The dependable way to run Ghost on a VPS is Ghost Foundation’s ghost-docker tooling. It brings up Ghost, Caddy for web serving and TLS, and MySQL as a Compose application. You need a Linux server (Ubuntu is the documented recommendation), Docker 20.10.13 or newer, a domain whose A record points to the VPS, and an SMTP service. The official Docker instructions are still marked preview, so check Ghost’s current Docker guide immediately before deployment.
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What this deployment includes
The official approach is a prepared Compose project rather than a single Ghost container. The ghost-docker repository supplies the application layout and supporting services:
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/ghost. - Caddy: the reverse proxy and web server that also handles TLS in the bundled setup.
- MySQL: the database service used by Ghost.
- Optional services: ActivityPub and Analytics can be enabled when supported by the current project files.
The repository contains top-level caddy and mysql-init directories. A Ghost forum discussion describes the database service as using a standard upstream MySQL image rather than a custom image. The exact Ghost image tag is not established here; inspect the repository’s Compose file before documenting or pinning a version.
Requirements before you start
Server and operating system
Use a Linux VPS. Ghost’s install page recommends Ubuntu. The official minimum is at least 1 GB of memory. A practical baseline is 2 GB RAM, especially when Ghost, MySQL, Caddy, and Docker are active together. DeployHQ describes Ghost’s documented minimum as 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM; treat that as a third-party sizing recommendation, not as a replacement for Ghost’s own minimum.
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| Guidance | Value | Attribution |
|---|---|---|
| Official memory minimum | At least 1 GB RAM | Ghost developer documentation |
| Practical starting point | 2 GB RAM | Common VPS practice for the complete stack |
| Third-party specification | 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM | DeployHQ guide |
These figures are starting points, not a promise of a particular traffic capacity. If you expect heavy image processing, large imports, ActivityPub, Analytics, or many simultaneous administrators, leave additional headroom and monitor memory after launch.
Docker and Compose
Install Docker 20.10.13 or higher. Use the modern Compose plugin syntax, docker compose. Older community tutorials may show the hyphenated docker-compose command; do not switch syntax blindly if the official project expects the plugin.
docker --version
docker compose versionConfirm that both commands return versions and that your account can run Docker. If the Compose command is unavailable, install or enable Docker’s Compose plugin before cloning the Ghost project.
Domain, DNS, and mail
Create an A record for the hostname you will use, pointing it to the VPS’s public IPv4 address. Allow DNS to propagate before opening the site. The Caddy portion of the bundle needs the domain to be correct so it can serve the site and manage TLS.
Arrange an SMTP email service before the first-run wizard. Ghost uses email for administrator and member-related messages; an SMTP provider is a prerequisite in the official setup checklist. Keep the SMTP host, port, username, password, and sender details available while completing Ghost’s settings.
Choose the official project instead of writing Compose from scratch
You can hand-write a Compose file containing a Ghost image, MySQL, and a reverse proxy, and older guides demonstrate that pattern. The trade-off is maintenance: you must choose image tags, wire networking, configure TLS, maintain proxy rules, and adapt changes yourself. The official ghost-docker project is the better starting point when you want Ghost-aligned defaults and the bundled Caddy/MySQL arrangement.
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| Approach | What you manage | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
Ghost’s ghost-docker tooling |
Environment values, domain, secrets, and updates to the project | Most VPS owners who want the documented path |
| Hand-written Compose | Ghost image selection, MySQL configuration, reverse proxy, TLS, networking, and lifecycle changes | Operators with an existing platform and a reason to own every component |
The official Docker page is labeled preview, so its repository layout and commands can change. Treat the current page and checked-out files as authoritative rather than copying a command sequence from an undated tutorial.
