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The safest starting point for a new Ghost VPS is Ghost’s official ghost-docker tooling. It assembles Ghost, Caddy for web serving and TLS, and MySQL as a Compose-managed stack. You prepare a Linux server, install Docker 20.10.13 or newer, point a domain A record at the server, provide SMTP credentials, then clone the repository and start the services with the docker compose plugin. The first-run administrator setup is completed at /ghost on your domain.
The official Docker installation page is marked “preview,” so treat filenames and environment-variable details as version-sensitive. Check the current instructions at docs.ghost.org/install/docker and inspect the checked-out Compose files before deploying a production site.
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A Docker Compose deployment is a set of cooperating containers rather than a single Ghost process. The Ghost Foundation’s repository, github.com/TryGhost/ghost-docker, provides the deployment layout. The documented stack contains three core pieces:
- Ghost: the publishing application and its administrator interface.
- Caddy: the front-end web server and TLS layer. It receives requests for your domain and passes them to Ghost.
- MySQL: the database service used by the stack.
The repository also has optional services for ActivityPub and Analytics. Enable those only after the core site is working and only according to the current Compose files; the preview documentation does not establish that every optional service is enabled by default.
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Compose coordinates pulling images, creating the network, starting containers and reconnecting them after a restart. It does not automatically harden the VPS, create off-server backups, monitor disk capacity or decide which image tag you should run. Those remain operator responsibilities.
Prerequisites and sizing
Required infrastructure
- Linux VPS: The official installation page recommends Ubuntu.
- Docker: Docker 20.10.13 or higher is listed in Ghost’s developer documentation.
- Domain: Create an A record for the hostname you will use and point it to the VPS address before requesting HTTPS.
- SMTP service: Ghost requires an SMTP email service for messages such as account invitations, password resets and other outgoing mail.
- Administrative access: You need SSH access with permission to install software and create
/opt/ghost.
Memory and CPU expectations
Published guidance is not completely consistent, so size the machine with the provenance of each number in mind:
| Guidance | Figure | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost developer installation page | At least 1 GB of memory | Official minimum stated for the Ubuntu server. |
| DeployHQ guide | 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM | Third-party sizing recommendation, not Ghost’s official minimum. |
| Community practice | About 2 GB RAM | A practical baseline often chosen to leave room for the database, Caddy and operating-system processes. |
A 1 GB VPS may satisfy the stated minimum, but 2 GB is the more conservative starting point for a normal production blog. Traffic, image processing, analytics and any optional services can change the requirement. Watch memory and disk usage after launch rather than assuming a small VPS will remain sufficient.
Prepare the VPS before cloning
Confirm DNS first
Publish the domain’s A record before starting the web stack. Caddy needs the public hostname to resolve to the VPS when it provisions and serves TLS. If the record still points elsewhere, the browser may show the old site, certificate issuance may fail, or the request may never reach your server. DNS changes can take time to appear at different resolvers, so verify that the hostname resolves to the VPS from a network outside the server.
Install and verify Docker
Install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin using the package method appropriate for your Ubuntu release, then verify both components. The official workflow uses the space-separated plugin command:
docker --version
docker compose versionUse docker compose, not the older hyphenated docker-compose, for the commands in the current Ghost instructions. Some older community tutorials were written for Ubuntu 18.04 and predate the Compose plugin; following their command syntax can produce a “command not found” error or invoke a different installation than the one you intended.
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Use a dedicated directory for the deployment and keep the environment file readable only by administrators. Database passwords and other credentials should be long, unique values; never paste them into a public repository or a support forum. A convenient local generator is:
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openssl rand -hex 32Generate separate values for each password instead of reusing one secret. Keep an encrypted copy in your organization’s password manager so you can restore the stack after a VPS failure.
Clone Ghost’s deployment repository
- Connect to the VPS over SSH.
- Clone the Ghost Foundation repository into the directory used by the official walkthrough:
git clone https://github.com/TryGhost/ghost-docker /opt/ghost - Change into the project directory:
cd /opt/ghost - List the files and read the repository’s README, Compose file, example environment file and Caddy configuration before editing anything. The Docker page is a preview, and exact filenames or variables can change.
The repository’s top-level folders include caddy and mysql-init. That layout is a useful confirmation that you cloned the intended project rather than an unrelated Ghost example.
Copy and edit the environment and Caddy files
The official procedure tells you to copy the supplied example .env and Caddyfile, then edit the copies. Do that from the files present in your checkout; do not assume an example filename if the repository has changed it.
