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Update Traefik from Coolify’s Servers → your server → Proxy → Configuration screen, not by treating the generated Compose file on disk as the source of truth. Save a rollback copy, change the image or proxy settings in the dashboard, save the configuration, and restart the proxy when the main Compose definition changes. Then test both HTTP and HTTPS routes and redeploy resources if labels, domains, ports, or networks changed.

What an update changes in Coolify

Traefik is Coolify’s default integrated reverse proxy. A proxy container runs on each Coolify server that hosts resources and receives their public traffic. It terminates or forwards connections, selects routers from Coolify-generated labels, handles entry points and certificate resolvers, and connects to the Docker networks where your applications and services run.

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Because the proxy is server-wide, a bad change can affect every public application on that server rather than only one deployment. A normal image update can also briefly interrupt traffic while the container is replaced. Treat the operation as infrastructure maintenance: preserve a known-good configuration, make the change through Coolify, and verify representative routes before declaring success.

Decide whether you need an image update or a proxy migration

Changing the Traefik image tag while keeping the existing Compose structure is a narrower operation than switching proxy implementations or redesigning the configuration. Identify which case you have before editing anything.

Change Image tag Flags, ports, volumes and environment Labels and networks Interruption expectation Verification focus
Routine Traefik image update Changes to the intended Traefik version Normally preserved Must remain compatible with the existing resources Proxy restart causes a short interruption while the container is recreated Container starts, certificates load, and existing HTTP/HTTPS routes respond
Broader proxy migration or redesign May change or be replaced Often changes May require new labels, networks, or routing rules Switching proxies temporarily interrupts every public route on that server Ports, certificate issuance, redirects, labels, networks, and rollback all need deliberate testing

This guide covers the routine Traefik update path. If you are changing proxy type or making a structural migration, use the same backup and verification discipline, but schedule a maintenance window and test every affected component rather than assuming an image replacement is sufficient.

Prepare a safe change

Confirm the target server and your access

  • Identify the Coolify server whose proxy receives the domains you will test. A multi-server installation has a separate proxy container and configuration on each server.
  • Make sure you can open the Coolify dashboard and have permission to edit that server’s proxy configuration.
  • Have a second way to reach the server, such as console or SSH access, in case the proxy becomes unreachable while you restore the configuration. Do not use filesystem access as a replacement for saving the configuration in Coolify.
  • Choose a maintenance period appropriate to your traffic. Restarting the proxy can interrupt every public route on that server, even when applications themselves remain healthy.

Back up the working configuration

In the dashboard, open Servers, select the target server, choose Proxy, and open Configuration. Copy the complete generated Docker Compose configuration and any custom dynamic files to a secure, versioned location. The generated main file is stored on the server at /data/coolify/proxy/docker-compose.yml, but that file is not the authoritative place for UI-managed changes.

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Record the current image reference, command flags, environment variables, published ports, volumes, networks, entry points, certificate resolvers, and any custom dynamic configuration under /data/coolify/proxy/dynamic/. A text copy lets you compare the result after the update and gives you a precise rollback target.

Review custom settings before changing the image

Current Coolify documentation says that new proxy configurations use Traefik v3.7. Existing installations may contain custom configurations or older image references, so do not overwrite a customized definition without reviewing it. Preserve settings that your routes depend on, especially:

  • HTTP and HTTPS entry points and their published ports.
  • Certificate resolvers, ACME storage, and the volume that holds certificate state.
  • Docker socket or provider settings used to discover resources.
  • Networks to which the proxy must attach in order to reach applications.
  • Command-line flags, environment variables, middleware, and security headers.
  • Coolify-generated labels and routing objects. Remove or alter them only when you understand the resulting route changes.

If the configuration contains unsupported or obsolete options, resolve those deliberately and test them separately. An image update is not a reason to remove settings merely because they are unfamiliar.

Update Traefik from the Coolify dashboard

1. Open the proxy configuration

  1. Sign in to Coolify.
  2. Open Servers.
  3. Select the server that receives the domains you need to protect.
  4. Choose Proxy, then open Configuration.

