Karakeep with Docker Compose

What Karakeep needs

Only figures Karakeep's own documentation publishes, each linked to the page it is on. Where the project gives no number, this page does not invent one.

On top of this, Caddy (the reverse proxy in the file) is a single small container. Karakeep itself runs as 3 containers: karakeep-web, karakeep-chrome, karakeep-meilisearch.

Which hardware Karakeep has images for

Read from each image's manifest list in its registry (anonymous, read-only) when this page was built. An app counts for a CPU only if every one of its images lists it.

• x86-64 PC or NAS (linux/amd64): every image has a build.
• Raspberry Pi 4/5, 64-bit OS (linux/arm64): every image has a build.
• Raspberry Pi 3 or Zero 2 W, 32-bit OS (linux/arm/v7): no image for web, chrome, meilisearch. No image for this hardware; the builder leaves the app out.

A manifest says an image exists for a CPU, not how well Karakeep runs on it: a build for arm64 or arm/v7 can still be too slow or need more memory than the board has. The RAM and disk Karakeep publishes are in the table above and, for a whole set of apps against a Raspberry Pi, on Will it run on my machine?. A tag like latest can move to a new digest after the date checked.

docker-compose.yml

This is exactly what the builder writes for Karakeep alone on example.org: the official definition with its published ports removed and Caddy added in front. Every ${VARIABLE} is defined in the .env below.

# docker-compose.yml built at dankhost.com for: Karakeep
# Each app block is its official compose definition. Only the names were prefixed with
# the app slug (services, containers, volumes, bind folders, .env variables) so any set of
# apps can share one file; other differences are listed under "Changed:" in each block.
# Only Caddy publishes ports. Secrets live in .env next to this file.

services:
  # ---- Caddy: the one reverse proxy, HTTPS certificates from Let's Encrypt ----
  # Source: https://caddyserver.com/docs/running (checked 2026-09-23)
  # Source: https://github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden/wiki/Using-Docker-Compose (checked 2026-09-23)
  # Caddyfile goes in ./caddy/Caddyfile. Fixed address 172.30.0.2 so apps can trust it exactly.
  caddy:
    image: "caddy:2"
    container_name: "caddy"
    restart: "unless-stopped"
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
      - "443:443/udp"
    volumes:
      - "./caddy:/etc/caddy"
      - "caddy-data:/data"
      - "caddy-config:/config"
    networks:
      proxy:
        ipv4_address: "172.30.0.2"

  # ---- Karakeep (karakeep.example.org) ----
  # Source: https://docs.karakeep.app/installation/docker/ (checked 2026-09-30)
  # Source: https://github.com/karakeep-app/karakeep/blob/main/docker/docker-compose.yml (checked 2026-09-30)
  # Source: https://docs.karakeep.app/configuration/environment-variables/ (checked 2026-09-30)
  # Source: https://github.com/karakeep-app/karakeep/blob/main/docs/docs/06-administration/01-security-considerations.md (checked 2026-09-30)
  # Changed: Removed the documented '3000:3000' port; Caddy reaches karakeep-web:3000 on the proxy network.
  #          The docs' .env values are written under environment: (this .env holds every app's variables): NEXTAUTH_SECRET and MEILI_MASTER_KEY are generated letters and digits, the form the docs' openssl rand ... | tr -dc 'A-Za-z0-9' gives, and NEXTAUTH_URL is https://karakeep.example.org, the server address the docs ask for. Meilisearch reads the same MEILI_MASTER_KEY.
  #          KARAKEEP_VERSION is written out as its documented value, release ("will pull the latest stable version").
  #          Karakeep's own network allows outgoing traffic: the chrome service fetches every bookmarked page from the internet.
  karakeep-web:
    image: "ghcr.io/karakeep-app/karakeep:release"
    container_name: "karakeep-web"
    restart: "unless-stopped"
    volumes:
      - "karakeep-data:/data"
    environment:
      MEILI_ADDR: "http://meilisearch:7700"
      BROWSER_WEB_URL: "http://chrome:9222"
      DATA_DIR: "/data"
      NEXTAUTH_SECRET: "${KARAKEEP_NEXTAUTH_SECRET}"
      MEILI_MASTER_KEY: "${KARAKEEP_MEILI_MASTER_KEY}"
      NEXTAUTH_URL: "https://karakeep.example.org"
    networks:
      proxy: {}
      karakeep-backend:
        aliases:
          - "web"
  karakeep-chrome:
    image: "ghcr.io/karakeep-app/karakeep-chrome:release"
    container_name: "karakeep-chrome"
    restart: "unless-stopped"
    init: true
    command:
      - "--disable-gpu"
      - "--disable-dev-shm-usage"
      - "--hide-scrollbars"
      - "--disable-blink-features=AutomationControlled"
      - "--window-size=1440,900"
    networks:
      karakeep-backend:
        aliases:
          - "chrome"
  karakeep-meilisearch:
    image: "getmeili/meilisearch:v1.41.0"
    container_name: "karakeep-meilisearch"
    restart: "unless-stopped"
    environment:
      MEILI_NO_ANALYTICS: "true"
      MEILI_MASTER_KEY: "${KARAKEEP_MEILI_MASTER_KEY}"
    volumes:
      - "karakeep-meilisearch:/meili_data"
    networks:
      karakeep-backend:
        aliases:
          - "meilisearch"

