Configuration

Slipway can be configured through environment variables and the dashboard settings.

Server Configuration

Environment Variables

The installer persists server settings in /etc/slipway/.env. Prefer rerunning the installer with explicit environment overrides because it also keeps Docker bindings and active firewall rules consistent.

Variable	Description	Default
PORT	Internal Slipway application port	1337
NODE_ENV	Environment mode	production
SLIPWAY_URL	Public URL of your Slipway instance	Detected
SLIPWAY_INGRESS	public or cloudflare-tunnel	public
SLIPWAY_PROXY_HOST	Host interface for Caddy	Mode-dependent
SLIPWAY_DASHBOARD_HOST	Host interface for the dashboard port	127.0.0.1
SLIPWAY_APP_PORT_HOST	Host interface for allocated app ports	127.0.0.1
SESSION_SECRET	Session-signing secret	Generated
DATA_ENCRYPTION_KEY	Encryption key for stored credentials	Generated

Explicit direct app access

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sailscastshq/slipway/main/install.sh -o /tmp/install-slipway.sh
sudo env SLIPWAY_APP_PORT_HOST=0.0.0.0 bash /tmp/install-slipway.sh

Public boundary

0.0.0.0 means every server interface. It is an explicit opt-in, not a safer replacement for Caddy. Read Ingress and Firewall before opening the app port range at your VPS provider.

Dashboard Settings

Access settings at Dashboard → Settings.

Instance Settings

Setting	Description
Instance Name	Display name for your Slipway server
Instance URL	Public URL for webhooks and links
Allow Signups	Enable/disable new user registration

Default Project Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Default Environment	Initial environment for new projects	production
Health Check Timeout	Time to wait for health checks	30s
Deploy Timeout	Maximum deployment time	10m

Security Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Session Timeout	Auto-logout after inactivity	24h
Require 2FA	Enforce two-factor authentication	false
IP Allowlist	Restrict dashboard access by IP	Disabled

Project Configuration

Projects can be configured via the CLI or dashboard:

Via CLI

slipway project:update myapp \
  --auto-deploy=true \
  --auto-deploy-branch=main \
  --health-check-path=/health

Via Dashboard

1. Go to your project
2. Click Settings
3. Configure options
4. Click Save

Project Options

Option	Description	Default
auto-deploy	Enable webhook-triggered deploys	false
auto-deploy-branch	Branch to deploy from	main
health-check-path	URL path for health checks	/
health-check-timeout	Health check timeout	30s
deploy-timeout	Maximum deploy time	10m

App Configuration (config/slipway.js)

sails-hook-slipway is zero-config when deployed by Slipway. Create config/slipway.js only when the app needs identity or telemetry behavior overrides:

// config/slipway.js
module.exports.slipway = {
  bridge: {
    loginPath: '/login',
    identity: {
      model: 'user',
      sessionKey: 'userId',
      emailAttribute: 'email',
      nameAttribute: 'fullName',
      emailStatusAttribute: 'emailStatus',
      verifiedEmailStatuses: ['verified', 'confirmed']
    }
  },

  lookout: {
    enabled: true,
    captureQueries: true,
    captureExceptions: true,
    slowQueryThreshold: 100
  }
}

Enable the app-local /bridge route from the app's Bridge access page and redeploy. Slipway injects its app-scoped credential; never commit it to config/slipway.js. Read Bridge app-local access for the invitation and custom identity-helper flow.

Docker Configuration

Network Configuration

Slipway uses a Docker network named slipway:

# Create network (done by install.sh)
docker network create slipway

All apps and services are attached to this network for internal communication.

Volume Configuration

Slipway data is stored in Docker volumes:

Volume	Purpose	Default Path
slipway-data	Database and config	/app/data
slipway-certs	SSL certificates	/data (Caddy)

Resource Limits

Set resource limits for Slipway:

docker run -d \
  --name slipway \
  --memory=512m \
  --cpus=1 \
  ...

Caddy Configuration

Caddy is configured via Docker labels on containers. Slipway sets these automatically:

// Labels set by Slipway when deploying
{
  'caddy': 'myapp.example.com',
  'caddy.reverse_proxy': '{{upstreams 1337}}'
}

Custom Caddy Settings

For advanced Caddy configuration, you can modify the Caddy container directly:

# Access Caddy config
docker exec slipway-proxy cat /etc/caddy/Caddyfile

Backup Configuration

Automatic Backups

Configure in Dashboard → Settings → Backups:

Setting	Description	Default
Enabled	Enable automatic backups	true
Schedule	Backup frequency	Daily at 2 AM
Retention	Number of backups to keep	7
Storage	Where to store backups	Local

Manual Backup

# Backup Slipway data
docker exec slipway tar -czf /tmp/backup.tar.gz /app/data
docker cp slipway:/tmp/backup.tar.gz ./slipway-backup.tar.gz

Logging Configuration

Log Level

Set via environment variable:

-e LOG_LEVEL=debug  # silly, verbose, info, debug, warn, error

Log Retention

Configure in Dashboard → Settings → Logs:

Setting	Description	Default
App Logs	Retention period	7 days
Build Logs	Retention period	30 days
Deploy Logs	Retention period	30 days

Email Configuration

For email notifications (password reset, alerts):

-e MAIL_TRANSPORT=smtp \
-e SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com \
-e SMTP_PORT=587 \
-e [email protected] \
-e SMTP_PASS=your-app-password \
-e MAIL_FROM="Slipway <[email protected]>"

Or use Resend:

-e MAIL_TRANSPORT=resend \
-e RESEND_API_KEY=re_xxx \
-e MAIL_FROM="Slipway <[email protected]>"

What's Next?

• Configure your Instance URL for webhooks
• Set up a Custom Domain with SSL
• Configure Settings in the dashboard