The page identifies the selected proxy, displays the generated Docker Compose definition, and provides controls to Start, Stop, Restart, Save, or Reset it. Confirm the server name before editing; changing the wrong server will not affect the routes you are testing.

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2. Change only the intended image reference

Locate the Traefik service’s image value. Replace the tag with the version you have approved, leaving the repository and all unrelated settings intact. For example, an existing reference might use a version tag rather than latest; use the exact tag selected for your maintenance plan instead of switching to a floating tag without a rollback strategy.

Coolify’s current documentation identifies Traefik v3.7 for new configurations. That statement does not automatically make every existing custom configuration compatible with v3.7. Check your flags and providers against the target version, and keep the old image reference in your backup so you can restore it if startup or routing fails.

3. Save in Coolify

Click Save in the Configuration screen after reviewing the complete Compose text. Saving there is important: Coolify can regenerate the proxy definition when it starts or restarts. A change made only by editing /data/coolify/proxy/docker-compose.yml is not synchronized back to the dashboard and may disappear.

Do not click Reset unless you intentionally want to remove custom changes from the main Compose file. Reset is not a harmless reload; it discards customizations that may be required for your domains, certificates, middleware, or networks.

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4. Restart when the main Compose definition changed

Changing the image, command flags, environment variables, ports, volumes, or the main Compose file requires a proxy restart. Use the dashboard’s Restart control after saving. The restart stops and recreates the proxy container with the saved definition, so expect a brief period in which public routes may not answer.

By contrast, file-based dynamic configuration under /data/coolify/proxy/dynamic/ is watched by Traefik and normally does not require a container restart. A dynamic file still has to be valid YAML and reference objects that exist. If you changed both the image and a dynamic file, restart for the image change and validate the dynamic file as part of the same maintenance operation.

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5. Wait for a healthy proxy

Remain on the Proxy page until the container reports that it is running. A running container alone is not proof that routes work: startup can succeed while a router, resolver, network, or dynamic-file reference is invalid. Continue with the public checks below before closing the maintenance window.

Use the Coolify CLI when dashboard access is impractical

Coolify documents a proxy update command for server-level changes:

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coolify server proxy update <server_uuid>

The command accepts --proxy-type, including TRAEFIK. Because available flags can vary with the installed Coolify CLI version, run:

coolify server proxy update --help

Use the help output to confirm the syntax before executing the update. The CLI does not remove the need for a backup or post-change testing. Record the server UUID, preserve the working configuration, and verify the same HTTP, HTTPS, certificate, label, and network behavior that you would verify after a dashboard change.

Redeploy resources when routing metadata changed

An image-only proxy update can use the existing resource metadata. If you changed domains, ports, proxy behavior, Compose definitions, labels, or networks, affected resources may need to be deployed or restarted so Coolify regenerates their labels and network connections.

  1. Identify every application or service whose domain, exposed port, network membership, or proxy-related setting changed.
  2. Deploy or restart that resource from its Coolify resource page.
  3. Wait for the deployment to complete and confirm that the generated labels reflect the intended host rule, entry point, service port, and TLS settings.
  4. If the proxy cannot reach the destination, restart the proxy after the resource is connected to the required network, then test the route again.

Do not redeploy unrelated resources merely to acknowledge an image update. Redeploy where metadata or network attachment actually changed; this limits churn and makes troubleshooting easier.

Verify HTTP, HTTPS, certificates and application responses

Test an HTTP domain

Open at least one known HTTP domain hosted on the server. Confirm that the expected application responds rather than a proxy error or the wrong service. If your policy redirects HTTP to HTTPS, verify that the redirect points to the correct hostname and does not loop.

Test an HTTPS domain

Open at least one HTTPS domain in a clean browser session. Check that the certificate is for the requested hostname, is not expired, and is issued by the resolver you configured. Confirm that the application response is the expected status and content, not merely a successful TCP connection.