Deploy Ghost with the repository’s Compose files
1. Connect to the VPS and clone the project
Work in /opt, a conventional location for server applications. Clone Ghost Foundation’s repository into /opt/ghost:
sudo mkdir -p /opt
git clone https://github.com/TryGhost/ghost-docker /opt/ghost
cd /opt/ghostIf Git is not installed, install it using your distribution’s package manager, then repeat the clone. Verify that the directory contains the Compose project and the caddy and mysql-init folders.
2. Copy the example environment and Caddy configuration
The project includes example environment and Caddy configuration files. Copy each example to the live filename expected by the repository. File names can change while the Docker page is in preview, so list the directory first and use the examples that are actually present:
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find . -maxdepth 2 -type f | sortThen copy the example .env and Caddyfile as directed by the checked-out project. Do not overwrite an existing production file without saving a copy. A typical layout uses an example environment file copied to .env and an example Caddyfile copied to Caddyfile; follow the names shown in your checkout.
3. Edit the environment values
Open the live .env file and set the domain and database passwords requested by the project:
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sudo editor .envUse the exact variable names already present in the file. Set the public hostname to the domain whose A record points at this VPS. Replace every example database password with a long, unique value. The official instructions suggest generating passwords with OpenSSL:
openssl rand -base64 32Run the command separately when you need more than one secret, and paste each result into the corresponding password field. Keep the file private because it contains credentials. Do not invent additional variables or rename existing ones; the Compose files determine which names are consumed.
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4. Check the Caddyfile
Open the live Caddyfile and confirm that its site address matches the same domain entered in .env. A mismatch can make the proxy answer for the wrong host or prevent the expected TLS setup. Keep the supplied service names and paths unless you have a documented reason to change them.
5. Pull images and start the stack
From /opt/ghost, use the Compose plugin commands shown by Ghost:
docker compose pull
docker compose up -dpull downloads the images referenced by the checked-out project. up -d creates the network and containers and leaves them running in the background. If Docker reports a malformed environment value or missing file, stop and correct that value rather than repeatedly recreating containers.
6. Verify container state
Check that the services are running:
docker compose psThe output should show the Ghost, Caddy, and MySQL services defined by the project. If a service is restarting or exited, inspect its logs before changing configuration:
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docker compose logs --tail=200
docker compose logs --tail=200 ghost
docker compose logs --tail=200 caddy
docker compose logs --tail=200 mysqlService names can differ between repository revisions. If one of the named commands reports that the service does not exist, run docker compose config --services and use the names it prints.
Finish Ghost’s browser setup
Once the containers are healthy and DNS resolves to the VPS, open your domain in a browser and append /ghost. The first-run screen walks you through creating the administrator account and site details. Use the SMTP details prepared earlier so Ghost can send mail.
- Visit
https://your-domain.example/ghostafter replacing the example host with your configured domain. - Complete the administrator and publication details requested by Ghost.
- Enter the SMTP settings in Ghost’s configuration when prompted or when you reach the mail settings.
- Sign in to the admin area and create a test post or page.
- Open the public site in a separate browser window and send a test email, such as an invitation or password-reset message, to verify outbound mail.
The hostname in this example is illustrative; use the real domain in your configuration. If the browser shows an old certificate, a different website, or a connection failure, re-check the A record, the Caddy domain value, and the container logs.
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Useful day-to-day Compose commands
Run these from the project directory so Compose reads the intended files:
docker compose ps— view service status.docker compose logs -f— follow combined logs while diagnosing a request or startup problem.docker compose stop— stop the stack without removing containers.docker compose start— start previously stopped containers.docker compose down— stop and remove the Compose-managed containers and network; use it deliberately and understand what the project stores in volumes.docker compose pullfollowed bydocker compose up -d— the basic image refresh sequence documented for deployment.
Before running a pull or recreating services on a live publication, read the current Ghost Docker instructions and the repository change history. The preview status means service names, required variables, and upgrade guidance may evolve.
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A running container is not a backup. Treat the MySQL data and Ghost content as production data and decide where backups will live before publishing important work. The supplied installation summary does not establish a particular backup command, retention schedule, or upgrade procedure, so do not assume that docker compose down, deleting a volume, or pulling a new image is reversible.
