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What Is the Coolify CLI and How to Use It on Your VPS

A practical guide to installing Coolify CLI, connecting it to Coolify Cloud or self-hosted Coolify, managing VPS resources, and deploying applications from the terminal.
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The Coolify CLI is a terminal client for Coolify’s REST API. Install it on your laptop, administration host, or CI runner—not inside the VPS that runs Coolify—then authenticate with an API token and a named context. From the terminal you can inspect resources, manage servers, and start deployments on both Coolify Cloud and a self-hosted Coolify instance.

What the Coolify CLI does

Coolify’s command-line interface (CLI) sends authenticated requests to the Coolify REST API. It is useful when a dashboard is inconvenient or when an operation must be repeatable: shell scripts, CI jobs, scheduled inventory, server registration, and deployment automation are the main use cases. The CLI complements the Coolify server; it does not replace the server, Docker runtime, database, or web dashboard.

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The same client can target Coolify Cloud and self-hosted installations. Each target is represented by a named context, so you can switch between environments without repeatedly typing an endpoint. Every command is limited by the API token’s permissions. A token that can list resources is not automatically allowed to create servers or deploy applications.

Where each component runs

Component Where it runs Purpose
Coolify server Your VPS or another server for self-hosted Coolify; Coolify’s infrastructure for Coolify Cloud Runs the dashboard, API, orchestration, and managed resources
Coolify CLI Your workstation, administration host, or CI runner Sends API requests and displays results in the terminal
API token Stored by the CLI configuration Authenticates commands and determines their permissions
Application workloads Servers managed by Coolify Run your deployed containers, services, and databases

What you need before installing

Self-hosted VPS requirements

Coolify’s current self-hosting documentation lists a short-form minimum of 2 CPU cores, 2 GB of RAM, and 10 GB of disk. These figures are a documented minimum, not a performance guarantee for a particular number of applications, databases, build jobs, images, or log retention. Leave additional headroom when you expect concurrent builds, persistent databases, or many container images.

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The VPS must accept SSH connections. Before installation, check the operating system and CPU architecture, confirm that required firewall ports can be opened, and verify free memory and disk space. A provider may advertise a plan that meets the numeric minimum but still be unsuitable if it blocks SSH, restricts Docker-related networking, or offers insufficient disk I/O.

CLI machine requirements

The installer supports Linux and macOS on amd64 and arm64. You need a shell with curl, permission to write to the chosen installation location, network access to the Coolify API endpoint, and an API token created in Coolify. Windows users can use the documented PowerShell installer; the project also documents Homebrew and go install alternatives.

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Token and network prerequisites

  • Create the token in the Coolify dashboard at /security/api-tokens.
  • API access is enabled by default on Coolify Cloud.
  • On self-hosted Coolify, an administrator must enable API access if it is disabled.
  • For a self-hosted target, the CLI machine must resolve and reach the instance’s fully qualified URL over the required HTTPS or HTTP endpoint.
  • Keep the token secret. Do not place it in a repository, shell history that is shared with other users, or a publicly readable CI log.

Install Coolify itself on the VPS

If Coolify is not yet running, connect to the VPS over SSH and use the automated installer documented by Coolify:

curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | bash

Review the script source and your provider’s security policy before piping any remote script to a shell. Use a freshly provisioned server, restrict SSH access, and apply your normal operating-system update and firewall practices.

When installation finishes, create the first administrator account promptly. Back up /data/coolify/source/.env securely. Coolify identifies this file as containing installation secrets, including APP_KEY, which is required when restoring the installation. Store the backup outside the VPS and protect it like a password; anyone who obtains the secrets may be able to compromise the installation.

Install the CLI on your workstation or CI runner

Recommended Linux and macOS installer

Run this command on the machine from which you will issue Coolify commands:

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curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coollabsio/coolify-cli/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

The installer supports amd64 and arm64 builds on Linux and macOS. If you do not have administrator privileges, use the user-local option:

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curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coollabsio/coolify-cli/main/scripts/install.sh | bash -s -- --user

A user-local installation normally places the executable under a directory owned by your account. If the shell cannot find it afterward, add the installer’s reported directory to PATH and start a new shell.

Other documented installation methods

The project also documents Homebrew, Windows PowerShell, and go install. Choose one method per machine rather than mixing package-manager and script copies, which can leave multiple binaries at different paths. In a managed CI image, pin the CLI version using the image or installation mechanism your pipeline controls.

