How to Deploy Dokploy on BlueVPS: A Step-by-Step Guide

Dokploy is a practical deployment platform for developers who want to run applications, databases, Docker Compose services, domains, logs, and environment variables from one control panel. It gives you a simpler way to manage container-based projects without handing your infrastructure to a fully managed platform.

When you deploy Dokploy on BlueVPS, you get full control over the server environment, operating system, resources, firewall settings, and deployment structure. BlueVPS provides the virtual private server, while Dokploy gives you the interface and automation layer for running your projects.

This guide explains how to install Dokploy on a BlueVPS server, configure the required ports, connect a domain, enable HTTPS, and deploy your first application.

What you need before installing Dokploy

Start with a fresh BlueVPS server running a supported Linux distribution. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is a strong choice for most projects because it is widely supported, predictable, and easy to maintain.

A clean VPS is recommended because Dokploy uses Docker and Traefik to manage applications and web traffic. If Apache, Nginx, or another reverse proxy is already installed, it may conflict with the ports Dokploy needs.

Before installation, prepare the following:

1. BlueVPS server with root or sudo access
2. Ubuntu server with a clean system environment
3. Domain or subdomain for the Dokploy panel
4. Open ports 80, 443, and 3000
5. SSH access from your local computer

The server size depends on what you plan to host. A small VPS can handle testing and lightweight apps, while production projects need more RAM, CPU capacity, and storage for Docker images, logs, databases, and backups.

Step 1: Create a BlueVPS server

Log in to your BlueVPS account and create a new VPS instance. Choose Ubuntu as the operating system, then select a plan that matches your application workload.

If you plan to host a single lightweight application, you can start with a smaller VPS and upgrade later. If your setup includes databases, background workers, image processing, or several apps, choose more RAM from the beginning to avoid build failures and slow deployments.

After the server is created, copy its public IP address from the BlueVPS dashboard. You’ll need this IP address to connect through SSH, open the Dokploy dashboard, and configure DNS records for your domain.

Step 2: Connect to the server through SSH

Open your terminal and connect to the server as root or as a user with sudo privileges. Replace the example IP address with your actual BlueVPS server IP.

ssh root@your_server_ip

If you use SSH keys, make sure the private key is available on your local machine and the public key has been added to the server. Password login also works, although SSH keys are usually better for long-term server security.

After connecting, update the package list and upgrade existing packages.

apt update && apt upgrade -y

If the system installs important updates, reboot the server before continuing.

reboot

After the reboot, connect through SSH again and move to the Dokploy installation step.

Step 3: Configure the firewall

Dokploy needs access to ports 80, 443, and 3000. 

Port 80 handles HTTP traffic, port 443 handles HTTPS traffic, and port 3000 is used for the Dokploy panel during the initial setup.

If your server uses UFW, run these commands:

ufw allow OpenSSH

ufw allow 80

ufw allow 443

ufw allow 3000

ufw enable

ufw status

Check that the firewall status shows the required ports as allowed. If your hosting control panel has an additional firewall, make sure the same ports are open there, too.

If another service already uses ports 80, 443, or 3000, stop it before installing Dokploy. A fresh server is the safest option because it reduces the chance of port conflicts during setup.

Step 4: Install Dokploy on BlueVPS

Run the official Dokploy installation command from your SSH session.

curl -sSL https://dokploy.com/install.sh | sh

The installer prepares the server, installs the required components, configures Docker if needed, and starts Dokploy services. Keep the terminal open until the script finishes.

When the installation is complete, open the Dokploy panel in your browser.

http://your_server_ip:3000

Replace your_server_ip with the real IP address of your BlueVPS server. If the page does not open, check the firewall, confirm that port 3000 is open, and make sure the installation script finished without errors.

Step 5: Create the admin account

Open the Dokploy panel and create the first administrator account. Use a strong password because this account controls projects, domains, deployments, variables, and logs inside the panel.

After logging in, review the dashboard structure. Dokploy organizes applications into projects, which helps keep related services in one place.

