Self-hosting Evolution API on a VPS means running its container with Docker, connecting it to PostgreSQL and Redis, loading the approved environment variables from a .env file, and starting the official Compose deployment. The standalone example exposes Evolution API on port 8080 and persists instance data in a mounted volume. Use a versioned image tag rather than assuming latest, and compare every variable with the official repository’s current .env.example before starting.
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What you need before installing
Evolution API is a server application, so the VPS must remain online and reachable by the clients that will call its HTTP API. The documented deployment path is Linux plus Docker Compose. PostgreSQL should be configured before Evolution API, and Redis is optional in some descriptions but recommended for a production-style deployment.
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| Component | Role | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Linux VPS | Runs the containers and accepts API requests | A public IP address, administrator access, firewall control, and enough disk for the operating system, images, logs, database, and instance volume |
| Docker Engine and Compose | Builds the isolated runtime and starts the stack | Install Docker using the instructions for your Linux distribution, then confirm that docker and docker compose work |
| PostgreSQL | Stores application data | A database, user, password, host, port, and database name; create it before launching Evolution API |
| Redis | Provides the recommended cache and coordination service | A reachable Redis endpoint and credentials if authentication is enabled |
| DNS and TLS (for public use) | Gives clients a stable HTTPS address | A domain pointing to the VPS and a reverse-proxy plan; the documented TLS route uses Docker Swarm with Traefik |
VPS sizing: what is and is not known
No official Evolution API hardware requirement is established. Hosting pages commonly advertise plans such as 1 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, and 50 GB NVMe, but those are marketing configurations rather than tested requirements. Treat that combination only as a starting point for a small trial. Monitor memory, CPU, disk usage, database growth, request volume, and the number of active instances before choosing a permanent size.
Choose a supported Linux image
Use a current, supported 64-bit Linux distribution with security updates. Keep the host dedicated to services you can monitor and patch. Create a non-root administrative account, use SSH keys where possible, disable password login after confirming key access, and restrict the firewall to the ports you actually need.
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Install Docker and verify the host
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Connect to the VPS over SSH with an administrative account.
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Install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin using the package instructions for your distribution. The official Evolution API Docker example assumes Docker is already installed; it does not replace the operating-system installation procedure.
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Verify the installation:
docker --version docker compose version sudo systemctl enable --now docker -
Run a harmless test container, then remove it:
sudo docker run --rm hello-world -
Decide whether your deployment commands will use
sudo dockeror whether your administrator account will be added to the Docker group. Group membership grants broad control over the host, so treat it as equivalent to root access.
Prepare PostgreSQL before Evolution API
The official deployment guidance configures the database service first. PostgreSQL is the documented production-oriented choice in the official material and in the technical overview available for Evolution API. A separate guide describes SQLite as a default and PostgreSQL as optional; because those descriptions conflict, do not infer the database mode from a third-party article. Check the current repository configuration and use the PostgreSQL variables it specifies.
Decide where PostgreSQL will run
- On the same VPS: convenient and inexpensive, but database and API share CPU, memory, disk, and failure risk.
- On a separate database host: isolates resources and can simplify backups, but requires private networking, firewall rules, and a dependable connection from the VPS.
- As a managed PostgreSQL service: can provide automated backups and maintenance, but its connection restrictions and pricing must be checked independently.
Create a dedicated database and account
Use a database and login dedicated to Evolution API rather than a superuser. Record the host, port, database name, username, and password in a password manager. Permit connections only from the VPS or private network. Do not publish PostgreSQL’s port to the entire internet merely because the API is public.
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Build the connection URI carefully
Community v2-style deployments use the environment variable DATABASE_CONNECTION_URI. The exact URI syntax, SSL options, and required companion variables can change with the image version, so copy the current spelling and format from the official .env.example. If a password contains characters such as @, :, /, or #, URL-encode it or use the encoding method documented by the repository.
Prepare Redis
Redis is described as optional in some overviews but recommended for a reliable multi-request deployment. Configure it before starting Evolution API so the application does not begin with an incomplete cache configuration.
Choose a Redis location
- Same VPS: simplest for a small installation; reserve memory and monitor eviction or out-of-memory events.
- Separate or managed Redis: better isolation, but the network path, authentication, TLS requirements, and allowed source addresses must match the provider.
