Tutorial: Installing Strapi Headless CMS with PostgreSQL Using Docker and Docker Compose

Strapi is a powerful open-source headless CMS that allows you to manage content effortlessly. Using Docker and Docker Compose simplifies the setup process, making it easy to deploy and manage your Strapi instance.

In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the steps to install Strapi using Docker and Docker Compose.

Set Up Your Project Directory

First, create a new directory for your Strapi project:

mkdir my-strapi-project
cd my-strapi-project

Create a Docker Compose File

In your project directory, create a docker-compose.yml file. This file will define the services required to run Strapi, including the CMS itself and a database (e.g., PostgreSQL).

version: '3'

services:
  strapi:
    image: strapi/strapi
    container_name: strapi
    ports:
      - '1337:1337'
    environment:
      DATABASE_CLIENT: postgres
      DATABASE_HOST: postgres
      DATABASE_PORT: 5432
      DATABASE_NAME: strapi
      DATABASE_USERNAME: strapi
      DATABASE_PASSWORD: strapi
    volumes:
      - ./app:/srv/app
    depends_on:
      - postgres

  postgres:
    image: postgres
    container_name: postgres
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: strapi
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: strapi
      POSTGRES_DB: strapi
    volumes:
      - ./data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

Create the Necessary Directories

Create directories for your Strapi application and PostgreSQL data:

mkdir app data

Start the Containers

Now, you can start the containers using Docker Compose:

docker-compose up -d

This command will download the required Docker images, create the containers, and start them in detached mode.

Access the Strapi Admin Panel

Once the containers are running, you can access the Strapi admin panel by navigating to http://localhost:1337 in your web browser. The first time you visit, you’ll be prompted to create an admin user.

Persisting Data

The volumes specified in the docker-compose.yml file ensure that your Strapi application code and PostgreSQL data are persisted on your local machine. This means your data will not be lost even if you stop and restart the containers.

Managing Your Containers

You can manage your Docker containers with the following commands:

View container logs:

docker-compose logs -f

Restart the containers:

docker-compose up -d

Stop the containers:

docker-compose down

Conclusion

With Docker and Docker Compose, setting up Strapi is quick and straightforward. This setup allows you to easily manage your CMS environment, including scaling and deploying your application.

Follow these steps to get Strapi up and running, and start managing your content with ease.