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The simplest production setup for a single VPS is Umami’s Docker Compose deployment: it runs the Umami application and PostgreSQL together, listens on port 3000 locally, and can sit behind Nginx or Apache for a public HTTPS address. A source installation gives you more control over Node.js, PostgreSQL, and the process manager, but also makes upgrades and service management your responsibility.
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Whichever route you choose, set a unique APP_SECRET, protect PostgreSQL, put the public endpoint behind a reverse proxy with TLS, and replace the initial admin/umami password immediately. This guide covers both deployment methods, subdirectory hosting, backups, updates, and the failure modes most likely to stop a new installation.
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What self-hosted Umami looks like on a VPS
Umami is a privacy-first web analytics platform for traffic, campaigns, behavior, conversions, and revenue. A self-hosted instance keeps the application and its analytics database under your control instead of sending site data to a hosted analytics provider.
There are four documented installation routes:
- Docker Compose: the shortest path for one VPS. The supplied Compose stack contains the Umami application and a PostgreSQL database.
- Source installation: install Node.js and PostgreSQL yourself, build Umami with pnpm, and run the resulting service.
- Prebuilt Docker image: run the published image while connecting it to a database you provide separately.
- Kubernetes: use Kubernetes with a third-party Helm chart when your organization already operates a cluster.
For a personal site, a small business, or a game-community network on one server, Compose normally has the fewest moving parts. Source installation is more appropriate when you already standardize on system packages, PM2 or another service supervisor, and an independently managed PostgreSQL service.
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Plan the VPS before installing
Choose the operating layout
You can keep Umami, PostgreSQL, and the reverse proxy on one machine, or put PostgreSQL on another host. One server is easier to deploy and cheaper to operate, but a VPS failure takes out both the dashboard and its database. A separate database host creates isolation and an independent failure domain, at the cost of private networking, firewall rules, credentials management, and additional monitoring.
| Layout | Advantages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Application and PostgreSQL on one VPS | Fastest setup, no database network hop, one backup target and one bill | Application and data fail together; upgrades compete for the same CPU, memory and disk |
| Umami on VPS, PostgreSQL elsewhere | Database isolation, independent database backups and scaling, smaller application host | Requires private connectivity, database firewall rules, TLS or a trusted network, and handling an additional service |
Prepare DNS, firewall and backups
- Register a DNS record such as
analytics.example.compointing to the VPS address. Do not expose Umami by its temporary IP if you intend to issue a certificate for a hostname. - Allow SSH only from the administration addresses you need. Allow TCP 80 and 443 for the reverse proxy. Keep PostgreSQL on its private interface or local socket; do not open port 5432 to the whole internet.
- Decide where PostgreSQL backups will live before collecting real analytics. A backup on the same disk does not protect against disk loss or a compromised server.
- Enable automatic security updates for the operating system where they fit your maintenance policy, and monitor disk usage. Analytics tables grow with event volume and retention.
Umami’s official material does not provide a universal CPU, RAM, or visitor-volume sizing table. Capacity therefore depends on event traffic, retention, dashboard query load, and whether the database shares the VPS with other applications. Start with a monitored instance, then increase resources when CPU saturation, memory pressure, slow queries, or disk growth make the bottleneck measurable.
Docker Compose: the recommended single-VPS route
Why Compose is usually the best first deployment
The official Compose file defines the application and PostgreSQL services together. Running docker compose up -d starts the stack, and the application is available locally at http://localhost:3000. You do not have to install a compatible Node.js runtime or initialize PostgreSQL by hand. You do still own the VPS, Docker updates, firewall, reverse proxy, secrets, and database backups.
Install Docker and create the project directory
- Install a current Docker Engine and the Docker Compose plugin using your Linux distribution’s supported instructions.
- Create a directory that will hold the Compose file and environment settings, for example
sudo mkdir -p /opt/umami, then give your administrator account access to it. - Place Umami’s official Compose file in that directory. Keep the file under change control so you can reproduce the exact service definition during a recovery.
