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World desk9 min

How to Stop Dokku From Deploying an App to Every Domain

Learn why one Dokku app can answer for unknown domains and how to correct app domain lists, wildcard DNS, nginx fallback routing, ports, and TLS safely.

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If one Dokku app answers for hostnames that belong to other sites, fix the routing layers in order: inspect the app’s effective vhosts, replace its domain list with only the names it should serve, disable its vhost if it should be private, then prevent nginx’s catch-all behavior with a default server. Wildcard DNS may send many names to the machine, but nginx should reject unknown Host values instead of handing them to the first Dokku app.

What “deploying to every domain” usually means

Dokku is not normally deploying a second copy of an application for every hostname. The more common symptom is that a request for an unrelated domain is being routed to an existing app’s nginx virtualhost. Three separate decisions determine what a visitor sees:

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  1. DNS resolution: a domain or wildcard record determines which server receives the request.
  2. Dokku domain registration: Dokku generates virtualhosts for the domains assigned to each app.
  3. nginx host matching: nginx compares the request’s HTTP Host header with its configured server names and chooses a virtualhost.

A wildcard DNS record can legitimately point many names at the Dokku host. It does not, by itself, assign all of those names to one application. The dangerous fallback occurs when nginx has no matching server name and sends the request to its default site. Dokku’s nginx documentation notes that, by default, an unknown host value is routed to the lexicographically first site in the nginx configuration stack. If that first site is your app, every unrecognised hostname appears to “belong” to it.

Dokku also has a host-wide global domain. Its documentation describes this value as “used as a default TLD for all applications on a host.” That setting can create expected app hostnames, while app-specific domains add the names configured for an individual app. You must inspect both levels before changing anything.

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Start with the app’s effective vhosts

Use the domains plugin report for the affected app:

dokku domains:report APP

Replace APP with the Dokku app name. Review the entries labelled Domains app vhosts and Domains global vhosts. The first shows names assigned directly to the app; the second reflects host-wide domain configuration that contributes to the app’s generated hostnames.

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Make a note of every hostname that should remain public and every hostname that should not. This distinction matters because the next command replaces the complete app list rather than adding one more name. Also check whether the app is expected to be public at all. A worker, internal API, or staging service may need no nginx vhost even though it remains deployed and reachable through another internal mechanism.

Keep only the intended public names

Use domains:set for an exact allow-list

If the app should answer for one or more specific names, set the complete list in one command:

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dokku domains:set APP example.com www.example.com

This command replaces the app’s domain list. It is not an additive operation. Any app-specific hostname omitted from the command is removed from that list, so include every name that should continue to work, such as both an apex domain and its www variant when both are intentional.

After setting the list, deploy the app again so Dokku regenerates its nginx configuration with the corrected server names. Then request each approved hostname and confirm that it reaches the expected app. Test an unrelated hostname separately; it should be handled by the host’s catch-all policy rather than by this app.

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When to remove app-specific names entirely

dokku domains:clear APP removes the app-specific domains. This is useful when stale custom names should no longer be associated with the app, but it is not the same as disabling nginx for the app. A cleared list can still leave host-level domain behavior in play, depending on the global configuration and the app’s generated settings. If the app must not have a public Dokku virtualhost, use domains:disable instead.

Disable the vhost for an app that should not be public

For an internal or otherwise non-public app, run:

dokku domains:disable APP

Dokku’s documented behavior is that “On subsequent deploys, the nginx virtualhost will be discarded.” The change therefore becomes effective when you deploy the app again. Disabling the domain integration does not remove the app or stop its containers; it prevents Dokku from retaining the generated public nginx virtualhost on later deployments.

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Use this option when the desired state is “no public Dokku route,” not merely “serve a smaller set of public names.” If the app should remain available at two known domains, use domains:set instead. If it should lose old custom names but retain whatever host-level behavior is appropriate, use domains:clear and then verify the resulting report.

Check wildcard DNS before changing nginx

Dokku’s advanced installation guidance uses a wildcard domain record pointing to the host running Dokku. That arrangement is convenient for automatically reaching app subdomains, but it also means that misspelled or entirely unknown names can resolve to the same server. DNS only gets the packet to the machine; it does not decide which app should receive the HTTP request.

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Review the authoritative DNS zone for the affected domain:

  • Keep a wildcard record only when you intentionally want arbitrary subdomains to reach the Dokku host.
  • Remove or narrow the wildcard when only a known set of hostnames should resolve there.
  • Check separate records for the apex name, www, staging names, and any delegated subdomains.
  • Allow for DNS caching after a record change; an old answer can remain visible until its TTL expires.

Narrowing DNS reduces unwanted traffic, but it is not a substitute for an nginx default server. A name can still reach the host through an old cache, an alternate record, a direct hosts-file entry, or another DNS mistake. The web server should reject an unknown Host value even when the connection reaches the Dokku machine.

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Add an nginx default server that rejects unknown hosts

Protect the catch-all path with a server block that is explicitly marked as the default for port 80. Create:

/etc/nginx/conf.d/00-default-vhost.conf

Put this configuration in the file:

server {
    listen 80 default_server;
    listen [::]:80 default_server;
    server_name _;
    access_log off;
    return 410;
}

The filename begins with 00- so it loads before /etc/nginx/conf.d/dokku.conf. The default_server flag makes this server the destination when no Dokku server name matches. server_name _; is a conventional non-matching name used for the catch-all; the decisive setting is the default listener.

