreate the application while retaining the same volume:
docker compose up -dfor Compose, or stop, remove and rerun the standalone container with the identical-v datastore-volume:/datastoremount. - Open the UI, confirm that watches and notification settings are present, then inspect logs for migration or fetch errors.
Put the application behind a reverse proxy
Proxy to localhost and terminate TLS
Configure the proxy’s public virtual host for your DNS name, issue a valid certificate, and forward requests to http://127.0.0.1:5000. Preserve the original host and protocol in forwarded headers. A minimal Nginx location has the following shape:
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proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5000;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
}Adapt the syntax to your proxy and its certificate automation. Keep the application port closed to the public Internet; expose only the proxy’s HTTP and HTTPS ports through the VPS firewall.
Set the public URL and forwarded-header handling
Set BASE_URL to the public URL when generated links, including links used in notifications, must point to the HTTPS hostname rather than localhost. Set USE_X_SETTINGS=1 so the application respects forwarded host, path-prefix and protocol headers from the reverse proxy. Without these settings, links can contain the wrong scheme or host, and an installation mounted below a URL prefix can generate incorrect paths.
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If you put the service under a subdirectory instead of its own hostname, make sure the proxy forwards the prefix consistently and that the application’s base URL reflects it. A dedicated hostname is usually simpler because it avoids prefix-rewrite mistakes.
Check the proxy before adding watches
- Browse to the public HTTPS hostname and confirm the login or application page loads.
- Verify that the certificate matches the hostname and renews through your chosen proxy workflow.
- Inspect generated links for
https://and the public hostname. - Confirm that direct access to port 5000 from another machine fails.
Add JavaScript rendering only where it is needed
Recognize an HTTP-fetching limitation
An ordinary HTTP fetcher receives the server response but does not behave like a full browser. If the response contains an empty application shell and the visible text appears only after scripts execute, an HTTP-only watch may never see the content you intend to monitor. The same applies to targets that require clicks, scrolling or other browser steps.
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The official Compose configuration documents Playwright and other browser-service options, including the dependency relationship between the application and browser service. Start from that current configuration rather than inventing a service name or image, then add only the browser service and variables you need. Keep the application’s persistent /datastore mount unchanged.
After starting the additional service, assign the browser fetcher to the individual watches that need it. Leave static pages on the ordinary fetcher. Watch CPU and memory usage while several browser checks run together; browser processes can exhaust a small VPS sooner than the application container itself.
Validate a browser watch
- Open the target page in a normal browser and identify the text or element that should change.
- Create the watch and select the browser-capable fetch method documented by the project.
- Use a stable selector or filter rather than the entire page when possible, so layout changes do not create noisy alerts.
- Save the watch, trigger or wait for a check, and compare the captured result with what a normal browser displays.
- Review both application and browser-service logs if the page times out, remains blank or fails during a browser step.
Create watches and notifications
Choose the smallest useful change region
In the watch editor, enter the URL, choose the fetch method and set a selector or filter for the content that matters. Monitoring a price, release date, stock label or patch note is generally more reliable when the watch is limited to that element instead of the entire document. Set a polling interval that respects the target site and your server capacity.
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Configure notification URLs
Notification URLs are configured per watch in that watch’s edit interface. The project describes entering one or more notification URLs there. Its API v1 exposes notification endpoints using Apprise notification syntax, allowing the same notification system to be managed programmatically.
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Store notification URLs as secrets. Restrict access to the application and API, and avoid placing tokens in shell history or publicly readable Compose files. Send a test notification from a low-risk watch before relying on alerts for an important change.