- Create a
.envfile beside the Compose file. Store database credentials and anAPP_SECRETthere, and set restrictive permissions such aschmod 600 .env.
The Compose database service supplies PostgreSQL for the stack. If you edit service names, ports, volumes, or credentials, make the same changes in the environment values consumed by the application; a mismatch commonly appears as a database connection failure on first boot.
Set the required secrets
DATABASE_URL is the required environment variable in Umami’s environment reference. In a Compose deployment, the supplied file may already assemble a database URL from its service variables; inspect the file and ensure the application receives a valid URL. Set a random, installation-specific APP_SECRET. The documented generation method is:
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openssl rand -hex 32
Do not reuse that value on another Umami instance, commit it to a public repository, or replace it casually after users and sessions exist. A changed secret can invalidate existing sessions and any data encrypted with the previous value.
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- Change into the project directory:
cd /opt/umami. - Start both services in the background:
docker compose up -d. - Check container state with
docker compose ps. Both the application and PostgreSQL should remain in a running state. - Read startup output with
docker compose logs --tail=100. Look for a message indicating that the web service is listening and for database authentication or migration errors. - From the VPS itself, request
http://localhost:3000. A response confirms that the application is reachable before you add Nginx or HTTPS.
The first database setup creates the initial login account. Its documented credentials are username admin and password umami. Log in as soon as the reverse proxy is working and change this password before exposing the dashboard to the public internet.
Using the prebuilt image instead
The documented image is docker.umami.is/umami-software/umami:latest. Unlike the bundled Compose route, this image expects you to provide a database and set DATABASE_URL. Use this arrangement when PostgreSQL is already operated elsewhere or when you need to pin and promote image versions through your own deployment pipeline. Treat the latest tag as a moving target: record the image digest or chosen version if reproducibility matters.
Source installation: direct control over Node.js and PostgreSQL
Supported runtime requirements
Source installation requires Node.js 18.18 or newer and PostgreSQL 12.14 or newer. Verify both versions before building; an older distribution package can fail during dependency installation or produce runtime errors that look unrelated to the original version mismatch.
Install PostgreSQL and create an application database
- Install PostgreSQL from your operating system’s supported packages and enable the service at boot.
- Create a dedicated database and a dedicated login role for Umami. Grant that role ownership or the minimum permissions needed to create and alter Umami’s tables in its database; do not use the PostgreSQL superuser for the application.
- Keep PostgreSQL bound to localhost for a same-server deployment. If the database is remote, restrict its listener and firewall to the application host or private network.
- Record a URL in the form
postgresql://username:password@host:5432/database. URL-encode reserved characters in the password so the parser cannot mistake them for delimiters.
Build and start Umami
- Install Node.js 18.18 or newer and pnpm on the VPS.
- Obtain the Umami source at the version you intend to run and change into its directory.
- Create a
.envfile containingDATABASE_URLand a uniqueAPP_SECRET. Protect this file from other users. - Install dependencies with
pnpm install. - Compile the application with
pnpm build. The first setup creates the database tables and the initial administrator account. - Start the service with
pnpm start. For a production service, run it under a supervisor such as PM2 or a systemd unit so it restarts after a crash and starts after reboot.
Run the start command from the same release directory whose environment and dependencies you built. If you use a process manager, explicitly define the working directory and environment file instead of relying on an interactive shell.
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Environment variables and secure configuration
| Variable | Purpose | How to use it safely |
|---|---|---|
DATABASE_URL |
Connection string for PostgreSQL; the only required variable in the reference | Use a dedicated role, a strong password, private connectivity, and URL-encode reserved password characters |
APP_SECRET |
Secret used by the application for session and security functions | Generate a unique value with openssl rand -hex 32; keep it private and stable for the life of the installation |
BASE_PATH |
Prefix when Umami is served below the domain root | For a URL such as https://example.com/stats, set BASE_PATH=/stats and configure the proxy to preserve that prefix |
API_URL |
Optional API endpoint configuration | Set it only when your integration requires a non-default API address, and make its public path match the proxy |
TWO_FACTOR_ENCRYPTION_KEY |
Optional encryption key for two-factor data | The repository documents a 64-character hexadecimal value; generate and store it as a secret rather than inventing a short key |
MCP_ENABLED |
Enables the MCP endpoint when set to 1 |
Enable deliberately, assess its exposure, and protect the endpoint with the same access controls as other administration surfaces |
Environment variables are configuration, not a substitute for network controls. A private database, least-privilege database role, restricted SSH, HTTPS, and a protected backup location still matter when every secret is correct.