At this point, the panel is available through the server IP and port 3000. That setup is fine for the first login, but production access should use a domain with HTTPS.

Step 6: Connect a domain to the server

Go to your domain provider and create an A record that points a domain or subdomain to your BlueVPS server IP. Many teams use a dedicated subdomain for the Dokploy panel, such as deploy.example.com.

A simple DNS setup can look like this:

Record type: A

Name: deploy

Value: your_server_ip

Purpose: Dokploy panel

Record type: A

Name: app

Value: your_server_ip

Purpose: first application

DNS changes may take time depending on your provider. Once the domain points to the server, add it inside Dokploy and configure secure access.

Step 7: Enable HTTPS for Dokploy

After the domain resolves correctly, configure the domain for the Dokploy panel and enable HTTPS. Secure access is important because the panel contains sensitive deployment settings, environment variables, and project controls.

Do not close access through port 3000 until you confirm that the domain works correctly. Once HTTPS access is stable, you can restrict direct panel access and keep only the traffic paths your setup actually needs.

A production server should also have basic security settings in place. Review SSH access, disable unnecessary services, use strong passwords or keys, and keep the system updated.

Step 8: Create your first project

Inside Dokploy, create a new project for your application. A project can include one app, several services, databases, or a Docker Compose setup.

If your application is stored in Git, connect the repository and choose the branch you want to deploy. Add the build settings, runtime configuration, and environment variables required by your application.

Common environment variables include database URLs, application secrets, API keys, mail credentials, public app URLs, and storage settings. Add these values before the first deployment so the build and runtime process can complete correctly.

Step 9: Deploy the application

Create a new application inside your project and select the source. For a Git-based app, choose the repository, branch, and build method. For a Docker Compose deployment, provide the compose configuration and confirm that persistent data uses volumes.

Before launching the deployment, check these settings:

1. Repository and branch – Confirm that Dokploy pulls the correct codebase
2. Build command – Match the command to your framework and package manager
3. Environment variables – Add every required secret and configuration value
4. Domain – Attach the correct domain or subdomain to the application
5. Volumes – Use persistent storage for databases, uploads, and generated files

Start the deployment and follow the logs inside Dokploy. If the deployment fails, the logs usually show whether the issue comes from missing variables, dependency errors, incorrect ports, or an application-level configuration problem.

Step 10: Set up automatic deployments

After the first successful deployment, configure automatic deployments from your Git provider. With this workflow, Dokploy can redeploy the application when you push changes to the selected branch.

Automatic deployment is useful for small teams and solo developers because it reduces manual server work. You still control the BlueVPS server, but routine updates become easier to manage through the Dokploy interface.

For production projects, use a clean release workflow. Keep the production branch stable, test changes before merging, and avoid pushing unreviewed updates directly to the live application.

Common installation blockers

Most setup problems are related to ports, DNS, firewall rules, or server resources. A clean BlueVPS server with the required ports open prevents many of these issues before they appear.

• Panel does not open – Check port 3000, UFW rules, hosting firewall settings, and Dokploy service status.
• Installer fails – Make sure ports 80, 443, and 3000 are not already used by another service.
• Domain does not work – Verify that the A record points to the correct BlueVPS server IP.
• HTTPS does not activate – Confirm that the domain resolves correctly and that ports 80 and 443 are open.
• Application deployment fails – Review the logs, build command, exposed port, environment variables, and Docker configuration.

The final checks before production use

After installing Dokploy on BlueVPS, review the full setup before hosting important applications. Confirm that the panel uses HTTPS, the firewall allows only required traffic, and SSH access is secure.

Set up backups for databases, application files, and important configuration. If your project stores uploads or customer data, test the restore process before relying on backups in production.

Dokploy gives developers a clean way to deploy and manage applications on their own infrastructure. BlueVPS provides the server resources behind that setup, which means it’s a great combination for teams that want control, flexible scaling, and a simpler deployment workflow without moving every project to a closed hosting platform.