Deploy LocalSend Web with Dokploy

Dokploy is an open-source server management platform that simplifies deploying Docker Compose applications on your VPS. It handles reverse proxy configuration, SSL certificates, and deployment management.

This guide covers deploying LocalSend Web, the browser-based companion to the LocalSend native app. The native LocalSend app is designed for local network file sharing (like AirDrop), while LocalSend Web enables file sharing through a web browser over the internet. Note that no official Docker image exists for the full native LocalSend — this guide uses the community-maintained web version.

Prerequisites

• A VPS with at least 1 vCPU, 512 MB RAM, and 5 GB storage
• Dokploy installed and running on your server (installation docs)
• A domain name (e.g., send.yourdomain.com) with DNS A record pointing to your server's IP

Docker Compose Configuration

Create a new Compose project in Dokploy and paste the following configuration:

version: "3.8"

services:
  localsend-web:
    image: queeup/localsend-web:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:443"
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "wget --no-check-certificate -qO- https://localhost:443/ || exit 1"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 3

Note: LocalSend Web is a community project, not the official LocalSend native app. The native app is a desktop/mobile application for local network file transfers. This web version uses WebRTC for browser-to-browser file sharing, with files transferring peer-to-peer (not stored on the server).

Environment Variables

LocalSend Web does not require runtime environment variables. The signaling server configuration is baked into the image at build time.

Variable	Purpose	Example
(none required)	LocalSend Web works out of the box	—

In Dokploy, environment variables are set via the Environment editor in the project settings. For LocalSend Web, you can leave this section empty.

Volumes & Data Persistence

LocalSend Web does not require persistent volumes. Files are transferred peer-to-peer via WebRTC — the server acts only as a signaling relay and does not store any transferred files.

Domain & SSL Setup

1. In your Dokploy project, navigate to the Domains tab
2. Click Add Domain and enter your domain (e.g., send.yourdomain.com)
3. Set the container port to 8080
4. Enable HTTPS — Dokploy automatically provisions a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate
5. Save and wait for the certificate to be issued (usually under a minute)

Dokploy's built-in Traefik reverse proxy handles TLS termination and routes traffic to the LocalSend Web container. HTTPS is required for WebRTC to function in modern browsers.

Verifying the Deployment

1. In Dokploy, go to your project's Deployments tab and click Deploy
2. Watch the build logs — you should see the localsend-web container pull and start
3. Check the Logs tab for the localsend-web service
4. Open https://send.yourdomain.com in your browser — you should see the LocalSend Web interface
5. Open the same URL on a second device to test file sharing between browsers

Troubleshooting

File transfers fail between devices LocalSend Web uses WebRTC for peer-to-peer transfers, which requires both devices to establish a direct connection. If devices are behind strict NATs or firewalls, WebRTC may fail. Ensure your browsers support WebRTC (all modern browsers do).

"Connection not secure" warnings HTTPS is required for WebRTC. Verify that Dokploy has issued a valid SSL certificate for your domain. Self-signed certificates will cause browser warnings and may block WebRTC connections.

This is not the same as the native LocalSend app The native LocalSend app uses UDP multicast on port 53317 for local device discovery, which does not work over the internet. This Docker deployment provides the web-based version for remote file sharing. For local LAN file sharing, install the native LocalSend app on each device instead.

SSL certificate not issuing Ensure your domain's DNS A record points to your server's IP and has propagated. Dokploy uses Let's Encrypt HTTP-01 challenges, so port 80 must be accessible. Check Traefik logs in Dokploy for certificate-related errors.

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Learn more about LocalSend in our complete overview.

Need a VPS? Hostinger VPS starts at $4.99/mo — perfect for running LocalSend.

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For more on Docker Compose deployments in Dokploy, see the Dokploy Docker Compose documentation.

App data sourced from selfh.st open-source directory.