Check a representative set of routes

  • Test more than one application when the server hosts multiple resources.
  • Include a route using each important entry point, custom middleware, or non-default port.
  • Exercise a path that depends on a custom network or dynamic configuration.
  • Check both a recently deployed resource and an older resource if their labels were generated at different times.

Inspect logs and generated labels when a route fails

In Coolify, open Servers → your server → Proxy → Logs. Look for image-pull failures, invalid command options, certificate-resolver errors, provider errors, network-attachment failures, and YAML or object-reference errors from dynamic configuration. Then inspect the affected resource’s generated labels to confirm that the hostname, entry point, service port, TLS router, and middleware are present and spelled as expected.

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A route can remain unavailable while Traefik itself is running if a dynamic file has a syntax error or references an object that no longer exists. Restore the last working file from your backup, save the corrected configuration in Coolify, and reload or restart as required by the type of change.

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Troubleshoot the common failure modes

The update disappears after a restart

This usually means the change was made directly in /data/coolify/proxy/docker-compose.yml rather than saved through the Proxy Configuration page. Reapply the change in Coolify, click Save, and restart from the dashboard. Keep the UI-saved definition as the durable copy.

Every application is unreachable

Stop making additional edits. Compare the saved configuration with the known-good backup, paying particular attention to published ports, entry points, networks, volumes, and command flags. Restore the prior definition in the Coolify Configuration screen and restart the proxy. Once traffic returns, isolate the intended version change on a non-production server or maintenance window before trying again.

The proxy runs but one route fails

Check the resource’s generated labels, target service port, and network membership. If the route’s domain, port, labels, or network changed, redeploy the resource so Coolify regenerates metadata. Review Proxy logs for a missing router, service, middleware, or network connection.

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Certificates are missing or redirects are wrong

Verify that the certificate resolver name, ACME storage volume, DNS records, and HTTPS entry point were preserved. A restart that loses the certificate volume can make the proxy behave like a new installation. Confirm that the HTTP router’s redirect middleware still targets the intended HTTPS entry point and hostname.

A dynamic-file edit breaks selected routes

Restore the previous file from the backup and check its YAML indentation, keys, and referenced object names. Dynamic configuration is watched without a normal restart, so a mistake can affect routes even though the container remains up. Use Proxy logs to identify the file and object that failed to load.

The image will not start

Read the proxy logs for an unsupported flag, malformed environment value, failed image pull, or permission error. Revert to the previous image tag and saved settings to restore service, then test the target version with the same flags and providers on a non-production server.

Roll back cleanly

  1. Open the saved backup and identify the last image reference and complete Compose definition that served traffic.
  2. Return to Servers → your server → Proxy → Configuration.
  3. Replace the current definition with the known-good version, or change the image back while preserving any unrelated edits that were intentionally retained.
  4. Click Save, then Restart, because the main Compose definition changed.
  5. Recheck an HTTP domain, an HTTPS domain, the certificate, redirects, and an application response.
  6. Redeploy resources only if the failed change also altered their labels, domains, ports, or networks.

After service is restored, keep the failed configuration and log excerpt with the change record. That information helps distinguish an image incompatibility from a label, network, certificate, or dynamic-configuration problem before the next attempt.

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Operational checklist

  • Correct server selected in Coolify.
  • Current proxy Compose configuration copied to a rollback location.
  • Image tag, flags, ports, volumes, networks, entry points, and certificate resolvers recorded.
  • Target Traefik version checked against existing custom settings.
  • Change made and saved in the Proxy Configuration screen.
  • Proxy restarted for image or main Compose changes.
  • Dynamic files checked for valid YAML and existing referenced objects.
  • Affected resources redeployed when labels, domains, ports, or networks changed.
  • At least one HTTP and one HTTPS route tested.
  • Certificate, redirect, application response, logs, and generated labels verified.
  • Rollback copy retained until the new proxy has served normally through a representative traffic period.

When an update is complete

Consider the update complete only after the saved Coolify configuration contains the intended image, the proxy has restarted successfully, and public checks prove that routing, certificates, redirects, and application responses still work. A healthy container status is one checkpoint; the user-visible domains are the acceptance test.

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