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Reload nginx after creating or editing the file:

service nginx reload

A request with an unknown host should now receive HTTP status 410, which means the resource is gone. Dokku’s nginx guidance also documents return 444 as an alternative. Status 444 is nginx-specific and closes the connection without sending a normal response, which can be useful when you prefer not to provide a response body to unwanted traffic. Choose one behavior and document it for anyone monitoring the server.

Do not place the default block after a broader server that has already become the default, and do not omit the IPv6 listener if the machine accepts IPv6 traffic. Otherwise, a request arriving over IPv6 can still follow a different fallback path.

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Choose the control that matches the failure

Control Scope Use it when Operational result
dokku domains:set APP ... One app The app should serve a defined list of public names Replaces the app’s complete domain list; redeploy to regenerate routing
dokku domains:clear APP One app App-specific custom names are obsolete Removes app-specific domains; does not by itself express “no public vhost”
dokku domains:disable APP One app The app should not have a public Dokku route On subsequent deploys, Dokku discards the generated nginx virtualhost
DNS record changes Domain or zone Names should not resolve to the Dokku host at all Changes which machine receives traffic; cached answers may persist
nginx default_server Entire host Unknown hostnames must not fall through to an app Returns 410, or closes with 444, for unmatched host values

These controls operate at different stages. A per-app command cannot correct a wildcard record that sends unintended names to the server, and a DNS change cannot correct nginx choosing the first configured site for a host that still reaches the machine. Reliable isolation normally requires the app configuration, DNS intent, and nginx fallback policy to agree.

Account for ports and certificates after domain changes

Changing domains can affect more than the server_name values. Dokku warns that domain changes may affect port mappings, especially when an app uses non-standard ports. If the app listens through a custom external port or relies on a particular proxy mapping, review that mapping after changing or disabling domains. A name can be correctly assigned yet still fail because traffic is sent to a port where the application is not listening.

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TLS is another separate dependency. Every HTTPS name must have a certificate and nginx configuration that cover that name. Removing a name from the app’s domain list means its HTTPS route should no longer be treated as an approved endpoint; adding a name means its certificate and renewal arrangement must be checked. The exact certificate workflow depends on how TLS is configured on the host, so do not assume that changing the Dokku domain list automatically updates every certificate or external proxy.

Use this diagnostic sequence

  1. Identify the symptom. Record an unrelated hostname that displays the app and whether the request arrived over HTTP or HTTPS.
  2. Inspect Dokku. Run dokku domains:report APP and read both the app-vhost and global-vhost fields.
  3. Decide the intended exposure. Choose an exact public list, no public vhost, or a different host-wide design.
  4. Apply the app-level change. Use domains:set for an allow-list, domains:clear to remove custom names, or domains:disable when the app should not be public.
  5. Redeploy where required. A disabled domain is discarded on subsequent deploys, so perform that deploy before judging the result.
  6. Audit DNS. Remove or narrow wildcard records that are broader than your intended namespace.
  7. Install the catch-all. Create 00-default-vhost.conf before dokku.conf, choose 410 or 444, and reload nginx.
  8. Retest each path. Verify approved names, an unknown name, and any IPv6 endpoint separately.
  9. Review dependencies. Confirm port mappings and TLS coverage for every remaining public name.

Troubleshoot the common outcomes

An unknown name still shows the app

First confirm that nginx actually loaded the new file and that it is earlier than /etc/nginx/conf.d/dokku.conf. Then check whether the request is using IPv6, for which the configuration includes a separate listener. If the hostname is listed in the app’s report, remove it with an exact domains:set list or clear the app-specific domains as appropriate. If the name is not listed but still reaches the app, the default-server ordering is the likely issue.

The intended domain stopped working after domains:set

Because domains:set replaces the entire list, an omitted apex, www, or staging name is no longer assigned to the app. Run the command again with every approved name, redeploy, and then check the port mapping and certificate for the restored hostname.

The app is still reachable after domains:disable

The documented discard occurs on subsequent deploys. Deploy the app after disabling domains, then inspect the generated routing again. Also check for an independent reverse proxy, load balancer, or another server block that may be forwarding traffic; disabling Dokku’s generated vhost does not remove unrelated infrastructure.

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Legitimate apps are receiving 410 responses

A default server should reject only names that do not match an explicit server name. Verify spelling, DNS records, and the names shown by dokku domains:report APP. If an approved name was omitted from the app’s replacement list, add it back. If the request is HTTPS, inspect the HTTPS listener and certificate configuration separately from the port-80 block shown above.

Operational checklist

  • Every public app has an intentional, documented hostname list.
  • The global domain is understood as a default TLD, not as permission for arbitrary domains to serve an app.
  • Wildcard DNS exists only where broad subdomain resolution is deliberate.
  • Unknown HTTP hostnames reach a 410 or 444 catch-all, never the first Dokku site.
  • The catch-all file loads before /etc/nginx/conf.d/dokku.conf and covers IPv4 and IPv6.
  • Apps without public routes use domains:disable followed by a deployment.
  • Non-standard port mappings and TLS certificates are reviewed whenever names change.

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