Installation

Posted has separate API, worker and UI images with one version. Choose a release from the GitHub Releases page that includes posted-images.json. That file records immutable image references and both supported platforms, Linux AMD64 and ARM64. Use the version in that release for every component.

Prerequisites

Use Docker Engine with Compose v2, PostgreSQL 17, separate HTTPS UI and API origins, and a reverse proxy with valid certificates. S3-compatible storage enables media and SMTP enables account emails. Social publishing requires approved provider applications. See configuration before starting the installation. Download docker-compose.yml, posted.env.example and, if needed, docker-compose.postgres.yml from the same release. Copy posted.env.example to .env. Set POSTED_VERSION, the public origins and a stable secret generated with:

openssl rand -hex 32

Keep .env private and retain POSTED_SECRET with the database backup. Changing it prevents encrypted provider tokens and sessions from being read.

Start the containers

External PostgreSQL
Bundled PostgreSQL

Set DATABASE_URL to your PostgreSQL connection URI. The database must be reachable from the containers; localhost inside a container refers to that container.

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Set a random alphanumeric POSTGRES_PASSWORD. The overlay replaces the API/worker connection URI with the private Compose database and persists it in posted-postgres.

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.postgres.yml pull
docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.postgres.yml up -d

The API applies transactional, checksum-checked migrations before readiness. The worker waits for the API. UI and API listen on loopback ports 4342 and 4341; route them through your HTTPS proxy. Keep the worker and PostgreSQL private.

Create the team

Read the installation setup secret in the API’s initial startup log:

docker compose logs api

Open the UI, enter that secret and create the first administrator. That administrator is verified automatically. Never share the log’s setup secret in a support issue. Verify all three containers are healthy:

docker compose ps
curl --fail http://localhost:4341/health/ready
curl --fail http://localhost:4342/health/ready
docker compose exec worker node -e "fetch('http://127.0.0.1:4343/health/ready').then(r=>{if(!r.ok)process.exit(1)})"

Build from source

A source checkout uses public npm dependencies with no registry token. Use Node 24.16.0 and pnpm 11.5.3 for development. The source-build overlay enables the Dockerfile’s targets:

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.build.yml build
docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.build.yml up -d --no-build

Add the PostgreSQL overlay if needed. Every source-built image must use the checkout’s package version. See development for disposable test services and upgrades before replacing an installation.

Install and configure

Operate Posted

Prerequisites

Start the containers

Create the team

Build from source

​Prerequisites

​Start the containers

​Create the team

​Build from source

Prerequisites

Start the containers

Create the team

Build from source