Set the public domain
Replace the example hostname with the exact domain that has the A record pointing to this VPS. Keep the spelling, subdomain and protocol consistent. If you intend to publish at blog.example.com, do not configure Caddy for example.com and expect Ghost’s canonical URLs to correct the mismatch automatically.
Set database credentials
Enter the generated database name, user and password values wherever the example environment file requests them. The Ghost and MySQL services must use matching credentials. Do not invent additional variable names: use the keys supplied by the checked-out Compose file and its comments, because the image tag and template determine which settings are recognized.
Configure outbound email
Provide the SMTP host, port, username, password and sender details required by the current Ghost configuration. SMTP is a prerequisite even if you do not plan to send newsletters immediately; without working mail, administrators can be locked out of password-reset and invitation flows. Ask your mail provider whether it requires TLS, a specific port or an application password, and enter those values in the variables documented by your checkout.
Review Caddy’s hostnames
Make sure the Caddyfile refers to the same public hostname as .env. Caddy is the internet-facing service in the official stack, so an incorrect site label can cause a default response or a certificate for the wrong name. Preserve the proxy target and other directives shipped by the repository unless you understand the effect of changing them.
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Validate and start the stack
Run the commands from /opt/ghost:
- Render the configuration and catch YAML or variable-substitution errors before containers are created:
docker compose config - Download the images referenced by the current Compose file:
docker compose pull - Start the services in the background:
docker compose up -d - Check whether the containers are running:
docker compose ps - If a service is restarting or unhealthy, read its output. Follow all services first, then narrow to the failing service name shown by
docker compose ps:docker compose logs -f
The first startup can take longer than later restarts while MySQL initializes and Ghost performs its initial setup. A container listed as “running” is not proof that the public site is ready; confirm that Caddy can reach Ghost and that the database has completed initialization.
Finish Ghost’s browser setup
Once the containers are stable and DNS resolves correctly, open the configured domain in a browser and append /ghost. Ghost’s setup screen asks you to create the first administrator account and site details. Use the SMTP address you configured so that the account can receive mail.
After creating the account, test both sides of the installation:
- Open the public root URL in a private browser window and confirm that the site loads over HTTPS.
- Sign in again at
/ghostand open the administrator area. - Create a short draft, upload a representative image and preview it. This confirms that the application can write content and that the proxy is passing requests correctly.
- Trigger a password-reset or invitation email to verify SMTP instead of assuming that saved credentials are enough.
If the browser displays a Caddy error rather than Ghost, troubleshoot the proxy and DNS path first. If the administrator page loads but content is missing after a restart, inspect the storage mounts in the Compose file before publishing more material.
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Understand the request and data path
A visitor’s request should follow this path: DNS sends the hostname to the VPS; Caddy accepts the HTTPS connection; Caddy proxies the request to Ghost; Ghost reads or writes application data in MySQL and content storage; the response returns through Caddy. Keeping that model in mind makes failures easier to isolate.
| Layer | Primary responsibility | What to inspect when it fails |
|---|---|---|
| DNS | Maps your hostname to the VPS | The A record and the address returned by an external lookup. |
| Caddy | Public HTTP/TLS endpoint and reverse proxy | Hostname in the Caddyfile, certificate status and proxy target. |
| Ghost | Web application and admin interface | Ghost container logs, configured URL and SMTP settings. |
| MySQL | Persistent relational data | Database logs, credentials and initialization status. |
| Content storage | Images, themes and uploaded assets | Volume or bind mount definitions in the Compose file and filesystem permissions. |
The exact image tag used by the repository was not established in the available documentation. Read the current Compose file before writing a runbook, pinning an upgrade or making claims about a Ghost version. Avoid copying a tag from an old tutorial simply because the service names look familiar.
Optional ActivityPub and Analytics services
The official repository can enable ActivityPub and Analytics components, but they are optional. Start with the core Ghost, Caddy and MySQL services. Once that baseline is healthy, read the current environment and Compose examples for the optional components and enable only the services you need.
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Adding services increases memory use, configuration surface and backup scope. Record which profiles or variables you enabled so a future restore reproduces the same stack. Do not assume that an optional service is active merely because its directory exists in the repository.
Backups and routine operations
Back up both kinds of data
A database backup alone is incomplete. MySQL contains structured Ghost data, while the content storage holds uploaded images, themes and other files. Identify the database volume and Ghost content mount in the checked-out Compose file, then back up both. Store copies outside the VPS; a disk failure or accidental deletion can destroy local backups at the same time as the live containers.
