Deploy Uptime Kuma 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 — making Uptime Kuma one of the simplest apps to deploy.

This guide walks you through deploying Uptime Kuma with persistent monitoring data and automatic HTTPS. Uptime Kuma is a single-container application with an embedded SQLite database — no external database service needed.

Prerequisites

• A VPS with at least 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and 5 GB storage
• Dokploy installed and running on your server (installation docs)
• A domain name (e.g., status.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:
  uptime-kuma:
    image: louislam/uptime-kuma:2
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "3001:3001"
    volumes:
      - ../files/uptime-kuma-data:/app/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "curl -f http://localhost:3001/ || exit 1"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 3

Note: Uptime Kuma uses an embedded SQLite database stored in /app/data. No external database service is needed. The application is fully configured through its web UI.

Environment Variables

Uptime Kuma does not require any environment variables. All configuration — including monitors, notifications, and user accounts — is managed through the web UI.

Variable	Purpose	Example
(none required)	All settings configured via web UI	—

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

Volumes & Data Persistence

This setup uses Dokploy's ../files convention for bind-mounted volumes:

• ../files/uptime-kuma-data — SQLite database, monitor configurations, notification settings, and status page data

The ../files path is relative to the compose file inside Dokploy's project directory. This ensures your data persists across redeployments. Avoid using absolute paths (e.g., /opt/uptime-kuma) because Dokploy may clean them during redeployment.

Important: NFS-mounted volumes are NOT supported by Uptime Kuma's SQLite database. Use local storage or Docker volumes only.

If you need S3 backup support, consider using named Docker volumes instead. Named volumes can be backed up with Dokploy's built-in backup features.

Domain & SSL Setup

1. In your Dokploy project, navigate to the Domains tab
2. Click Add Domain and enter your domain (e.g., status.yourdomain.com)
3. Set the container port to 3001
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 your Uptime Kuma container.

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 uptime-kuma container pull and start
3. Check the Logs tab for the uptime-kuma service. Look for: Listening on 3001
4. Open https://status.yourdomain.com in your browser — you should see the Uptime Kuma setup page
5. Create your admin account on first access
6. Add your first monitor (HTTP, TCP, Ping, DNS, or others) to verify monitoring works

Troubleshooting

Uptime Kuma shows "Socket.IO connection error" This typically happens when WebSocket connections are blocked. Dokploy's Traefik proxy supports WebSockets by default, but check that no additional firewall or CDN (like Cloudflare) is stripping WebSocket headers. If using Cloudflare, ensure WebSocket support is enabled in the network settings.

Notifications not sending Verify your notification configuration in the Uptime Kuma web UI under Settings > Notifications. For email notifications, ensure your SMTP settings are correct and the VPS can reach the mail server. For Slack/Discord/Telegram, verify the webhook URL or bot token.

Database locked errors SQLite can encounter locking issues under heavy concurrent access. This is rare for Uptime Kuma but can happen with many monitors. Ensure the data volume is on local storage (not NFS). If issues persist, consider reducing the number of monitors per instance.

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 Uptime Kuma in our complete overview.

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

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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.