This section covers self-hosting and administering your own Rallly instance, designed for advanced users, organizations, or individuals who want full control over their data, customization, and infrastructure. Unlike the hosted service at Getting Started, self-hosting lets you deploy Rallly on your servers using Docker, configure it via simple settings files, and manage users, licensing, and branding through a dedicated admin interface. For details on subscriptions in the hosted version, see Billing and Subscriptions; for team features that benefit from self-hosting, see Spaces and Team Collaboration.

Overview

Self-hosting provides complete ownership of your Rallly polls, users, and data. The official Docker setup creates a production-ready instance with a built-in database, automatic schema updates, and support for custom authentication, email notifications, and access restrictions. Key capabilities include:

• Quick deployment on any server with Docker.
• Customization of emails, login methods (email, Google, Microsoft, OIDC), and user restrictions.
• An admin Control Panel for managing users, licenses, and instance settings.
• Secure operation behind a reverse proxy for HTTPS.

Once deployed, your instance behaves like the hosted version but with your branding and no external dependencies. Access polls via your custom domain, and admins use the Control Panel at /control-panel.

Requirements

Before deploying:

• A server with Docker installed.
• Access to an SMTP server for sending invitation and notification emails (required for full functionality like Creating and Sharing Polls).
• Basic server management knowledge for updates and reverse proxies.

[!NOTE]
Self-hosting is free for personal, single-user use. Multi-user instances require a license, activated via the Control Panel. See the licensing section in the Control Panel for purchase details.

Deployment Workflow

Follow these steps to set up your instance using the official Docker configuration.

graph TB
  subgraph "Preparation"
    A["Clone or download the rallly-selfhosted repository"] --> B["Edit **config.env** file"]
  end
  subgraph "Configuration"
    B --> C["Generate and set **SECRET_PASSWORD**<br/>(32+ characters, e.g., via random generator)"]
    C --> D["Set **NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL**<br/>(e.g., *https://yourdomain.com*)"]
    D --> E["Configure SMTP settings<br/>(*SUPPORT_EMAIL*, **SMTP_HOST**, etc.)"]
    E --> F["Optional: Restrict access with **ALLOWED_EMAILS**<br/>(e.g., *user@domain.com* or *@domain.com*)"]
    F --> G["Optional: Set **INITIAL_ADMIN_EMAIL**<br/>for first admin user"]
  end
  subgraph "Launch"
    G --> H["Run **docker compose up -d**<br/>(creates DB, runs migrations, starts on port 3000)"]
  end
  H --> I["Set up reverse proxy for HTTPS<br/>(e.g., Nginx; bind to 127.0.0.1:3000)"]
  I --> J["Access at your **NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL**<br/>Create account or log in"]
  J --> K["Admin: Visit **/control-panel** and claim rights<br/>if using **INITIAL_ADMIN_EMAIL**"]

1. Clone or download the repository from the official source.
2. Open the config.env file in the root directory.
3. Generate a secure SECRET_PASSWORD (at least 32 characters) and add it.
4. Set NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL to your instance’s full URL (include http:// or https://, no trailing slash).
5. Fill in SMTP details: SUPPORT_EMAIL (required, shown to users), SMTP_HOST, SMTP_PORT, SMTP_SECURE, SMTP_USER, SMTP_PWD.
6. Optionally, set ALLOWED_EMAILS to limit sign-ups (comma-separated, supports wildcards like * @example.com).
7. Optionally, set INITIAL_ADMIN_EMAIL for the first admin.
8. Run docker compose up -d from the repository directory. This provisions the database, applies updates, and launches the app.
9. Configure a reverse proxy (e.g., Nginx, Caddy) for HTTPS, then update docker-compose.yml to bind port 3000 to localhost only and restart.
10. Visit your URL, create an account (if allowed), and navigate to /control-panel to claim admin rights if designated.

Configuration Options

All settings are applied via the config.env file before starting Docker. Changes require restarting the containers (docker compose down then docker compose up -d).

