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Uptime Kuma Docker Compose Setup: A Ready-to-Use Example

Deploy Uptime Kuma with a small Docker Compose file, preserve its SQLite data safely, choose the right host port, update between image versions, and troubleshoot startup or access problems.
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The smallest reliable Uptime Kuma deployment is a Compose service using louislam/uptime-kuma:2, publishing host port 3001 to the container’s port 3001, and mounting a persistent ./data directory at /app/data. Create the directory, save the Compose file below as compose.yaml, run docker compose up -d, and open http://HOSTNAME-OR-IP:3001.

The ready-to-use Compose file

This is the current minimal structure published in the project repository:

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services:
  uptime-kuma:
    image: louislam/uptime-kuma:2
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    ports:
      - "3001:3001"

Each line has a specific job:

  • image: louislam/uptime-kuma:2 selects the project’s current major-version 2 image line.
  • restart: unless-stopped asks Docker to start the service again after a crash or host reboot, while respecting an intentional manual stop.
  • ./data:/app/data stores Uptime Kuma’s database, settings, and monitor definitions in a directory beside the Compose file instead of inside the disposable container layer.
  • 3001:3001 maps host port 3001 (the number on the left) to the application’s container port 3001 (the number on the right).

The official file intentionally does not add a custom container name, environment variables, network, healthcheck, or reverse-proxy configuration. Those are deployment-specific additions, not requirements for a first installation.

Before you start

You need a machine that can run Docker Engine and the Docker Compose command, permission to create a project directory, and a host port that is not already occupied. The host can be a desktop, server, virtual machine, or another always-on computer. Uptime Kuma’s state should live on storage with dependable local filesystem semantics; the SQLite database depends on POSIX file locking.

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Choose storage deliberately

  • A local directory on the Docker host is the simplest option and matches the official example.
  • A Docker-managed local volume is also suitable when you prefer Docker to manage the data path.
  • A network-mounted directory can be unsafe if its filesystem does not provide reliable POSIX locks. Verify locking behavior before putting the database there.

Do not treat the container itself as the data store. Recreating or replacing a container is expected during upgrades; deleting the mounted data directory is what discards the instance configuration.

Create the project directory

Run these commands on the Docker host:

mkdir uptime-kuma
cd uptime-kuma
mkdir data

The resulting layout is:

uptime-kuma/
├── compose.yaml
└── data/

Create compose.yaml in that directory and paste the service definition from the first section. Creating data explicitly makes the bind-mount target obvious and lets you check its ownership and permissions before the first start. Docker can create a missing bind-mount path automatically, but an explicit directory avoids surprises caused by a typo or an unexpected directory owner.

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Start Uptime Kuma and verify the container

  1. From the directory containing compose.yaml, start the service in the background:
    docker compose up -d
  2. Check the Compose status:
    docker compose ps

    You should see the uptime-kuma service with a running state and a published port.

  3. Watch startup output if you need to confirm initialization or diagnose an error:
    docker compose logs -f uptime-kuma

    Press Ctrl+C to stop following the log; that does not stop the container.

  4. Open http://HOSTNAME-OR-IP:3001 in a browser, replacing the host name or address with the Docker host’s reachable address.

Use the address of the Docker host, not the container’s private address. When the browser is on the same machine, http://localhost:3001 is the usual first test. From another device, the host must be reachable on the selected port through its firewall and network path.

How port mapping works

Compose reads a port entry as HOST_PORT:CONTAINER_PORT. The application continues to listen on container port 3001; only the host-side number needs to change when another service already uses 3001.

Compose entry Browser address When to use it
3001:3001 http://HOSTNAME-OR-IP:3001 Default mapping from the official example.
8080:3001 http://HOSTNAME-OR-IP:8080 Host port 3001 is already occupied; the container still uses 3001.
127.0.0.1:3001:3001 http://localhost:3001 Only clients on the Docker host should connect directly; a proxy can access the local listener.