Perform a restore drill on a separate environment before you depend on the backup. A backup that cannot be imported, or that omits uploaded assets, is not a usable recovery plan.
Update deliberately
- Read the current Ghost Docker instructions and the release notes relevant to the image tag you intend to use.
- Create and verify fresh database and content backups.
- Record the currently running image tags so you have a rollback reference.
- From
/opt/ghost, pull the replacement images and recreate the services withdocker compose pullfollowed bydocker compose up -d. - Watch
docker compose psand the logs until MySQL, Ghost and Caddy are stable. - Check the public site, administrator login, image uploads and email before declaring the upgrade complete.
Do not update by deleting the project directory or anonymous volumes. Container recreation is safe only when the data mounts defined by the Compose project are preserved and your backups are current.
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Monitor the host
Check available memory, disk space and container restarts regularly. A small VPS can become unstable when logs, uploaded media or database files consume the disk. Compose reports container state, but it does not replace host-level monitoring or alerting.
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The domain shows the wrong site
Verify that the A record points to this VPS and that the browser is using the exact hostname configured in both the environment file and Caddyfile. Test from an external network to avoid relying on a cached local DNS answer.
HTTPS does not come up
Check that the domain resolves publicly and that Caddy is the service receiving web traffic. Read the Caddy logs for certificate or hostname errors. A certificate cannot be issued for a name that still resolves elsewhere or is misspelled in the configuration.
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Inspect the MySQL container status and logs, then compare the database host, name, username and password in the Ghost and MySQL environment sections character by character. Startup ordering can make the first Ghost attempt fail while MySQL initializes; wait for initialization and review the logs before changing credentials.
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Confirm that the Ghost container is running and that Caddy’s upstream target matches the service name and port in the current Compose file. A proxy error is usually a reachability or startup problem, not a browser-cache issue.
Mail never arrives
Recheck the SMTP host, port, encryption mode, username, password and sender address required by your provider. Read Ghost’s logs for authentication or connection errors and test with a password-reset message. Saving SMTP variables without sending a real test leaves the most important failure undetected.
Uploads disappear after a restart
Inspect the Ghost service’s volume or bind mount. Files written only inside a disposable container layer will not survive replacement. The repository’s storage definition is authoritative for this release, so use it to identify the path that must be backed up.
Official tooling versus a hand-written Compose file
You can write your own Compose project with a Ghost service, database and a reverse proxy, but that choice changes what you must maintain.
| Decision point | Official ghost-docker |
Hand-written Compose |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | Provides a documented starting layout with Ghost, Caddy and MySQL. | You choose service definitions, networks, mounts and environment variables. |
| Proxy | Caddy is bundled in the documented stack. | You can select another proxy, but you must configure TLS and forwarding yourself. |
| Alignment with Ghost | Tracks Ghost’s own Docker installation guidance, although the page is currently marked preview. | May lag changes in image tags, startup behavior or required variables. |
| Customization | Limited to the options exposed by the repository’s files and supported overrides. | Maximum control, with a corresponding responsibility to test upgrades and recovery. |
For a first VPS, the official repository reduces the number of independent decisions. A custom file is reasonable when you have a specific proxy, network or orchestration requirement and can maintain the complete configuration yourself. Do not mix fragments from an old tutorial with the preview repository without checking service names, variables and image tags.
Important limits of the preview instructions
The Docker installation page is explicitly labeled preview. Revisit docs.ghost.org/install/docker immediately before deployment and whenever you upgrade. The available documentation does not establish a universal Ghost image tag, a maintainership policy for every image, or detailed backup and upgrade procedures. Those details should come from the current repository and Ghost documentation rather than assumptions copied from community posts.
The official minimum of 1 GB memory is not a performance guarantee. If the VPS begins swapping, containers restart, or requests time out, move to a larger plan after checking logs and resource usage. Treat the 2 GB practical baseline as planning guidance, not a promise of a particular traffic capacity.
Quick Recap
Deployment checklist
- Ubuntu or another supported Linux server is ready and reachable over SSH.
- Docker is version 20.10.13 or newer and the Compose plugin responds to
docker compose version. - The domain A record resolves to the VPS.
- An SMTP service and credentials are available.
- The repository is cloned in
/opt/ghost. - The example environment and Caddy files were copied using the filenames present in the checkout.
- The domain, database credentials and mail settings are filled in with unique secrets.
docker compose configsucceeds before startup.docker compose pullanddocker compose up -dcomplete without a restarting service.- The public site,
/ghost, image upload and a real email message have been tested. - Database and content backups are stored off-host and a restore has been practiced.
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