- Identify the named volumes and bind mounts in the checked-out Compose file before changing or deleting anything.
- Keep a copy of the environment file and Caddy configuration separately from the VPS, with secrets protected.
- Export or snapshot the MySQL data using a method appropriate to the project’s current configuration.
- Back up uploaded images and other content directories as well as the database.
- Test that a backup can be restored on a disposable host before relying on it.
- Record the repository revision and image tags used for each deployment so a rollback is possible.
Do not quote or pin a Ghost image version until you have inspected the current Compose file. The image tag used by the repository was not confirmed in the available documentation.
Troubleshooting common first deployments
The command is docker-compose, not docker compose
The official instructions use the Compose plugin form, docker compose. Install the plugin or update Docker rather than silently following an old guide that assumes the hyphenated standalone command. Confirm with docker compose version.
The site does not resolve
Check that the domain’s A record points to the VPS’s current public address and that you are using the same hostname in both the environment file and Caddyfile. DNS changes can take time to appear at different resolvers. Query the record from your workstation and compare it with the server address.
HTTPS or the wrong certificate appears
Verify the Caddy hostname, make sure the request reaches this VPS, and inspect Caddy’s logs. A stale DNS record or another server answering for the hostname will prevent the bundled proxy from presenting the expected certificate.
A container exits or repeatedly restarts
Run docker compose ps and inspect the affected service’s logs. Typical configuration causes include a missing copied example file, a typo in a password, an invalid domain value, or an environment variable that does not match the name used by the Compose file. Correct the source file, then recreate the services with the project’s documented command.
Ghost loads but email does not arrive
Re-check the SMTP host, port, credentials, sender address, and any provider-side verification requirements. Look for connection or authentication errors in the Ghost logs. A working website does not prove that SMTP is configured correctly.
Memory pressure occurs on a small VPS
Compare the VPS size with Ghost’s official 1 GB minimum and the more comfortable 2 GB baseline. Check host memory and container logs, then reduce optional services or move to a larger VPS rather than treating repeated restarts as an application fix. ActivityPub and Analytics add services to the stack when enabled.
Security and maintenance checklist
- Use a current Linux installation and keep Docker and the host patched.
- Use unique, generated database passwords and restrict access to the environment file.
- Point only the intended domain at the VPS and remove obsolete DNS records.
- Confirm that Caddy is the only public proxy you intend to run; do not add a second reverse proxy without understanding the port and routing changes.
- Monitor disk space, memory, and container restarts.
- Back up the database, uploaded content, environment file, and Caddy configuration before upgrades.
- Review the preview documentation before changing image tags, enabling optional services, or altering the Compose file.
When a custom Compose file is justified
A custom file can make sense when you already operate a standard proxy, centralize databases, require a particular storage layout, or need infrastructure controls that the bundled project does not expose. It also transfers responsibility for every integration to you. You will need to select a compatible Ghost image, configure MySQL persistence, connect Ghost to the database, arrange proxy routing and TLS, provide SMTP, and maintain upgrades.
For a new single-site VPS, the official repository avoids those choices and keeps Caddy, MySQL, and Ghost aligned in one project. Start there unless a concrete platform requirement demands a different architecture.
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Final pre-launch checklist
- Ubuntu or another supported Linux VPS is ready.
- Docker is version 20.10.13 or newer and
docker composeworks. - The domain A record points to the VPS.
- An SMTP service and credentials are available.
- The repository is cloned at
/opt/ghost. - The example environment and Caddy files were copied using the names present in the checkout.
- The domain and generated database passwords are set.
docker compose pullcompleted successfully.docker compose up -dstarted the services.docker compose psand logs show healthy containers.- The domain’s
/ghostpage opens and the administrator setup completes. - Test content, HTTPS, and outbound email work before you announce the site.
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