Setting	Default	Options / Format	What It Controls
NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL	(required)	Full URL (e.g., https://example.com)	Base address for links, emails, and redirects. No trailing slash.
SECRET_PASSWORD	(required)	32+ random characters	Encrypts user sessions and security tokens.
SUPPORT_EMAIL	(required)	Valid email address	Contact email shown to users; fallback sender for notifications.
NOREPLY_EMAIL	Uses SUPPORT_EMAIL	Valid email address	Sender for transactional emails (e.g., invites).
NOREPLY_EMAIL_NAME	Rallly	Text string	Display name for email senders.
INITIAL_ADMIN_EMAIL	None	Valid email address	Email of first user eligible for admin role (claim via Control Panel).
DATABASE_URL	Auto-generated by Docker	Postgres connection string	Database connection (Docker handles by default).
SMTP_HOST	None	Hostname/IP	SMTP server address.
SMTP_PORT	None	Number (e.g., 587, 465, 25)	SMTP port.
SMTP_SECURE	false	true/false	Enables SSL (use with port 465).
SMTP_USER	Empty	Username string	SMTP authentication username.
SMTP_PWD	Empty	Password string	SMTP authentication password.
SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED	true	true/false	Validates TLS certificates (set false for self-signed, not for production).
EMAIL_LOGIN_ENABLED	true	true/false	Enables magic-link email login (disables registration if off).
REGISTRATION_ENABLED	true	true/false	Allows new user sign-ups (requires email login).
ALLOWED_EMAILS	None (all allowed)	Comma-separated emails/wildcards	Restricts registration/login to listed addresses/domains.

Authentication Providers

Additional settings for OAuth/SSO (configure via provider consoles first, using your NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL + callback path):

Provider	Key Settings	What It Controls
Google	GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET	Google login button on sign-in page.
Microsoft	MICROSOFT_TENANT_ID, MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID, MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET	Microsoft Entra ID login.
OIDC	OIDC_DISCOVERY_URL, OIDC_CLIENT_ID, OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET, OIDC_NAME (OpenID Connect)	Custom SSO provider name and endpoints.

Admin Control Panel

After deployment, access at /control-panel (login required).

• Claim Admin Rights (one-time for INITIAL_ADMIN_EMAIL user): See and click Make me an admin button.
• Manage users: View, edit, or remove accounts.
• Licensing: Activate/purchase multi-user license; view status.
• Instance settings: Branding, additional user controls, registration toggles (overridden by env vars).

Only admins see full features; regular users get a permission error.

[!WARNING]
Changes in the Control Panel (e.g., user deletion) are permanent. Export data first if needed.

Updating Your Instance

To apply updates:

1. In the repository directory: docker compose down.
2. docker compose pull (fetches new image; pin to major version like lukevella/rallly:4 in docker-compose.yml for stability).
3. docker compose up -d (applies migrations automatically).

Check release notes for changes.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and observable messages:

Message	Severity	Meaning
SMTP connection failed or “Email not sent” in app feedback	Error	Invalid SMTP_HOST, SMTP_PORT, or credentials. Verify settings and test SMTP server.
“Database migration failed” in Docker logs	Error	Postgres issue during startup/update. Check DATABASE_URL, disk space, or restart. Provide container logs for support.
“Invalid redirect URI” during OAuth login	Error	Mismatch in provider console (must match NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL + callback). Update URIs and restart.
“Access denied” at /control-panel	Warning	Not admin or INITIAL_ADMIN_EMAIL not claimed. Log in as designated user and claim rights.
“Certificate error” in SMTP logs	Warning	Set SMTP_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=false for self-signed certs (test only).

View logs: docker compose logs -f. For UI errors, check browser console. Report issues with version, deployment method, OS, and logs.

Summary

• Deploy via Docker for a fully customizable instance with auto-DB setup.
• Configure everything in config.env: security, emails, auth, access controls.
• Use /control-panel to manage users, licenses, and settings post-setup.
• Update manually with docker compose pull and restart for latest features.

For poll creation after setup, see Creating and Sharing Polls. Explore integrations in Advanced Features and Integrations. For hosted alternatives, return to Overview.