The first two forms expose the service on the host’s network interfaces according to Docker’s normal publishing behavior. If you change the left side, recreate the service with docker compose up -d and browse to the new host port. Do not change the right side merely because you selected a different browser port; Uptime Kuma’s documented internal port remains 3001.

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Keep configuration and monitors after container recreation

The bind mount is the persistence boundary. Uptime Kuma writes its SQLite database, settings, and monitor configuration under /app/data; Compose maps that path to ./data on the host. A new container using the same project directory therefore sees the existing instance state.

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What is safe to recreate

Stopping, removing, pulling, and recreating the container is normal lifecycle work as long as the data directory remains in place. For example, docker compose down removes the service container and network created for the project but does not remove the bind-mounted files. Starting the project again with docker compose up -d reconnects the application to the same database.

What destroys the instance

  • Deleting ./data or replacing it with an empty directory.
  • Starting a second Compose project that mounts a different empty directory at /app/data.
  • Changing the mount target or path without moving the existing files to the new location.

Before an upgrade or a storage migration, stop writes, make a copy of the data directory, and verify that the copy can be read. The project does not perform an automatic backup merely because the volume is mounted.

Bind mount or named volume?

The official example uses a bind mount because it makes the files visible beside compose.yaml. A named volume keeps the same persistence behavior while letting Docker choose the host path.

Characteristic Bind mount (./data:/app/data) Named volume
Where you see files Directly in the project’s data directory. Under Docker’s volume storage area; inspect or back it up with Docker-aware commands.
Portability Easy to move with the Compose directory and a file copy. Convenient inside one Docker host; migration requires exporting or copying the volume.
Official status Used by the project’s current minimal file. Supported by Compose and suitable when Docker-managed storage is preferred; no project-specific path is stated.
Locking requirement Still requires a filesystem with reliable POSIX file locks. Uses the Docker host’s local volume driver by default, but the underlying storage still must provide correct locking.

A named-volume variant looks like this:

services:
  uptime-kuma:
    image: louislam/uptime-kuma:2
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - uptime-kuma-data:/app/data
    ports:
      - "3001:3001"

volumes:
  uptime-kuma-data:

Do not switch between these variants casually. If you change from a bind mount to a named volume without copying the existing database, the new volume will appear to be a fresh Uptime Kuma installation.

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SQLite locking and network-storage risks

The installation guidance explicitly states: “Filesystem support for POSIX file locks is required to avoid SQLite database corruption.” This matters because Uptime Kuma’s persistent state includes a SQLite database, and SQLite relies on locking to coordinate reads and writes.

Safer placement

  • Use a local filesystem on the Docker host for ./data.
  • Use Docker’s local volume driver when you want Docker-managed placement on that host.
  • If the host itself stores Docker data on a network filesystem, validate that filesystem’s locking implementation rather than assuming it behaves like local disk.

Warning signs

Repeated database-lock messages, corruption reports, failed writes, or an instance that behaves differently after simultaneous access should be treated as storage problems until proven otherwise. Stop the service, preserve a copy of the data directory, and move the mount to storage with dependable POSIX locking. Do not “fix” the symptom by deleting the database; that removes monitor and configuration state.

Updating the image safely

The current repository example uses the major tag louislam/uptime-kuma:2. A normal refresh of that major line is:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
docker compose ps

The first command downloads the image referenced by the Compose file. The second recreates the service when an updated image is available, preserving the mounted data. The final command confirms that the replacement container is running.

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Back up before the refresh

Make a copy of data before upgrading. For a straightforward local-directory backup, stop the service first so the database is not changing while it is copied:

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docker compose down
tar -czf uptime-kuma-data-backup.tar.gz data/

Store the archive outside the project directory if you want protection against accidental deletion of the whole project. Start the service again with docker compose up -d after the backup completes. A backup is an operator practice; the Compose file does not schedule one.

