Docker Compose is a tool that allows the definition and configuration of multi-container applications. In our case, we want both the vaultwarden server and a proxy to redirect the WebSocket requests to the correct place.
Minimal template for no reverse proxy / a reverse proxy configured by yourself (caddy example below)
This example assumes that you have installed Docker Compose. This configuration can be used either for local servers that are not open to the 'outside world', or as a template for a reverse proxy.
Start by creating a new directory at your preferred location and changing into it. Next, create the compose.yml
(or docker-compose.yml
for legacy versions)
services:
vaultwarden:
image: vaultwarden/server:latest
container_name: vaultwarden
restart: always
environment:
# DOMAIN: "https://vaultwarden.example.com" # required when using a reverse proxy; your domain; vaultwarden needs to know it's https to work properly with attachments
SIGNUPS_ALLOWED: "true" # Deactivate this with "false" after you have created your account so that no strangers can register
volumes:
- ./vw-data:/data # the path before the : can be changed
ports:
- 11001:80 # you can replace the 11001 with your preferred port
to create and run the container, run:
docker compose up -d && docker compose logs -f
to update and run the container, run:
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d && docker compose logs -f
Caddy with HTTP challenge
This example assumes that you have installed Docker Compose, that you have a domain name (e.g., vaultwarden.example.com
) for your vaultwarden instance, and that it will be publicly accessible.
[!NOTE] Docker Compose might be run as
docker-compose <command> ...
(with a dash) ordocker compose <command> ...
(with a space), depending on how you have installed Docker Compose.docker-compose
is the original syntax, when Docker Compose was distributed as a standalone executable. You can still choose to do a standalone installation, in which case you would continue to use this syntax. However, Docker currently recommends installing Docker Compose as a Docker plugin, wherecompose
becomes a subcommand ofdocker
, making the syntaxdocker compose <command> ...
.
Start by making a new directory and changing into it. Next, create the compose.yaml
(or docker-compose.yml
for legacy versions) below, making sure to substitute appropriate values for the DOMAIN
and EMAIL
variables.
services:
vaultwarden:
image: vaultwarden/server:latest
container_name: vaultwarden
restart: always
environment:
DOMAIN: "https://vaultwarden.example.com" # Your domain; vaultwarden needs to know it's https to work properly with attachments
SIGNUPS_ALLOWED: "true"
volumes:
- /vw-data:/data
caddy:
image: caddy:2
container_name: caddy
restart: always
ports:
- 80:80 # Needed for the ACME HTTP-01 challenge.
- 443:443
- 443:443/udp # Needed for HTTP/3.
volumes:
- ./Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile:ro
- ./caddy-config:/config
- ./caddy-data:/data
environment:
DOMAIN: "https://vaultwarden.example.com" # Your domain.
EMAIL: "admin@example.com" # The email address to use for ACME registration.
LOG_FILE: "/data/access.log"
In the same directory, create the Caddyfile
below. (This file does not need to be modified.)
{$DOMAIN} {
log {
level INFO
output file {$LOG_FILE} {
roll_size 10MB
roll_keep 10
}
}
# Use the ACME HTTP-01 challenge to get a cert for the configured domain.
tls {$EMAIL}
# This setting may have compatibility issues with some browsers
# (e.g., attachment downloading on Firefox). Try disabling this
# if you encounter issues.
encode zstd gzip
# Proxy everything Rocket
reverse_proxy vaultwarden:80 {
# Send the true remote IP to Rocket, so that vaultwarden can put this in the
# log, so that fail2ban can ban the correct IP.
header_up X-Real-IP {remote_host}
}
}
Run
docker compose up -d # or `docker-compose up -d` if using standalone Docker Compose
to create and start the containers. A private network for the services in this compose.yaml
(or docker-compose.yml
for legacy versions) file will be created automatically, with only Caddy being publicly exposed.
docker compose down # or `docker-compose down` if using standalone Docker Compose
stops and destroys the containers.
A similar Caddy-based example for Synology is available here.
Caddy with DNS challenge
This example is the same as the previous one, but for the case where you don't want your instance to be publicly accessible (i.e., you can access it only from your local network). This example uses Duck DNS as the DNS provider. Refer to Running a private vaultwarden instance with Let's Encrypt certs for more background, and details on how to set up Duck DNS.
Start by making a new directory and changing into it. Next, create the compose.yaml
(or docker-compose.yml
for legacy versions) below, making sure to substitute appropriate values for the DOMAIN
and EMAIL
variables.
services:
vaultwarden:
image: vaultwarden/server:latest
container_name: vaultwarden
restart: always
environment:
DOMAIN: "https://vaultwarden.example.com" # Your domain; vaultwarden needs to know it's https to work properly with attachments
volumes:
- /vw-data:/data
caddy:
image: caddy:2
container_name: caddy
restart: always
ports:
- 80:80
- 443:443
- 443:443/udp # Needed for HTTP/3.
volumes:
- ./caddy:/usr/bin/caddy # Your custom build of Caddy.
- ./Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile:ro
- ./caddy-config:/config
- ./caddy-data:/data
environment:
DOMAIN: "https://vaultwarden.example.com" # Your domain.
EMAIL: "admin@example.com" # The email address to use for ACME registration.
DUCKDNS_TOKEN: "<token>" # Your Duck DNS token.
LOG_FILE: "/data/access.log"
The stock Caddy builds (including the one in the Docker image) don't include the DNS challenge modules, so next you'll need to get a custom Caddy build. Rename the custom build as caddy
and move it under the same directory as compose.yaml
(or docker-compose.yml
for legacy versions). Make sure the caddy
file is executable (e.g., chmod a+x caddy
). The compose.yaml
(or docker-compose.yml
for legacy versions) file above bind-mounts the custom build into the caddy:2
container, replacing the stock build.
In the same directory, create the Caddyfile
below. (This file does not need to be modified.)
{$DOMAIN} {
log {
level INFO
output file {$LOG_FILE} {
roll_size 10MB
roll_keep 10
}
}
# Use the ACME DNS-01 challenge to get a cert for the configured domain.
tls {
dns duckdns {$DUCKDNS_TOKEN}
}
# This setting may have compatibility issues with some browsers
# (e.g., attachment downloading on Firefox). Try disabling this
# if you encounter issues.
encode zstd gzip
# Proxy everything to Rocket
reverse_proxy vaultwarden:80
}
As with the HTTP challenge example, run
docker compose up -d # or `docker-compose up -d` if using standalone Docker Compose
to create and start the containers.
FAQs
Container Image Usage
- Which container image to use
- Starting a container
- Updating the vaultwarden image
- Using Docker Compose
- Using Podman
Deployment
- Building your own docker image
- Building binary
- Pre-built binaries
- Third-party packages
- Deployment examples
- Proxy examples
- Logrotate example
HTTPS
Configuration
- Overview
- Disable registration of new users
- Disable invitations
- Enabling admin page
- Disable the admin token
- Enabling WebSocket notifications
- Enabling Mobile Client push notification
- Enabling U2F and FIDO2 WebAuthn authentication
- Enabling YubiKey OTP authentication
- Changing persistent data location
- Changing the API request size limit
- Changing the number of workers
- SMTP configuration
- Translating the email templates
- Password hint display
- Disabling or overriding the Vault interface hosting
- Logging
- Creating a systemd service
- Syncing users from LDAP
- Using an alternate base dir (subdir/subpath)
- Other configuration
Database
- Using the MariaDB (MySQL) Backend
- Using the PostgreSQL Backend
- Running without WAL enabled
- Migrating from MariaDB (MySQL) to SQLite