Tune the installation for your workload
The official Compose configuration exposes the following controls. Defaults shown here are configuration defaults, not capacity guarantees or recommended limits for every VPS.
| Variable | Documented default or role | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
FETCH_WORKERS |
10 in the documented Compose defaults |
Controls concurrent fetching. Reduce it when the VPS or target sites are overloaded; increase cautiously only after observing stable CPU, memory and network use. |
MINIMUM_SECONDS_RECHECK_TIME |
3 seconds in the documented defaults |
Sets the minimum recheck interval. A higher value reduces request pressure and prevents an aggressive schedule. |
PAGE_WATCH_LIMIT |
100 in the documented defaults |
Caps the number of watches. Treat it as an application setting, not a promise that a VPS can process 100 active watches comfortably. |
TZ |
Timezone setting | Use the timezone you want for schedules, timestamps and logs. |
LC_ALL |
Locale setting | Set it when comparisons or date formatting depend on a particular locale. |
SCREENSHOT_MAX_HEIGHT |
16000 in the documented defaults |
Limits screenshot height. Lower it if very tall captures consume excessive memory. |
HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY, NO_PROXY |
Proxy environment variables | Use them when outbound requests must traverse a proxy, and list local destinations in NO_PROXY as appropriate. |
Change one variable at a time, restart the service, and watch logs and resource usage. There is no canonical CPU/RAM minimum or guaranteed watch-count figure published for VPS deployments, so capacity must be established from your URLs, intervals, browser usage and concurrency.
Secure the public service
- Bind the application to localhost and expose it through the reverse proxy only.
- Allow only the proxy’s public ports in the VPS firewall; keep Docker’s internal application port private.
- Use HTTPS and verify certificate renewal.
- Enable and verify the application’s authentication settings before sharing the hostname.
- Protect API credentials and notification tokens.
- Back up the datastore before upgrades and retain an off-server copy.
- Set a restart policy and confirm that the service returns after a VPS reboot.
- Review proxy, application and browser-service logs after configuration changes.
These are operational safeguards rather than a single hardened checklist published by the project. Apply the controls that match the sensitivity of the pages and notifications you monitor.
Troubleshoot the common failures
The proxy returns 502 or connection refused
Confirm that the container is running, that it is listening on port 5000, and that the proxy runs on the same VPS or can reach the configured address. Check the container logs and verify that the proxy target is 127.0.0.1:5000, not an old container address.
All watches disappeared after an update
Inspect the container’s mounts. The running container must mount the original named volume at /datastore. If a new volume was created accidentally, stop the container and restore the pre-upgrade datastore backup before creating more watches.
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JavaScript content is missing
Move that watch to the documented browser fetcher, confirm the browser service is running, and inspect browser-service logs for timeouts or failed steps. Do not enable browser fetching globally unless the workload requires it.
Generated links use localhost or HTTP
Set BASE_URL to the public HTTPS URL, set USE_X_SETTINGS=1, and verify that the proxy forwards host and protocol headers. Restart the application after changing environment variables.
Checks are too slow or the VPS is overloaded
Reduce FETCH_WORKERS, raise MINIMUM_SECONDS_RECHECK_TIME, narrow selectors, and reserve the browser service for JavaScript-dependent watches. Check whether a small number of browser pages are consuming most of the available memory.
Notifications do not arrive
Reopen the watch’s edit interface and validate each notification URL. Check application logs, test the destination independently, and confirm that outbound proxy variables are not preventing the notification request. API-managed notifications must use the project’s Apprise syntax.
A practical deployment sequence
- Provision and update the VPS, then install Docker Engine and Compose support.
- Create an application directory and decide where off-server datastore backups will live.
- Start the HTTP-only container with localhost port binding and a named
/datastorevolume. - Place a TLS reverse proxy in front, set
BASE_URLandUSE_X_SETTINGS=1, and restrict the firewall. - Log in, create one simple watch and verify that a controlled change produces a notification.
- Add the official browser-service configuration only for pages that need JavaScript or browser steps.
- Tune workers, intervals, watch limits, timezone, locale, screenshot height and proxy variables to the actual workload.
- Back up the datastore, test restart behavior and document the upgrade and restore procedure.
The Bottom Line
For most VPS users, run changedetection.io in Docker with /datastore on a persistent volume, bind it to localhost, and let a reverse proxy handle HTTPS. Add the official Playwright/browser service selectively for JavaScript pages, then tune concurrency and intervals from observed resource use rather than treating the documented defaults as capacity guarantees.
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