Community v2-style examples use CACHE_REDIS_URI. Obtain the exact URI format from the version-specific example file. Keep Redis private; the API should be the only service that can reach it.
Watch for an existing-volume version clash
A community deployment guide reports that Redis data created by one major image version can be incompatible with an older Redis image when an existing volume is reused. Pin the Redis major version to the one used by your deployment, or migrate the data deliberately. If the cache is disposable in your setup, removing the old Redis volume can resolve the mismatch, but deleting a volume is destructive—confirm that it contains no data you need first.
Obtain and inspect the official Compose deployment
The official standalone example defines an evolution-api service, reads settings from .env, maps container port 8080 for access, mounts a volume for instances, and starts with docker compose up -d. The official repository also maintains a docker-compose.yaml on its main branch.
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Create a protected project directory:
sudo mkdir -p /opt/evolution-api sudo chown "$USER":"$USER" /opt/evolution-api cd /opt/evolution-api -
Copy the official standalone Compose file into that directory. Do not type an image name from memory: inspect the repository’s current file and note the image repository, tag, service names, volume declarations, health checks, and published ports.
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Copy the matching official
.env.exampleto.env. The example pinned by the documented standalone setup uses Evolution API image tagv2.1.1; treat that as an example, not a timeless recommendation. Before deployment, verify whether a newer stable tag is available and whether its variable names differ. -
Protect the environment file:
chmod 600 .env -
Inspect the rendered configuration before starting containers:
docker compose configFix missing variables, malformed YAML, duplicate ports, and unintended public bindings before proceeding.
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Configure the environment file
Fill in every required value from the version-specific example. These are the important v2-style names shown in community deployments:
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| Variable | Purpose | Configuration guidance |
|---|---|---|
DATABASE_CONNECTION_URI |
Connection from Evolution API to PostgreSQL | Use the host, port, database, username, password, and SSL parameters required by your repository version |
CACHE_REDIS_URI |
Connection from Evolution API to Redis | Use the Redis host, port, credentials, database number, and TLS form required by your Redis service |
AUTHENTICATION_API_KEY |
Protects API requests | Generate a long random secret; never reuse an SSH, database, or dashboard password |
The complete example file may contain additional settings for ports, logging, webhooks, storage, and integrations. Keep those names exactly as published for the image you selected. Environment-variable names are case-sensitive, and a plausible-looking but incorrect name can leave the container running while it cannot connect to its dependencies.
Generate a strong API key
Generate the key on the VPS or another trusted administrator machine, then place it in .env without committing that file to source control. Avoid shell history leakage: editing the file is safer than pasting a secret into a command that will be saved in your history. If you rotate the key, update every client at the same time or plan a controlled outage.
Start Evolution API with Docker Compose
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Change to the directory containing the official Compose file and
.env. -
Pull the exact image tag referenced by the file:
docker compose pull -
Start the stack in the background:
docker compose up -d -
Check service state:
docker compose ps -
Read the application log if a service is restarting:
docker compose logs --tail=200 evolution-api -
Watch startup in real time when diagnosing migrations or dependency timing:
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docker compose logs -f evolution-api
Allow approximately 30 seconds after startup before opening the manager or sending the first request. A community guide notes that the database may be migrating during this interval. Treat the logs, not an arbitrary sleep, as the authority: wait until the service reports that it is ready and no longer restarting.
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Verify access on port 8080
The standalone example publishes port 8080. Confirm the host firewall allows that port only if you intentionally want direct HTTP access. From a trusted machine, open the VPS address on port 8080 or send a request to the endpoint documented for your image. Use the configured API key in the authentication header required by that version.
Check the network path
- Confirm the container is running with
docker compose ps. - Confirm the host is listening on the expected port with your operating system’s socket tool.
- Confirm the VPS provider’s firewall or security group allows the port.
- Confirm no other service already owns port 8080.
- Check container logs for database migrations, Redis errors, or an invalid environment variable.
For a private integration, bind the published port to a private interface or localhost and place a reverse proxy on the public interface. Do not expose the management surface or dependency ports unnecessarily.
Add HTTPS for a public deployment
Plain HTTP on a public IP is suitable only for a controlled test. Production clients should use HTTPS so API keys and payloads are encrypted in transit. The official documentation describes a Docker Swarm setup using Traefik for routing and HTTPS; that is the documented route when you need automated domain routing and certificates.
