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Secure a self-hosted Matrix server by protecting its network endpoints, limiting who can create accounts and access rooms, and keeping the server and its data recoverable. Those are separate controls: HTTPS protects connections to the server, room permissions control access, and end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is an optional protection for message contents. A self-hosted server does not automatically make every room private or encrypted.
This guide focuses on Synapse, the Matrix homeserver implementation covered by the cited operational guidance. Synapse changes over time, so use the configuration manual for the version you actually run rather than copying old configuration examples.
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A Matrix homeserver stores account data and may store room events and media, while also communicating with other homeservers when federation is enabled. A practical security plan has several layers: protect the service’s identity and web origin, expose only the intended network routes, restrict account and room access, reduce risky optional features, and prepare to restore the service after a failure.
These layers address different risks. TLS protects data in transit between clients or servers and your service. Registration and room permissions determine who can join your homeserver or particular rooms. E2EE can protect message contents from the homeserver itself in supported rooms, but it does not protect a compromised user device or remove the need to manage encryption keys.
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It helps to treat security as a sequence of decisions rather than a single switch. First establish the permanent Matrix identity and public endpoint; then configure and test HTTPS, routing, and federation. Next decide whether the server is private or open, set account and room policies accordingly, and enable optional features only when you can manage their risks. Finally, make sure updates, monitoring, and restoration have an owner. A server can have a valid TLS certificate and still expose an open registration path or a room with unintended visibility.
Choose the server name and endpoint before installation
Choose the Matrix server name before generating Synapse configuration. The configured server_name forms the domain part of Matrix user IDs, such as the portion after the colon, and helps other Matrix servers find yours. Synapse’s installation documentation warns that this name cannot be changed later. Treat it as a durable identity decision, not merely a hostname you can rename during routine maintenance.
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This is why choosing a domain after installation can create more than a DNS cleanup task: it affects the identity users receive and the way other servers locate your homeserver. Before creating accounts, confirm that the selected name is the one you intend to keep and that you control the domain and its DNS. Separately document the host and port that clients and federating servers should reach; those endpoint details can be configured through the appropriate discovery and proxy arrangements.
- Choose the Matrix server name and confirm you control the relevant domain and DNS.
- Choose the public endpoint and whether federation will use the default 8448 route or delegated routing.
- Plan the client and federation routes before setting firewall rules or reverse-proxy configuration.
- After setup, test federation discovery and reachability with the Synapse federation tester. A valid certificate alone does not prove that routing, proxy behavior, or delegation is correct.
Keep the homeserver’s public origin separate
Synapse’s content repository can serve raw data supplied by users. The Synapse security guide recommends avoiding a public base URL that shares a domain with unrelated web applications, particularly sensitive applications such as webmail or a web client. A separate registered domain is the stronger separation where practical; a distinct subdomain can reduce some browser-origin risks, but is not equivalent in every situation.
This is a way to reduce the consequences of serving user-controlled content in a browser context. It does not replace updates, access controls, or safe configuration. Keep the homeserver’s public origin dedicated to Matrix services rather than placing unrelated applications alongside it under the same origin.
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Expose only intended endpoints over HTTPS
Serve Synapse APIs over HTTPS for practical client use. A common deployment places Synapse behind a reverse proxy, allowing clients to connect on TCP 443 while Synapse listens on an internal, non-privileged port. Federation commonly uses TCP 8448 by default, or TCP 443 when delegation and proxy routing are configured for it. The security guidance also identifies outbound access to 443 and 8448 for federation.
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Do not expose every port in a container or host merely because it exists. Publish the client and federation endpoints required by your chosen configuration; keep the database on a private internal network rather than making it publicly reachable. If federation is intentionally disabled, the required public routing may differ, but turning federation off does not itself make rooms private.
For a reverse-proxy deployment, the proxy and Synapse must agree about which listener handles client and federation traffic. Follow the current Synapse proxy documentation for settings and forwarding behavior, including the client IP and original scheme information. Incorrect proxy headers or a route sent to the wrong listener can produce a service that appears reachable locally but does not behave correctly for users or remote homeservers. Use the current guide for the version you run rather than treating a copied proxy snippet as universal.