Verify the binary

Confirm that the executable is available before creating contexts:

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coolify version
coolify --help

The first CLI command creates its configuration file if it does not already exist. Treat that configuration as sensitive because it contains context information and may contain credentials or tokens, depending on the CLI version and authentication method.

Create a context and authenticate

1. Generate an API token

Sign in to Coolify, open /security/api-tokens, and create a token with only the permissions needed for the work. Give tokens useful names and an owner or expiry policy in your operational records. If a token is exposed, revoke it and create a replacement rather than continuing to use it.

2. Save a Coolify Cloud token

For Coolify Cloud, save the token with:

coolify context set-token cloud <token>

Replace <token> with the value copied from the dashboard. Avoid putting the real value in a script committed to source control.

3. Add a self-hosted context

For self-hosted Coolify, create a named context containing the instance’s fully qualified URL and the token, then select that context as the default. The exact subcommand and flags can vary by CLI release, so inspect the installed command reference first:

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coolify context --help
coolify context set --help

Use a distinct name such as production-vps or staging. Include the scheme and hostname required by your installation, and use the public or private URL that is reachable from the CLI machine.

4. Verify connectivity

coolify context verify

A successful verification confirms that the selected context can reach Coolify and that the token is accepted. A failure at this point is an authentication or connectivity problem, not an application-deployment problem; troubleshoot it before running resource commands.

5. Run an inventory command

coolify resource list

The inventory lists applications, services, and databases that the token can access. Depending on the CLI release, the plural spelling is also available as coolify resources list. Use coolify --help and the command-specific help to confirm the spelling supported by your installed version.

Switching between Cloud and self-hosted targets

Named contexts are useful when one operator manages several environments. List the saved contexts before changing a deployment target:

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coolify context list

Select the intended context as the default using the context command documented by your installed version, then run coolify context verify. Make verification a routine step in scripts that can affect production. A valid token against the wrong context is still a successful authentication, but it can make an operation target the wrong installation.

Inspect servers, projects, and resources

The command catalog covers contexts, servers, projects, resources, applications, GitHub integrations, databases, services, deployments, domains, and private keys. The following read-oriented commands are useful for an initial inventory:

coolify server list
coolify projects list
coolify resources list
coolify app list

To inspect one server and include its resources, use:

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coolify server get <uuid> --resources

Replace <uuid> with the server UUID returned by the list command. Record UUIDs in your automation rather than relying on display names, which may not be unique.

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Register a VPS as a Coolify server

When the VPS is intended to be managed by a Coolify installation, register it with the documented syntax:

coolify server add <server_name> <ip_address> <private_key_uuid> --port 22 --user root --validate

The command associates the server name and IP address with a private-key record already known to Coolify. The command reference lists port 22 and user root as defaults; specify different values when your SSH service uses another port or account. The --validate flag checks the connection immediately instead of leaving an untested server record.

Before running the add command

  • Confirm that the IP address belongs to the intended VPS and that DNS or routing is correct.
  • Ensure the private-key UUID refers to the matching public key installed on the server.
  • Check that the SSH user can perform the operations Coolify requires; do not assume a restricted account is equivalent to root.
  • Allow the chosen SSH port through the VPS firewall and any provider firewall.
  • Run the command in the context belonging to the Coolify installation that should manage the server.

Start an application deployment

To start a deployment for an application, run:

coolify app start <uuid>

The UUID identifies the application in the selected context. The command starts the deployment using the application’s existing source, build, environment, domain, and server settings. It does not magically create missing credentials or repair an invalid build configuration.

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Force a rebuild or deploy immediately

Use --force to force a rebuild. Use --instant-deploy to skip queuing when that behavior is appropriate for the installation. Because flags can change between releases, inspect the exact options before putting them in automation:

coolify app start --help

For production scripts, capture the CLI version, select the correct context explicitly, and fail the job when the command returns a non-zero status. Do not treat a command being accepted as proof that the application became healthy; check deployment status and application logs through the operational workflow you use for Coolify.

A repeatable terminal workflow

  1. Prepare the target. Confirm the VPS has at least 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM, and 10 GB disk according to Coolify’s current minimum, plus SSH access and usable firewall rules.
  2. Install or verify Coolify. Complete the self-host installation, create the first admin account, and back up /data/coolify/source/.env.
  3. Install the CLI elsewhere. Put the binary on your workstation or CI runner and verify it with coolify version.
  4. Create a token. Generate it at /security/api-tokens with the least privileges needed.
  5. Create and select a context. Separate Cloud, staging, and production by name.
  6. Verify before changing anything. Run coolify context verify and then a read-only inventory command.
  7. Inspect identifiers. List servers, projects, applications, and resources; copy the UUID for the intended target.
  8. Make the change. Register a server with server add or start a deployment with app start.
  9. Check the result. Review the deployment state, logs, and application health in the normal Coolify operational view.
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Security and reliability practices

Protect tokens and configuration

  • Use separate tokens for personal administration, CI, and scheduled inventory.
  • Grant only the API permissions required by each job.
  • Inject tokens through a CI secret store instead of environment files committed to a repository.
  • Restrict file permissions on the CLI configuration directory and back up it only through an encrypted process.
  • Revoke tokens when an employee, runner, or integration is retired.

