---
title: Docker
description: Run Documenso as a standalone Docker container with an external database. Ideal for container platforms like AWS ECS, Google Cloud Run, or Azure Container Instances.
---

import { Accordion, Accordions } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/accordion';
import { Callout } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/callout';
import { Step, Steps } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/steps';

## Prerequisites

For a self-contained setup that includes PostgreSQL, see [Docker Compose Deployment](/docs/self-hosting/deployment/docker-compose).

Before starting, ensure you have:

- [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/) 20.10 or later installed
- A PostgreSQL 14+ database accessible from your Docker host
- SMTP credentials for sending emails
- At least 1GB of available RAM

Verify Docker is installed:

```bash
docker --version
```

## Pulling the Docker Image

```bash
docker pull documenso/documenso:latest
```

### Available Tags

| Tag       | Description                      |
| --------- | -------------------------------- |
| `latest`  | Latest stable release            |
| `x.y.z`   | Specific version (e.g., `1.5.0`) |
| `release` | Latest release branch build      |

<Callout type="info">
  Pin to a specific version tag in production to avoid unexpected updates.
</Callout>

## Environment Variables

### Required Variables

These variables must be set for Documenso to start:

| Variable                                | Description                                                                 | Default                       |
| --------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| `NEXTAUTH_SECRET`                       | Secret key for session encryption. Generate with `openssl rand -base64 32`  | -                             |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_ENCRYPTION_KEY`           | Primary encryption key (minimum 32 characters)                              | -                             |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_ENCRYPTION_SECONDARY_KEY` | Secondary encryption key (minimum 32 characters)                            | -                             |
| `NEXT_PUBLIC_WEBAPP_URL`                | Public URL where Documenso is accessible (e.g., `https://sign.example.com`) | -                             |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_INTERNAL_WEBAPP_URL`      | Internal URL the app uses to call itself (for background jobs)              | Same as `NEXT_PUBLIC_WEBAPP_URL` |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_DATABASE_URL`             | PostgreSQL connection string                                                | -                             |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_TRANSPORT`           | Email transport: `smtp-auth`, `smtp-api`, `resend`, or `mailchannels`       | `smtp-auth`                   |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_FROM_NAME`           | Sender name for outgoing emails                                             | -                             |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_FROM_ADDRESS`        | Sender email address                                                        | -                             |

### Database Connection

Documenso requires two database connection strings:

| Variable                           | Required     | Default                     | Description                       |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------ | --------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_DATABASE_URL`        | Yes          | -                           | Pooled connection for app queries |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_DIRECT_DATABASE_URL` | When pooling | `NEXT_PRIVATE_DATABASE_URL` | Direct connection for migrations  |

Connection string format:

```
postgresql://user:password@host:5432/database
```

If you're not using a connection pooler like PgBouncer, both variables can use the same connection string.

### SMTP Configuration

For `smtp-auth` transport:

| Variable                     | Required | Default     | Description                           |
| ---------------------------- | -------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------- |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_HOST`     | Yes      | `127.0.0.1` | SMTP server hostname                  |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_PORT`     | Yes      | `587`       | SMTP server port (usually 587 or 465) |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_USERNAME` | Yes      | -           | SMTP username                         |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_PASSWORD` | Yes      | -           | SMTP password                         |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_SECURE`   | No       | `false`     | Set to `true` to force TLS            |

See [Email Configuration](/docs/self-hosting/configuration/email) for other transport options.

### Optional Variables

| Variable                                    | Description                                                    | Default                   |
| ------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- |
| `PORT`                                      | Port the application listens on                                | `3000`                    |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SIGNING_LOCAL_FILE_PATH`      | Path to signing certificate inside container                   | `/opt/documenso/cert.p12` |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SIGNING_PASSPHRASE`           | Passphrase for the signing certificate                         | -                         |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_SIGNING_LOCAL_FILE_CONTENTS`  | Base64-encoded `.p12` certificate (alternative to file path)   | -                         |
| `NEXT_PUBLIC_UPLOAD_TRANSPORT`              | Document storage: `database` or `s3`                           | `database`                |
| `NEXT_PUBLIC_DISABLE_SIGNUP`                | Disable public signups                                         | `false`                   |
| `NEXT_PRIVATE_ALLOWED_SIGNUP_DOMAINS`       | Comma-separated list of allowed signup email domains           |                           |

For the complete list, see [Environment Variables](/docs/self-hosting/configuration/environment).

## Running with Docker

### Minimum Example

```bash
docker run -d \
  --name documenso \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -v /path/to/cert.p12:/opt/documenso/cert.p12:ro \
  -e NEXTAUTH_SECRET="$(openssl rand -base64 32)" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_ENCRYPTION_KEY="your-encryption-key-min-32-chars" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_ENCRYPTION_SECONDARY_KEY="your-secondary-key-min-32-chars" \
  -e NEXT_PUBLIC_WEBAPP_URL="https://sign.example.com" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_INTERNAL_WEBAPP_URL="http://localhost:3000" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@db-host:5432/documenso" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_SIGNING_PASSPHRASE="your-certificate-password" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_TRANSPORT="smtp-auth" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_HOST="smtp.example.com" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_PORT="587" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_USERNAME="your-smtp-user" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_PASSWORD="your-smtp-password" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_FROM_NAME="Documenso" \
  -e NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_FROM_ADDRESS="noreply@example.com" \
  documenso/documenso:latest
```

### Signing Certificate

A signing certificate is required for document signing. You have two options for providing one:

- **Volume mount** — mount a `.p12` file from the host into the container at `/opt/documenso/cert.p12` (shown above). This is the simplest approach for small to moderate deployments.
- **Base64-encoded contents** — set `NEXT_PRIVATE_SIGNING_LOCAL_FILE_CONTENTS` with the base64-encoded certificate string. Use this when file mounting is not available (e.g., Railway, Vercel).