Deployment and routing checklist
- Set up DNS and the endpoint. Point the intended public hostname or hostnames to the service and decide which one serves client traffic and which one federation discovery advertises.
- Configure TLS termination. Use HTTPS at the public edge. If a reverse proxy terminates TLS, follow the current Synapse reverse-proxy documentation for the listener and proxy settings rather than relying on an old sample.
- Route requests to the correct listener. Ensure client API traffic and federation traffic reach the intended Synapse listener. Confirm that any delegation records or well-known responses match the public hostname, port, and proxy routes.
- Forward connection details correctly. Configure the proxy to pass the client IP and original scheme information as directed by the current Synapse proxy guide. Incorrect forwarding can cause Synapse to see the wrong client address or scheme.
- Restrict the firewall. Allow the public inbound ports your design needs, commonly 443 for clients and 8448 for default federation, or 443 for federation when delegation and proxying use that route. Allow the relevant outbound federation connections. Keep database access internal.
- Verify from outside the host. Check DNS, TLS, client access, federation discovery, and federation reachability. Use the Synapse federation tester and investigate proxy routing or redirects if other homeservers cannot connect.
Port numbers are not a complete security policy: the correct exposure depends on whether federation is enabled and how the service is delegated or proxied. The important outcome is that each public route is deliberate and reaches the intended service.
When setting firewall rules, start from the routes your deployment actually needs rather than exposing all listeners and removing access later. Client connectivity and federation are related but distinct: client traffic commonly reaches 443, while the default federation route is 8448. A delegated arrangement can use 443 for federation, but only if discovery and proxy routing are configured to match. After making a network change, test from outside the host so an internal success does not hide a public DNS, certificate, redirect, or reachability problem.
Restrict registration and room access
For a private or small-organization deployment, do not leave account creation open without a deliberate reason and controls. Synapse’s installation documentation explains that registration_shared_secret is used by the command-line registration tool. Anyone who obtains that secret can register accounts, including administrator accounts, even when normal public registration is disabled. Store it as a secret, restrict access to it, and do not publish it in a repository or expose it through a public configuration endpoint.
Account registration and room visibility are separate decisions. Disabling public registration does not make an existing room private, and a hidden room name is not an access control. Matrix Foundation guidance for private servers recommends hiding public room directories, making sensitive rooms invite-only, avoiding world-visible room history, and turning off public registration when the server is intended to be private.
In practice, ask two separate questions: who may get an account on this homeserver, and who may discover or join each room? A closed account policy helps prevent strangers from signing up, but does not by itself change a room’s directory listing, membership rules, or history visibility. Likewise, hiding a room from a public directory does not replace invite-only access for sensitive discussion. Set these controls for the room’s purpose and verify the actual room settings instead of assuming one server-wide choice covers every room.
Set the access policy for the server’s purpose
- Private organization or household: disable public registration, keep the public room directory hidden, and invite only intended participants to sensitive rooms.
- Rooms containing sensitive discussion: choose access and history visibility that do not expose the room or its history to the world. Confirm the room’s settings rather than inferring privacy from its name or the server’s federation setting.
- Open community: decide explicitly whether registration and room discovery should be public, and account for the additional moderation and operations work that public participation requires.
The Matrix Foundation’s private-server article dates to 2019 and includes historical configuration examples. Use it for the security goals, not as a source of configuration syntax or defaults for a current Synapse release. Check the current Synapse configuration manual for the option names and behavior in the version you have installed.
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Also be precise about federation. Disabling federation may change whether your homeserver exchanges traffic with other homeservers, but it is not a substitute for setting room membership and history visibility. Do not treat an unlisted room name as a secret: a private-room decision should be enforced through access settings, not depend on obscurity.
Use PostgreSQL and treat URL previews as a security-sensitive feature
Synapse’s current installation guidance says almost all installations should use PostgreSQL; SQLite is suitable for testing, not a practical production deployment. Keep the database reachable only from the homeserver or the private network components that need it.