Do not mix major-version guidance

An older version-1 installation page documents louislam/uptime-kuma:1 as its stable tag and describes nightly tags as development builds. The current repository example is on major version 2. Treat the major tag as a deliberate compatibility choice: keep an existing instance on the line it was configured for until you have read the project’s migration notes and made a restorable backup. Do not combine version-1 migration instructions with a version-2 container by assumption.

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Restoring the data directory

If an upgrade or storage change goes wrong, stop the service before replacing files:

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  1. Run docker compose down.
  2. Move the current data directory aside rather than deleting it, so it remains available for investigation.
  3. Extract or copy the known-good backup into a directory named data beside compose.yaml.
  4. Run docker compose up -d and inspect docker compose logs -f uptime-kuma.
  5. Open the web interface and verify that monitors and settings are present before removing the old directory.

For a named volume, restore through a temporary container or another Docker-supported volume-copy method; do not assume the volume’s host path is safe to edit directly.

Optional Compose additions

The minimal service is sufficient for a local deployment. Compose also supports keys such as environment, healthcheck, logging, restart, ports, and volumes. Add them only when you have a concrete operational reason and understand how they interact with your host.

Healthchecks

A healthcheck can give an orchestrator or monitoring system a separate readiness signal, but it is not required to open the web interface. Use a command and success condition appropriate for the image and your Compose version; an arbitrary command can report false failures even while the service is usable.

Logging

Docker’s logging settings can limit retention or route output to a centralized system. Configure them according to the host’s logging policy instead of copying a driver-specific example that may not be installed.

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Networks and reverse proxies

A custom network is useful when a reverse proxy or another container must reach Uptime Kuma by service name. A TLS terminator can sit in front of the published service, allowing users to connect over HTTPS while the Compose service remains on its internal HTTP port. Proxy headers, certificates, authentication, and firewall rules are outside the minimal Compose setup; document them separately and avoid publishing an unnecessary direct port if the proxy is the only intended entry point.

Troubleshoot in this order

The browser cannot connect

  1. Run docker compose ps. If the service is not running, continue with the logs.
  2. Run docker compose logs -f uptime-kuma and look for startup, database, or permission errors.
  3. Check the browser URL against the left side of the port mapping. With 8080:3001, the URL is http://HOSTNAME-OR-IP:8080, not port 3001.
  4. From the Docker host, test http://localhost:3001 when using the default mapping. If that works locally but not remotely, inspect the host firewall, security groups, routing, or proxy rather than changing the container port.
  5. Confirm that the container is publishing the expected port in docker compose ps.

The container exits or restarts

Read the complete startup log rather than repeatedly restarting. Check that ./data exists, is writable by the container process, and is mounted at exactly /app/data. A host directory created by a different account or with restrictive permissions can prevent initialization. Correct ownership or permissions according to your host’s security policy, then recreate the service.

Data disappeared after an update

Inspect the Compose file and confirm that the same host directory is still mounted. Verify that you launched Compose from the directory containing that file; a different working directory can resolve ./data somewhere else. If you changed to a named volume, check that the volume contains the original data rather than a newly created empty volume.

Database locking or corruption appears

Stop the service and preserve the current files. Move the data mount to local storage or another filesystem with reliable POSIX lock support. Restore the most recent known-good backup only after the storage issue is addressed. Deleting lock files or repeatedly forcing starts can make the underlying problem worse.

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Operational checklist

  • Compose file: uses louislam/uptime-kuma:2, restart: unless-stopped, a persistent /app/data mount, and a deliberate host port.
  • Storage: resides on a filesystem with dependable POSIX file locking.
  • First start: verified with docker compose ps and logs.
  • Access: browser uses the host-side port and a reachable host address.
  • Backups: data directory is copied before image updates or migrations.
  • Version policy: major version 1 and major version 2 instructions are not mixed without checking migration guidance.
  • Exposure: direct port publishing, firewall rules, and any reverse proxy are intentional rather than accidental.

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