coolify-compose

Coolify Docker Compose

Convert standard Docker Compose files into Coolify-compatible templates with automatic credential generation, dynamic URLs, and one-click deployment.

Two Deployment Modes

Coolify supports two ways to deploy compose files with different capabilities:

1. Raw Compose (Paste Content)

Paste compose YAML directly into Coolify's UI. Limited feature set:

Feature	Supported
image:	✅ Yes
build:	❌ No - must use pre-built images
External config files	❌ No - must use inline content:
YAML anchors (&, *)	✅ Yes - resolved by YAML parser
Coolify magic variables	✅ Yes
content: for inline files	✅ Yes

Use when: Quick deployments, simple services, no custom images needed.

2. Repository Mode (Git URL)

Point Coolify to a Git repository containing your compose file. Full Docker Compose features:

Feature	Supported
image:	✅ Yes
build:	✅ Yes - builds from Dockerfile in repo
External config files	✅ Yes - relative paths work
Coolify magic variables	✅ Yes
content: for inline files	✅ Yes

Use when: Custom images needed, complex multi-file setups, existing docker-compose.yml in a repo.

Repository setup:

my-service/
├── compose.yml          # or docker-compose.yml
├── custom-image/
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── config.sql
└── other-files/

# compose.yml - can use build:
services:
  app:
    build:
      context: ./custom-image
      dockerfile: Dockerfile

Which Mode to Use?

Original compose has...	Recommended mode
Only image: references	Either works
build: directives	Repository mode
External config files to mount	Repository mode (or use content: in raw)
Single simple service	Raw mode is faster

Quick Start

Every Coolify template needs a header and magic variables:

# documentation: https://example.com/docs
# slogan: Brief description of the service
# category: backend
# tags: api, database, docker
# logo: svgs/myservice.svg
# port: 3000

services:
  app:
    image: myapp:latest
    environment:
      - SERVICE_URL_APP_3000           # Generates URL, routes proxy to port 3000
      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://${SERVICE_USER_POSTGRES}:${SERVICE_PASSWORD_POSTGRES}@db:5432/mydb
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "wget", "-q", "--spider", "http://localhost:3000/health"]
      interval: 5s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 10

  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=$SERVICE_USER_POSTGRES
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=$SERVICE_PASSWORD_POSTGRES
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U $${POSTGRES_USER}"]
      interval: 5s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 10