URL previews create a specific server-side request forgery (SSRF) risk: a Matrix user may be able to cause Synapse to fetch a URL, including one that points at an internal service. Leave URL previews disabled unless you need them and can configure restrictions. If enabled, explicitly block internal IP ranges; Synapse’s installation guidance calls out loopback and RFC1918 private ranges at minimum. Do not assume that a general firewall rule or private room setting automatically makes preview fetching safe.
The decision is therefore not simply whether previews are convenient. They add a server-side fetch capability that must be constrained so arbitrary users cannot use it to reach internal services. If your users do not need previews, leaving the feature off avoids taking on that configuration responsibility. If they do, confirm the current Synapse instructions for blocking internal destinations and test the resulting restrictions as part of deployment rather than relying on a room’s privacy level to protect the host.
Back up what you need to restore
Synapse’s installation guide explicitly reminds operators to take backups. A useful recovery plan accounts for the database, media, and configuration and secrets needed to operate the server. Keep backup copies isolated from the live service so that a failure affecting the server does not automatically destroy every copy.
The official guidance does not prescribe a backup device, schedule, retention period, or recovery target. Choose those according to how much data loss and downtime your users can tolerate, then test that you can restore the data and bring the service back. An external drive or SSD can be one place to keep a separate copy, but a drive by itself is not a complete disaster-recovery plan.
Plan the backup around what a working service needs, not just one data store. A database copy without the corresponding media or the configuration and secrets needed to run Synapse may not be enough to restore the service as users expect. Keep copies separate from the live system and periodically verify restoration. The right frequency and retention depend on your own recovery needs; the Synapse guide’s instruction to back up does not specify a schedule or device.
Maintain and monitor the deployment
Security continues after initial setup. Track Synapse and its components for releases, apply updates, and monitor the service so you can notice failures or unexpected behavior. The older Matrix hosting tutorial explicitly says it is not a production deployment guide; its references to monitoring, backups, and release tracking are useful operational reminders, but its package and container examples are historical and should not be copied as current version instructions.
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- Have a defined process to learn about and apply relevant Synapse and component updates.
- Monitor availability and operational health, including whether the intended client and federation endpoints remain reachable.
- Review who can access the host, database, configuration, and registration secret.
- Revisit registration, directory, and room-history choices when the server’s purpose changes.
- Keep a tested restoration path for database, media, and configuration rather than treating successful backup creation as proof of recoverability.
Monitoring should help you notice when the service or its intended public routes stop working; it does not replace the security work of applying releases or reviewing access. Likewise, tracking releases is useful only when someone is responsible for deciding and carrying out updates. Assign an operator for each recurring task, including backup checks and restoration tests, so essential duties are not left implicit.
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Matrix Foundation’s April 17, 2025 post introducing Policy Servers described an experimental Synapse module that was expected to be discontinued around May 21, 2025. That dated announcement is not a basis for installing the module as a current abuse-prevention control. Do not make a production security plan depend on historical experimental functionality.
Understand the limits of end-to-end encryption
The Matrix specification supports optional end-to-end encryption for room messages. It is distinct from HTTPS: TLS protects a connection between a client and server, or between servers, while E2EE is a room-level choice intended to protect message contents from the homeserver. A room is not encrypted simply because Synapse is self-hosted or because its APIs use HTTPS.
Encryption also does not remove endpoint risk. Participants’ devices and their handling of encryption keys remain part of the security model. The cited sources establish that E2EE is optional; they do not provide a complete key-recovery procedure. Before relying on encrypted rooms for important communication, understand the key-management and recovery behavior of the clients your users will use.
These protections answer different questions. HTTPS helps protect a connection while information is in transit; it does not turn an unencrypted room into an E2EE room. E2EE is a room-level option, not a setting inherited automatically from running your own server. Even where a room is encrypted, users’ devices and keys remain important parts of the security model, so do not promise that self-hosting alone makes messages inaccessible to every other party.
