Self-hosting

Docker

Clerq publishes a ready-to-run image to the GitHub Container Registry, so you do not have to build anything. Point it at a PostgreSQL database, set three environment variables, and it runs. The image applies its own database migrations on startup, which is what lets it run as a single container on any platform.

ghcr.io/punterdigital/clerq:latest

If you want the database managed for you too, the Docker Compose setup bundles Postgres in one command - start there. This page is for running the single app container against a Postgres you already have.

Run it

docker run -d --name clerq -p 3000:3000 \
  -e DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@your-db-host:5432/clerq" \
  -e BETTER_AUTH_SECRET="$(openssl rand -base64 32)" \
  -e BETTER_AUTH_URL="http://localhost:3000" \
  ghcr.io/punterdigital/clerq:latest

On boot the container runs any pending migrations, then starts the app on port 3000. Open http://localhost:3000 and create your account.

Required environment

Variable	What it is
`DATABASE_URL`	Connection string for your PostgreSQL database
`BETTER_AUTH_SECRET`	A 32+ character random secret - signs sessions and PDF links
`BETTER_AUTH_URL`	The public URL users reach the instance on

See Environment variables for the full reference, including optional Google sign-in.

Migrations

Migrations run automatically each time the container starts, using the same Drizzle migrations the project ships - they are forward-only and safe to run repeatedly (already-applied migrations are skipped). If you prefer to manage migrations yourself, set CLERQ_SKIP_MIGRATIONS=1 and the container will boot without touching the schema.

Pinning a version

latest follows the newest stable release. For production, pin a specific version so upgrades are deliberate:

docker run ... ghcr.io/punterdigital/clerq:0.1.0

Next steps

Going to production - HTTPS, a reverse proxy, and a pre-flight checklist
Backups & upgrades - keep your data safe and move between versions

Deploying on a platform with a UI? See the EasyPanel, Coolify and Railway guides - they use this same image.