Put Nginx or Apache in front of Umami
Do not make port 3000 your public interface. Bind Umami to the local machine or a private network and let a reverse proxy terminate TLS, enforce the hostname, and forward requests to the application.
Root-domain Nginx pattern
The following is a minimal pattern for an installation served at its own hostname. Replace the hostname and certificate paths with your values:
server {
listen 80;
server_name analytics.example.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
}Use the HTTP server block to obtain a certificate with your chosen ACME client, then add a 443 server block that points to the certificate and retains the proxy headers. Redirect port 80 to HTTPS after certificate issuance. Test the configuration before reloading Nginx.
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Subdirectory deployment
To publish Umami at https://example.com/stats rather than at a dedicated hostname, set BASE_PATH=/stats in the application environment and restart it. The proxy location must preserve the same prefix:
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location /stats/ {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
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proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}Do not configure the proxy for /stats while leaving BASE_PATH empty, or configure BASE_PATH=/stats while stripping the prefix in proxy_pass. That mismatch produces missing JavaScript, redirects to the wrong path, or API calls that return 404. After reloading the proxy, test the login page, static assets, dashboard navigation, and an event request from a tracking site.
Finish the first-run security checklist
- Open the HTTPS hostname, sign in with the initial
admin/umamicredentials, and change the password immediately. - Confirm that the browser shows a valid certificate and that HTTP redirects to HTTPS.
- Verify that port 3000 is not reachable from the public internet. If Docker publishes it on all interfaces, change the binding to localhost or block it at the firewall.
- Review the administrator account and create only the users and permissions you need.
- Create a tracking website in Umami, copy its tracking snippet, and place that snippet on a non-production page first. Confirm that a visit appears in the dashboard before deploying it site-wide.
- Write down the Umami version, Compose file or source commit, environment variable names, proxy configuration, database location, and backup schedule.
Docker Compose versus source installation
| Decision point | Docker Compose | Source installation |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | Shortest documented single-server setup; application and PostgreSQL start together | More steps: supported Node.js, PostgreSQL, database role, pnpm dependencies and process supervision |
| Node.js and PostgreSQL control | Versions are encapsulated by the image and database service; less host-level control | Direct control over package versions, extensions, tuning and service layout |
| Upgrade workflow | Pull the new image, then recreate the services | Pull source, install dependencies, rebuild and restart the process |
| Backups | You must back up the PostgreSQL volume or dump the database; Docker does not make backups automatically | You must back up the separately installed PostgreSQL database and retain configuration files |
| Reverse proxy | Proxy to the published local container port, commonly 3000 | Proxy to the port used by the supervised Node.js process |
| Operational complexity | Lower at first, but requires Docker volume, image and Compose knowledge | Higher initially, with familiar system-service controls for teams that already use them |
Choose Compose when a reproducible one-host stack matters more than host-level package control. Choose source when your operations team needs to patch, tune, monitor, or share PostgreSQL and Node.js according to an existing platform standard.
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Backups, updates and routine maintenance
Back up the data that actually matters
The PostgreSQL database contains the analytics history, sites, users, and configuration stored by Umami. Back up it up independently of the application image or source tree. A logical dump is portable and easy to verify:
pg_dump --format=custom --file=umami-$(date +%F).dump DATABASE_NAMEUse the correct database role and host for your deployment, encrypt dumps at rest, copy them to a separate failure domain, and periodically restore one to a test PostgreSQL instance. For Compose, also preserve the Compose file and volume definition; for source installs, preserve the release commit, .env secrets, process-manager unit, and proxy configuration. Never place secrets in an unencrypted public backup.
