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Step 1Open the server Apps tab
Select your VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.
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Chatwoot
Application1024MB+ RAM
Open-source customer engagement platform
chatcustomer-supportintercom-alternative
Deploy Chatwoot in 3 Steps
1
Connect Your VPS
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
2
Select Chatwoot
Choose from our template library
3
Deploy & Configure
Fill in settings and click Deploy
No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide
Deploy Chatwoot on a VPS with Server Compass
Use the Chatwoot template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted customer support inbox with PostgreSQL and Redis on your VPS, then verify the Chatwoot web UI in a browser.
About 7 minutesBrowser verified
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Step 2Choose an app template
Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.
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Step 3Search for Chatwoot
Use the template picker search to find Chatwoot in the Server Compass template catalog.
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Step 4Select the Chatwoot template
Choose the Chatwoot template. Server Compass fills the Chatwoot image, host port, public URL and persistent PostgreSQL data volume.
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Step 5Review the Chatwoot settings
Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named chatwoot-demo and used host port 3000.
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Step 6Deploy Chatwoot
Review the generated environment values, confirm the port is available, and click Deploy Now.
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Step 7Watch the deployment progress
Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass uploads the compose file, pulls the Chatwoot image, starts the container, and verifies the stack.
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Step 8Confirm Chatwoot is running
After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Chatwoot app is marked Running with its application URL available.
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Step 9Open Chatwoot in the browser
Open the application URL in a browser. The Chatwoot web UI confirms the site is reachable.
After Chatwoot Opens
- Complete the Chatwoot setup wizard and create the first admin account before production use.
- Configure inbox channels, HTTPS, email, and user access before production use.
- Add a domain and HTTPS before exposing the Chatwoot setup wizard to users.
- Back up the Chatwoot PostgreSQL volume before relying on it for production chat.
Chatwoot deployment questions
What does the Chatwoot template deploy?
It deploys Chatwoot with PostgreSQL, Redis, and persistent application storage.
Which port did the tutorial use?
The tutorial used host port 3000, which maps to the Chatwoot web server on container port 3000.
Why does the guide stop at the first-run web UI?
The tutorial verifies the clean first-run web UI because real users, channels, integrations, and access rules depend on the production server.
Should this become a blog post?
No. The deployment guide should live on the Chatwoot template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
Manual Setup Guide
Set Up Chatwoot from Terminal
Get your hands dirty: manual Chatwoot deployment guide for developers.
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Connect to Your VPS via SSH
Fire up your terminal application and establish a connection to your remote server.
terminal
# Access your VPS
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
# With SSH key authentication
ssh -i ~/.ssh/your-private-key root@YOUR_SERVER_IPFirst time? Ensure Docker is installed first: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
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Initialize Project Folder
Create a folder to house your Docker Compose configuration.
terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/chatwoot
cd ~/apps/chatwoot3
Create Docker Configuration
Define your services in a docker-compose.yml file:
docker-compose.yml
services:
chatwoot_setup:
image: chatwoot/chatwoot:latest
environment:
- RAILS_ENV=production
- NODE_ENV=production
- SECRET_KEY_BASE=<your-secret-key>
- FRONTEND_URL=<your-frontend-url>
- POSTGRES_HOST=db
- POSTGRES_DATABASE=chatwoot
- POSTGRES_USERNAME=chatwoot
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
- REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
command: bundle exec rails db:chatwoot_prepare
restart: "no"
depends_on:
db:
condition: service_healthy
redis:
condition: service_started
chatwoot:
image: chatwoot/chatwoot:latest
ports:
- "3000:3000"
environment:
- RAILS_ENV=production
- NODE_ENV=production
- SECRET_KEY_BASE=<your-secret-key>
- FRONTEND_URL=<your-frontend-url>
- POSTGRES_HOST=db
- POSTGRES_DATABASE=chatwoot
- POSTGRES_USERNAME=chatwoot
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
- REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
command: bundle exec rails s -p 3000 -b '0.0.0.0'
volumes:
- chatwoot_storage:/app/storage
restart: unless-stopped
depends_on:
chatwoot_setup:
condition: service_completed_successfully
db:
condition: service_healthy
redis:
condition: service_started
sidekiq:
image: chatwoot/chatwoot:latest
environment:
- RAILS_ENV=production
- NODE_ENV=production
- SECRET_KEY_BASE=<your-secret-key>
- POSTGRES_HOST=db
- POSTGRES_DATABASE=chatwoot
- POSTGRES_USERNAME=chatwoot
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
- REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
command: bundle exec sidekiq -C config/sidekiq.yml
volumes:
- chatwoot_storage:/app/storage
restart: unless-stopped
depends_on:
chatwoot_setup:
condition: service_completed_successfully
db:
condition: service_healthy
redis:
condition: service_started
db:
image: pgvector/pgvector:pg16
environment:
- POSTGRES_USER=chatwoot
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
- POSTGRES_DB=chatwoot
volumes:
- postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
restart: unless-stopped
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U chatwoot"]
interval: 10s
timeout: 5s
retries: 10
redis:
image: redis:7-alpine
volumes:
- redis_data:/data
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
chatwoot_storage:
postgres_data:
redis_data:
Environment Variables
PORTHost port(default: 3000)FRONTEND_URLFrontend URLSECRET_KEYSecret keyDB_PASSWORDDB password4
Execute the Deployment
Start your containers and verify they're running correctly.
terminal
# Launch the stack
docker compose up -d
# Verify container status
docker compose ps
# Follow the logs
docker compose logs --follow5
Allow Network Access
Update UFW rules to allow traffic on the application port.
terminal
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 3000/tcp
sudo ufw reload
# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:3000Skip the Terminal
Don't want to type commands? We've got you.
Why type commands when you can click? Deploy Chatwoot the easy way with Server Compass.
- No terminal required
- Point-and-click setup
- Auto SSL certificates
- Rolling deployments
- Health monitoring
- Instant rollbacks
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license
After Deployment
After deploying Chatwoot with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup
1
Complete setup wizard
2
Create admin account
3
Configure email channels
Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.
Chatwoot FAQ
Common questions about self-hosting Chatwoot
How do I deploy Chatwoot with Server Compass?
Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Chatwoot from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.
What are the system requirements for Chatwoot?
Chatwoot requires a minimum of 1024MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 2048MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.
Can I migrate my existing Chatwoot data?
Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Chatwoot backup and restore procedures.
How do I update Chatwoot to the latest version?
Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Chatwoot image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.
Is Chatwoot free to self-host?
Chatwoot is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.
Ready to Self-Host Chatwoot?
Download Server Compass and deploy Chatwoot to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.
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