networks:
  # Pinned so the trusted-proxy address given to each app (172.30.0.2) is exact.
  # If "docker compose up" reports "Pool overlaps", change 172.30.0 here, in Caddy's
  # ipv4_address and in every trusted-proxy value to a free 172.x.0 range.
  proxy:
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: "172.30.0.0/24"
          ip_range: "172.30.0.128/25"
          gateway: "172.30.0.1"
  karakeep-backend: {}

volumes:
  caddy-data:
  caddy-config:
  karakeep-data:
  karakeep-meilisearch:

Caddyfile save as caddy/Caddyfile

Caddy gets and renews the HTTPS certificate for karakeep.example.org by itself once the DNS record points at your server and ports 80 and 443 reach it.

# Caddyfile built at dankhost.com. Save it as ./caddy/Caddyfile next to docker-compose.yml.
# Caddy gets and renews a Let's Encrypt certificate for each name below by itself,
# once the DNS records point at this server and ports 80 and 443 reach it.

# Karakeep
karakeep.example.org {
	reverse_proxy karakeep-web:3000
}

Already running nginx, Nginx Proxy Manager, Caddy or Traefik? The reverse-proxy settings Karakeep needs, for all four, each cited to Karakeep's own docs.

.env

The secrets are left blank here on purpose: a password printed on a public page is the same for everyone who copies it. The builder fills them with random letters and digits made in your browser.

# .env for Karakeep, from dankhost.com/app/karakeep/. Fill the blank secrets before starting.
# Keep this file private (chmod 600).

# Karakeep
# 48 random letters and digits: the builder fills this in your browser
KARAKEEP_NEXTAUTH_SECRET=
# 48 random letters and digits: the builder fills this in your browser
KARAKEEP_MEILI_MASTER_KEY=

Changes from the official file

Besides prefixing every service, container, volume, folder and variable with karakeep (so any set of apps can share one file), these are all the differences from what the project documents:

• Removed the documented '3000:3000' port; Caddy reaches karakeep-web:3000 on the proxy network.
• The docs' .env values are written under environment: (this .env holds every app's variables): NEXTAUTH_SECRET and MEILI_MASTER_KEY are generated letters and digits, the form the docs' openssl rand ... | tr -dc 'A-Za-z0-9' gives, and NEXTAUTH_URL is https://karakeep.example.org, the server address the docs ask for. Meilisearch reads the same MEILI_MASTER_KEY.
• KARAKEEP_VERSION is written out as its documented value, release ("will pull the latest stable version").
• Karakeep's own network allows outgoing traffic: the chrome service fetches every bookmarked page from the internet.

Notes for Karakeep behind the proxy

• The first account you sign up with at https://karakeep.example.org becomes the administrator. Then set DISABLE_SIGNUPS=true under karakeep-web's environment and run docker compose up -d, or anyone who finds the address can sign up.
• Every user can make the crawler fetch any address from your network (the security page); give accounts only to people you trust.
• AI tagging is optional: add OPENAI_API_KEY (or an Ollama address, see the docs' AI providers page) to karakeep-web's environment. Without it, bookmarks are saved and searchable but not tagged.
• The docs: keep Meilisearch at 1.41.0 unless you have a reason to change it; a newer version cannot read the old index (see the backup notes).

Back it up

Karakeep publishes no backup procedure. Bookmarks, users and archived pages are in the data volume; the Meilisearch index can be rebuilt from them, as the troubleshooting page shows.

Below is the BACKUP.md the builder writes next to the compose file above: which of its folders and volumes hold data, what to copy with which container stopped, and a restore check. Pick more apps in the builder and it covers them all in one file.

# BACKUP.md built at dankhost.com for: Karakeep

What to copy from the docker-compose.yml built with this file, the database dump each project documents (rewritten for the service names in that file), what to copy with which container stopped, and how to check the result. Run every command in the folder that holds docker-compose.yml.

The folders are owned by the containers' users: put sudo in front of tar if it says "Permission denied". Named volumes live under /var/lib/docker/volumes, not next to the compose file, so they are copied through a throwaway ubuntu container (Docker's documented --volumes-from method). tar makes a full copy each run; for large folders an incremental tool (restic, borg, rsync) saves time and space.

Never run "docker compose down -v" on this file: it deletes the named volumes of every app in it.