For production deployments that require Adobe Approved Trust List recognition, consider using a [Google Cloud HSM](/docs/self-hosting/configuration/signing-certificate/google-cloud-hsm) or another external HSM.

<Callout type="warn">
  Do not generate or store the signing certificate inside the container. If the container is
  destroyed and rebuilt, or if you run multiple instances, the certificate will be lost or
  inconsistent. Always provide the certificate externally.
</Callout>

See [Signing Certificate Configuration](/docs/self-hosting/configuration/signing-certificate) for generating certificates and detailed setup.

### Using an Environment File

For easier management, use an environment file:

Create `.env`:

```bash
NEXTAUTH_SECRET=your-secret-here
NEXT_PRIVATE_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-encryption-key-min-32-chars
NEXT_PRIVATE_ENCRYPTION_SECONDARY_KEY=your-secondary-key-min-32-chars
NEXT_PUBLIC_WEBAPP_URL=https://sign.example.com
NEXT_PRIVATE_INTERNAL_WEBAPP_URL=http://localhost:3000
NEXT_PRIVATE_DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@db-host:5432/documenso
NEXT_PRIVATE_DIRECT_DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@db-host:5432/documenso
NEXT_PRIVATE_SIGNING_PASSPHRASE=your-certificate-password
NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_TRANSPORT=smtp-auth
NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_HOST=smtp.example.com
NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_PORT=587
NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_USERNAME=your-smtp-user
NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_PASSWORD=your-smtp-password
NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_FROM_NAME=Documenso
NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_FROM_ADDRESS=noreply@example.com
```

Run with the environment file:

```bash
docker run -d \
  --name documenso \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  --env-file .env \
  -v /path/to/cert.p12:/opt/documenso/cert.p12:ro \
  documenso/documenso:latest
```

## Health Checks

Documenso provides health check endpoints for monitoring:

| Endpoint                  | Purpose                                                        |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `/api/health`             | Checks database connectivity and certificate status            |
| `/api/certificate-status` | Returns whether a signing certificate is configured and usable |

### Docker Health Check

Add a health check to your container:

```bash
docker run -d \
  --name documenso \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  --health-cmd="curl -f http://localhost:3000/api/health || exit 1" \
  --health-interval=30s \
  --health-timeout=10s \
  --health-retries=3 \
  --env-file .env \
  documenso/documenso:latest
```

Check container health status:

```bash
docker inspect --format='{{.State.Health.Status}}' documenso
```

## Updating the Container

To update Documenso to a new version:

{/* prettier-ignore */}
<Steps>
<Step>

### Pull the new image

```bash
docker pull documenso/documenso:latest
```

</Step>
<Step>

### Stop and remove the existing container

```bash
docker stop documenso
docker rm documenso
```

</Step>
<Step>

### Start a new container with the same configuration

```bash
docker run -d \
  --name documenso \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  --env-file .env \
  -v /path/to/cert.p12:/opt/documenso/cert.p12:ro \
  documenso/documenso:latest
```

</Step>
</Steps>

<Callout type="info">
  Database migrations run automatically when the container starts. Back up your database before
  upgrading.
</Callout>

## Persistence

The Documenso container is stateless. All persistent data is stored in the PostgreSQL database.

By default, documents are also stored in the database. For high-volume deployments, configure S3-compatible storage instead. See [Storage Configuration](/docs/self-hosting/configuration/storage) for S3 setup.

## Troubleshooting

<Accordions type="multiple">
  <Accordion title="Container fails to start">
    Check the container logs: `docker logs documenso`. Common causes: missing required environment
    variables (ensure all required variables are set), database connection failed (verify the
    database URL and network connectivity), port already in use (change the host port or stop the
    conflicting service).
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Database connection errors">
    Test connectivity: `docker run --rm postgres:15 psql
    "postgresql://user:password@host:5432/database" -c "SELECT 1"`. If using Docker networks, ensure
    the container can reach the database.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Certificate errors">
    Check certificate status: `curl http://localhost:3000/api/certificate-status`. Common issues:
    file not found (verify the volume mount path), permission denied (ensure the file is readable,
    UID 1001 inside the container), no password (the certificate must have a password set). Fix
    permissions: `chmod 644 /path/to/cert.p12` and `chown 1001:1001 /path/to/cert.p12`.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Emails not sending">
    Verify SMTP configuration: check `NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_TRANSPORT` matches your configuration, for
    `smtp-auth` ensure host, port, username, and password are correct, check if your SMTP provider
    requires TLS (`NEXT_PRIVATE_SMTP_SECURE=true`).
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Container runs but application is inaccessible">
    Verify port mapping `-p 3000:3000`, check if `NEXT_PUBLIC_WEBAPP_URL` matches how you're
    accessing the application, ensure no firewall is blocking the port.
  </Accordion>
</Accordions>

---

## See Also

- [Docker Compose Deployment](/docs/self-hosting/deployment/docker-compose) - Multi-container setup with PostgreSQL included
- [Environment Variables](/docs/self-hosting/configuration/environment) - Full configuration reference
- [Signing Certificate](/docs/self-hosting/configuration/signing-certificate) - Set up document signing
- [Email Configuration](/docs/self-hosting/configuration/email) - Configure SMTP providers
- [Storage Configuration](/docs/self-hosting/configuration/storage) - Set up S3-compatible storage