Standalone Compose versus Swarm with Traefik
| Deployment | Strength | Trade-off | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone Compose | Few moving parts and a short start command | You must design TLS termination, certificate renewal, routing, and exposure separately | You are testing, using a private network, or already operate a reverse proxy |
| Docker Swarm with Traefik | The documented setup integrates routing and HTTPS around the stack | More orchestration and proxy configuration to maintain | You need a public domain with managed HTTPS in the documented architecture |
Point your DNS record at the VPS, configure the proxy to forward the chosen hostname to the Evolution API service, and keep the internal application port private where possible. Confirm certificate issuance, renewal, redirect behavior, and the forwarded authentication headers before switching clients from HTTP.
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Firewall and exposure
- Allow SSH only from trusted source addresses when practical.
- Expose HTTPS rather than the raw application port once the reverse proxy is working.
- Keep PostgreSQL and Redis off the public interface.
- Remove temporary test ports after verification.
Secrets and file permissions
- Keep
.envreadable only by the account that administers the stack. - Do not publish API keys, database passwords, or Redis credentials in screenshots, tickets, or repositories.
- Rotate credentials after accidental disclosure and restart the affected service.
Backups
Back up PostgreSQL with a tested restore procedure. Back up the Compose file and a redacted copy of the environment configuration, but store the real secrets separately. The mounted instances volume may contain state required by your integrations; identify its host path from docker compose config and include it in your backup plan. Test restoration on a separate directory or VPS rather than assuming a successful archive is a usable recovery.
Updates
- Read the release notes and compare the new image’s
.env.examplewith your current file. - Back up PostgreSQL and the instances volume.
- Change the image tag explicitly; avoid silently switching to
latest. - Pull and recreate the service with
docker compose pullfollowed bydocker compose up -d. - Inspect logs, run an authenticated test request, and confirm existing instances before declaring the upgrade complete.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Container exits with a P1001 database connection error | The image cannot reach PostgreSQL, or a variable name/value is wrong | Check the database hostname from inside the Compose network, port, credentials, firewall, URI encoding, and the exact variable names for the selected tag. A GitHub issue reports this with the latest image even when dependencies appear healthy; no confirmed fix should be assumed from that report. |
| Service starts but requests fail authentication | The client is using the wrong key or header, or the key contains an accidental space | Compare the client configuration with AUTHENTICATION_API_KEY, inspect the rendered environment without publishing the secret, and restart after correcting the file. |
| Redis refuses to start after an image change | An existing volume was created by an incompatible Redis major version | Match the image major version to the data format, or remove the volume only after confirming the cache is disposable and you have a backup if it is not. |
| Browser or client cannot reach port 8080 | Container is down, port is occupied, or a provider firewall blocks the port | Run docker compose ps, inspect logs, verify the port mapping in docker compose config, and check both host and provider firewalls. |
| Manager appears unavailable immediately after startup | Database migrations or initialization are still running | Wait about 30 seconds, then follow the application log until it reports readiness. Do not repeatedly recreate the stack while migrations are active. |
| Compose reports an unknown or ignored variable | The variable belongs to another Evolution API version or is misspelled | Compare your file with the official example shipped for the image tag. Community guides use different tag and variable styles, so copying a random snippet can produce a running but unusable container. |
Production-readiness checklist
- Linux security updates and Docker are installed and verified.
- PostgreSQL exists, is reachable from the application, and has a dedicated account.
- Redis is available if your selected configuration expects or recommends it.
- The Compose file and
.envmatch the same Evolution API release. - The image tag is explicit and has been checked against the repository.
AUTHENTICATION_API_KEYis long, unique, private, and tested.- Instance data and PostgreSQL backups have been restored in a test.
- Only required network ports are exposed.
- Public traffic uses HTTPS through a configured reverse proxy or the documented Swarm-and-Traefik route.
- Logs, disk, memory, restarts, and database growth are monitored.
What to do when the official files change
Evolution API deployments are sensitive to image tags and environment names. Before every new installation or upgrade, treat the repository’s Compose file and .env.example as the contract: compare service names, image tags, ports, volumes, dependency checks, database settings, Redis settings, and authentication variables. If a third-party guide disagrees with those files, follow the version-matched official files and record the change in your deployment notes. This practice prevents the most expensive class of failure: a container that appears healthy but cannot connect to its database or cache.
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