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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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Windmill
Development512MB+ RAM
Developer platform for scripts, workflows, and UIs
automationscriptsworkflowsdeveloper
Deploy Windmill in 3 Steps
1
Connect Your VPS
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
2
Select Windmill
Choose from our template library
3
Deploy & Configure
Fill in settings and click Deploy
No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide
Deploy Windmill on a VPS with Server Compass
Use the Windmill template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted developer platform for scripts and workflows on your VPS, then verify the Windmill 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 Windmill
Use the template picker search to find Windmill in the Server Compass template catalog.
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Step 4Select the Windmill template
Choose the Windmill template. Server Compass fills the Windmill web service, public base URL, and Postgres password.
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Step 5Review the Windmill settings
Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named windmill-demo and used host port 8000.
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Step 6Deploy Windmill
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 Windmill image, starts the container, and verifies the stack.
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Step 8Confirm Windmill is running
After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Windmill app is marked Running with its application URL available.
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Step 9Open Windmill in the browser
Open the application URL in a browser. The Windmill web UI confirms the stack is reachable.
After Windmill Opens
- Sign in with the default Windmill credentials and change the password immediately.
- Configure HTTPS, workspace permissions, workers, secrets, SMTP, and integration credentials before production use.
- Add a domain and HTTPS before exposing Windmill to users.
- Back up the Windmill Postgres volume before relying on it for production workflows.
Windmill deployment questions
What does the Windmill template deploy?
It deploys Windmill with a Postgres database service.
Which port did the tutorial use?
The tutorial verified Windmill on host port 8000, which maps to the Windmill web service on container port 8000.
Why does the guide stop at the first-run web UI?
The tutorial verifies the clean Windmill web UI because scripts, flows, workers, secrets, and external integrations depend on the production server.
Should this become a blog post?
No. The deployment guide should live on the Windmill template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
Terminal Deployment
Windmill CLI Deployment
Deploy Windmill the traditional way with SSH and Docker Compose.
1
Start a Secure Shell Session
Open your terminal and connect to your server. Replace the IP address with your VPS IP.
terminal
# SSH into your server
ssh root@your-server-ip
# Using a custom SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@your-server-ipFirst time? Need Docker? Install it: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
2
Prepare Your Workspace
Set up a clean directory for your application.
terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/windmill
cd ~/apps/windmill3
Set Up Container Configuration
Set up the container stack using this Docker Compose configuration:
docker-compose.yml
services:
windmill:
image: ghcr.io/windmill-labs/windmill:main
ports:
- "8000:8000"
environment:
- DATABASE_URL=postgres://windmill:<your-db-password>@db:5432/windmill
- BASE_URL=<your-base-url>
restart: unless-stopped
depends_on:
- db
db:
image: postgres:16-alpine
environment:
- POSTGRES_USER=windmill
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
- POSTGRES_DB=windmill
volumes:
- postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
postgres_data:
Deployment Settings
PORTHost port(default: 8000)BASE_URLBase URLDB_PASSWORDDB password4
Bring Up the Application
Launch your application stack in the background.
terminal
# Start the containers in detached mode
docker compose up -d
# Check if containers are running
docker compose ps
# View logs
docker compose logs -f5
Configure Firewall
Configure your firewall to permit external connections.
terminal
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 8000/tcp
sudo ufw reload
# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:8000Skip the Terminal
Prefer a visual interface? Use Server Compass.
Server Compass makes deploying Windmill effortless. Visual setup, one-click deploy, done.
- Visual configuration UI
- One-click deployment
- Automatic SSL setup
- Zero-downtime updates
- Built-in monitoring
- One-click rollbacks
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license
After Deployment
After deploying Windmill with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup
1
Log in with default credentials
2
Change password
3
Create scripts and flows
Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.
Windmill FAQ
Common questions about self-hosting Windmill
How do I deploy Windmill with Server Compass?
Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Windmill 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 Windmill?
Windmill requires a minimum of 512MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.
Can I migrate my existing Windmill data?
Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Windmill backup and restore procedures.
How do I update Windmill to the latest version?
Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Windmill image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.
Is Windmill free to self-host?
Windmill 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.
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