Choose who operates the infrastructure
Running Synapse yourself is not the only way to have a Matrix homeserver. The Matrix Foundation describes paid hosting as the simplest route for people who want a homeserver without managing all the infrastructure themselves, and points readers to provider listings. An organization can also host on premises with a support plan. The choice is operational as much as technical:
| Approach | Control and data location | Operations to clarify | Useful fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted Synapse | You choose the hosting environment and retain direct responsibility for the deployment. | You handle or assign updates, backups, monitoring, incident response, and federation configuration. | Operators who need direct control and have the time or expertise to run the service. |
| Paid Matrix hosting | Depends on the provider’s service and terms; verify where data is stored and what control is available. | Confirm who performs updates, backups, monitoring, and support, and what federation is supported. | People who want a homeserver without operating all its infrastructure themselves. |
| On-premises deployment with support | The organization operates in its own environment, with support arrangements depending on the plan. | Define responsibility for maintenance, backups, monitoring, support coverage, and capacity. | Organizations that need local deployment but do not want every operational responsibility to rest with internal staff. |
No current prices, capacity figures, or service-level comparisons are established here. Before choosing a managed or supported option, verify its current pricing, data location, federation needs, support availability, backup responsibilities, and service terms. For any approach, make clear who is accountable for updates, monitoring, and restoration.
Compare the full responsibility split, not only the location of the server. With self-hosting, direct control comes with responsibility for the surrounding operations. A paid host may reduce the infrastructure work you manage, but you still need to understand its terms, data location, support, backup coverage, and federation capabilities. An on-premises arrangement can keep deployment in the organization’s environment while a support plan shares some duties; define precisely which party handles updates, monitoring, restoration, and support coverage. There are no universal prices or service levels to assume, so verify the current terms of any provider or support plan before deciding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I secure my Matrix server?
For a Synapse server, start by choosing the permanent server_name and endpoint, then configure HTTPS, deliberate client and federation routes, and firewall rules that keep the database private. Restrict registration and room access for the server’s purpose, protect the registration secret, use PostgreSQL for a practical deployment, and leave URL previews off unless you can block internal IP ranges. Maintain updates, monitoring, and restorable backups.
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How do I stop strangers joining my Matrix rooms?
For a private deployment, turn off public registration, hide the public room directory, and make sensitive rooms invite-only with history visibility that does not expose their contents to the world. These are separate controls: disabling registration does not change existing room permissions, and hiding a room name is not an access control. Check the current Synapse configuration manual for version-specific settings.
How do I set up federation securely?
Choose whether federation will be discovered on the default port 8448 or use delegation and a proxy route on 443. Make sure DNS, delegation or well-known responses, TLS, proxy headers, firewall rules, and Synapse listeners agree. Test discovery and reachability with the Synapse federation tester; a valid certificate alone does not confirm the route is correct.
Does self-hosting automatically encrypt Matrix rooms?
No. Matrix supports optional end-to-end encryption, but a room is not encrypted just because it is hosted on your own Synapse server or served over HTTPS. HTTPS protects traffic in transit; E2EE is a room-level choice, and users’ devices and key management remain part of the security model.
Should I enable URL previews on Synapse?
Only if you need them and can configure protections. Preview fetching can create an SSRF risk because users may cause the server to request URLs, including internal services. If enabled, explicitly block internal IP ranges, including loopback and RFC1918 ranges at minimum, following current Synapse documentation.
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Plan to restore the database, media, and the configuration and secrets needed to operate the server. Keep copies isolated from the live service and test restoration. Synapse’s installation guide calls for backups but does not mandate a particular device, schedule, retention period, or recovery target.
The Bottom Line
Secure Synapse by making deliberate choices about identity, network exposure, account creation, room access, and optional features—and by maintaining updates, monitoring, and backups you can restore. HTTPS, federation settings, room privacy, and E2EE solve different problems; none substitutes for the others. Confirm version-sensitive settings in current Synapse documentation and test the public routes and recovery plan you actually depend on.
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