Update a source installation
From the checked-out Umami directory, the documented sequence is:
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git pullpnpm installpnpm build- Restart the service with
pnpm start, or restart the PM2 process or systemd unit that runs it.
Take a database backup before a major version change. Keep the previous source revision available until the new build has passed login, dashboard, tracking, and proxy checks.
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From the directory containing the Compose file, run:
docker compose pulldocker compose up --force-recreate -ddocker compose psanddocker compose logs --tail=100to verify health and startup output.
Pin a tested image version when you need controlled rollouts instead of silently receiving a changing latest image. Keep the database volume and environment file unchanged unless the release notes require a deliberate migration.
Refresh PostgreSQL statistics after major upgrades
After a major Umami upgrade, run PostgreSQL ANALYZE so the query planner refreshes table statistics. Execute it against the Umami database with a role allowed to analyze its tables, then inspect dashboard response times and database logs. This maintenance does not replace a backup or a schema migration; it refreshes planner information after the upgrade.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The container or process exits immediately
- Read logs first. A malformed
DATABASE_URL, unreachable PostgreSQL host, invalid credentials, or unsupported Node.js version is more useful than repeatedly restarting. - Check that the environment file is in the directory and format expected by Compose or the process manager.
- For source installs, verify Node.js is at least 18.18 and PostgreSQL at least 12.14 before reinstalling dependencies.
The login page works locally but not through Nginx
- Confirm the proxy points to the actual local listening address and port.
- Check the Nginx error log and test the local URL from the VPS.
- Verify DNS resolves to the VPS and that the firewall allows 80 and 443.
- If the installation is under a path, make
BASE_PATH, the Nginx location, and the public URL use the identical prefix.
CSS or JavaScript files return 404 under a subdirectory
This almost always indicates a prefix mismatch. Set BASE_PATH=/stats for a /stats deployment, preserve that prefix in the proxy, restart Umami, clear an old browser cache, and test the generated asset URLs again.
The dashboard is empty after adding the tracking script
- Use the browser developer tools to confirm the script loads over HTTPS and that its requests are not blocked by mixed-content rules or a content-security policy.
- Check that the script uses the correct website identifier and endpoint for this Umami instance.
- Generate a visit on a test page, then inspect Umami and the reverse-proxy logs for the incoming event.
PostgreSQL fills the disk
Measure database growth against event volume and retention rather than deleting files from the PostgreSQL data directory. Expand storage, establish retention practices appropriate to your analytics needs, archive or remove data through supported database procedures, and verify that backups still complete.
When to use a separate database host
Move PostgreSQL away from the Umami VPS when database durability, independent scaling, or organizational separation outweighs the simplicity of a single host. Place both systems on a private network, allow connections only from the Umami address, use a dedicated database role, and require TLS when traffic crosses an untrusted segment. Test what happens when the database is unavailable: the dashboard should fail clearly, and your monitoring should alert before users discover it.
A separate database does not remove backup responsibility. It changes where backups, upgrades, credentials, and failure recovery are managed. Document the database version, connection endpoint, allowed network ranges, backup retention, and restoration procedure alongside the Umami deployment.
Quick Recap
Production readiness checklist
- Supported runtime: Node.js 18.18 or newer for source installs; PostgreSQL 12.14 or newer.
- Unique
APP_SECRETgenerated with a cryptographically strong method. - Dedicated PostgreSQL role and a protected
DATABASE_URL. - Initial administrator password changed from
umami. - Public traffic served through Nginx or Apache with a valid HTTPS certificate.
- Port 3000 restricted to localhost or a private network.
BASE_PATHand proxy rules aligned when using a subdirectory.- Tested PostgreSQL backups stored away from the VPS.
- Written update procedure for either Compose or source deployment.
- Monitoring for disk, memory, CPU, process health, certificate expiry, and database availability.
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