Make scripts target the right environment

Always print or validate the selected context before a destructive or production deployment. Use stable UUIDs, quote shell variables, and stop on command failures. A script that silently falls back to a default context is risky when Cloud and self-hosted installations have similarly named applications.

Plan capacity beyond the minimum

The 2-core, 2-GB, 10-GB baseline is a starting point. Container images, build caches, database files, backups, and logs consume disk over time; concurrent builds and memory-heavy services consume CPU and RAM. Monitor usage and expand the VPS before the host begins evicting processes or filling its filesystem.

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Troubleshooting common failures

“Command not found” after installation

The binary is probably outside PATH, or another older copy is being invoked. Run the installer’s reported path, add that directory to your shell profile, start a new shell, and execute coolify version. Check that only the intended binary is first in PATH.

Context verification fails

Check the URL for the selected context, DNS resolution, firewall rules, TLS certificate validity, and whether the self-hosted administrator enabled API access. Then confirm that the token has not expired or been revoked. Test from the same machine that will run the CLI; a browser on another network does not prove CLI reachability.

Inventory is empty or incomplete

The token may lack permission for those resource types, or you may have selected the wrong context. Run coolify context list, verify the default context, and create a token with the minimum additional permission required. An empty result is not evidence that the Coolify installation has no resources.

Server validation fails

Recheck the IP address, SSH port, username, private-key UUID, and the matching public key on the VPS. Confirm that the firewall allows the connection and that the SSH daemon accepts the selected user. If the server requires a non-root account or a different port, pass those values explicitly instead of relying on defaults.

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Application start fails

First run coolify app start --help to confirm flags for your installed release. Then verify the application UUID and context, source credentials, environment variables, target server capacity, and build logs. Use --force only when a rebuild is intentional; forcing a build does not fix missing secrets or an invalid source configuration.

Choosing a VPS for Coolify

Coolify’s guide permits a VPS from any provider, so the cheapest plan that meets the minimum is not automatically the best operational choice. Compare the following attributes for the region and workload you actually need:

Decision factor Why it matters Questions to ask
CPU and RAM headroom Builds and concurrent services can exceed the documented minimum How many cores and how much memory remain after the base system and Coolify are running?
Disk type and capacity Images, databases, caches, and logs grow continuously Is storage fast enough for builds and databases, and can it be expanded?
Bandwidth and region Users, registries, backups, and deployments depend on network quality Is the location close to users and data sources, and are transfer limits clear?
SSH and firewall controls Coolify needs reliable administrative connectivity Can you choose ports, keys, firewall rules, and private networking?
Backups and snapshots Recovery requires more than a running container Are snapshots automated, restorable, and stored separately from the VPS?
Total monthly cost Storage, backups, transfer, and upgrades change the real price What will the complete configuration cost after the initial offer ends?

CLI limits to understand

The CLI can request operations exposed by the Coolify API, but it cannot bypass API permissions, repair a broken VPS, or replace application-level monitoring. Exact command names, output formats, and flags are version-dependent; the installed binary’s --help output is the authoritative reference for scripts. Keep the CLI updated deliberately and test automation when upgrading it.

For a small installation, the dashboard may remain faster for one-off visual tasks. The CLI becomes more valuable as environments multiply, deployments need auditability, or routine checks must run without a browser. Its main advantage is repeatability: the same context, UUID, permissions, and command can be reviewed and executed consistently.

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Key points

  • Coolify CLI is an API client for Coolify Cloud and self-hosted Coolify, installed where you issue commands.
  • Self-hosted Coolify’s current documented minimum is 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM, and 10 GB disk, plus SSH access and suitable firewall and operating-system settings.
  • Authentication uses API tokens and named contexts, allowing Cloud and self-hosted targets to be switched deliberately.
  • Useful operations include resource inventory, server registration, and application deployment with coolify app start <uuid>.
  • Check the installed version’s help output before depending on flags such as --force or --instant-deploy.

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