## Before you start

    BACKUP=/mnt/backup/selfhost   # change this: a disk or machine other than this server's system disk
    mkdir -p "$BACKUP"

## Every time: the three stack files

    tar czf "$BACKUP/stack-files.tar.gz" docker-compose.yml .env caddy

.env holds the database passwords and secret keys the apps were set up with; keep this archive as private as the data.

## Caddy (the reverse proxy)

Caddy's docs: 'The data directory must not be treated as a cache.' It holds the TLS certificates and their private keys; without it Caddy has to ask Let's Encrypt for every certificate again.

- caddy-data (named volume, /data in caddy)
  BACK UP: TLS certificates, private keys, OCSP staples.
- caddy-config (named volume, /config in caddy)
  SKIP: the last active configuration, kept for 'caddy run --resume', which this setup does not use: it starts from the Caddyfile.
- ./caddy (/etc/caddy in caddy)
  IN stack-files.tar.gz: the Caddyfile, copied with the stack files above.

Copy (Caddy keeps serving while you copy):

    docker run --rm --volumes-from caddy -v "$BACKUP":/backup ubuntu tar cvf /backup/caddy-data.tar /data

Restore check:

    tar tf "$BACKUP/caddy-data.tar" > /dev/null && echo OK
    docker run --rm --volumes-from caddy -v "$BACKUP":/backup ubuntu bash -c "cd /data && tar xvf /backup/caddy-data.tar --strip 1"

Sources:
- Caddy docs: Conventions, Data directory: https://caddyserver.com/docs/conventions#data-directory (checked 2026-09-24)
- Docker docs: Volumes, Back up, restore, or migrate data volumes: https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/volumes/#back-up-restore-or-migrate-data-volumes (checked 2026-09-24)

## Karakeep

Karakeep publishes no backup procedure. Bookmarks, users and archived pages are in the data volume; the Meilisearch index can be rebuilt from them, as the troubleshooting page shows.

What this compose mounts:
- karakeep-data (named volume, /data in karakeep-web)
  BACK UP: Karakeep's database, the archived pages, screenshots and uploaded files (DATA_DIR /data).
- karakeep-meilisearch (named volume, /meili_data in karakeep-meilisearch)
  SKIP: the search index; rebuilt with Admin Settings > Background Jobs > Reindex All Bookmarks.

1. Stop karakeep-web. Stopping the web service keeps the database from changing mid-copy.

    docker compose stop karakeep-web

2. Copy while karakeep-web is stopped:

    docker run --rm --volumes-from karakeep-web -v "$BACKUP":/backup ubuntu tar cvf /backup/karakeep-data.tar /data

3. Start it again:

    docker compose start karakeep-web

Restore check:

    tar tf "$BACKUP/karakeep-data.tar" > /dev/null && echo OK

Put a copy back (with karakeep-web stopped):

    docker run --rm --volumes-from karakeep-web -v "$BACKUP":/backup ubuntu bash -c "cd /data && tar xvf /backup/karakeep-data.tar --strip 1"

Put the data volume back and start everything: docker compose up -d. If search is empty, log in as administrator and run Admin Settings > Background Jobs > Reindex All Bookmarks.

Sources:
- Karakeep docs: Troubleshooting (Meilisearch 1.41.0; wipe data.ms and Reindex All Bookmarks): https://github.com/karakeep-app/karakeep/blob/main/docs/docs/06-administration/05-troubleshooting.md (checked 2026-09-30)
- Docker docs: Volumes, Back up, restore, or migrate data volumes: https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/volumes/#back-up-restore-or-migrate-data-volumes (checked 2026-09-30)

Sources

Every page below was fetched on the date shown.

• Karakeep README on GitHub checked 2026-09-30 (what it does)
• Karakeep docs: Docker installation (docker-compose.yml, .env with NEXTAUTH_SECRET, MEILI_MASTER_KEY, NEXTAUTH_URL) checked 2026-09-30 (compose definition and proxy settings)
• Karakeep repository: docker/docker-compose.yml (web, chrome, meilisearch) checked 2026-09-30 (compose definition and proxy settings)
• Karakeep docs: Environment variables (NEXTAUTH_URL, DISABLE_SIGNUPS, crawler options) checked 2026-09-30 (compose definition and proxy settings)
• Karakeep docs: Security considerations (what the crawler lets users reach) checked 2026-09-30 (compose definition and proxy settings)
• Caddy docs: Keep Caddy running (Docker Compose section) checked 2026-09-23 (Caddy)
• Vaultwarden wiki: Caddy with HTTP challenge (uses the caddy:2 image) checked 2026-09-23 (Caddy)
• Karakeep docs: Troubleshooting (Meilisearch 1.41.0; wipe data.ms and Reindex All Bookmarks) checked 2026-09-30 (backup plan)
• Docker docs: Volumes, Back up, restore, or migrate data volumes checked 2026-09-30 (backup plan)
• Caddy docs: Conventions, Data directory checked 2026-09-24 (backup plan)

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