Initial Setup

After installing Slipway, you'll need to complete the initial setup to create your admin account and configure your instance.

Access the Dashboard

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP

You'll see the Slipway welcome screen.

Create Your Admin Account

On first visit, you'll be prompted to create an admin account:

1. Enter your email address
2. Enter your full name
3. Create a password
4. Click Create Account

This account will have full administrative access to your Slipway instance.

Your Team

After creating your account, Slipway automatically creates a team for you. You can customize your team name and settings later in the dashboard under Settings → Team.

Teams help you organize projects and manage access when you have multiple team members.

Configure Instance URL (Optional)

By default, Slipway uses your server's IP address. For production use, you should configure a custom domain:

1. Go to Settings in the dashboard
2. Navigate to Instance Settings
3. Set your Instance URL (e.g., https://slipway.yourdomain.com)

TIP

See Custom Domain & SSL for detailed instructions on setting up a custom domain with automatic HTTPS.

Install the CLI

To deploy applications from your local machine, install the Slipway CLI:

npm install -g slipway

Authenticate the CLI

Connect your CLI to your Slipway instance:

slipway login

You'll be prompted for:

1. Server URL — Your Slipway instance URL (e.g., http://203.0.113.50)
2. Browser Authentication — Opens a browser window to authenticate

After authenticating in the browser, the CLI will save your credentials locally.

Environment Variable

You can also set the SLIPWAY_SERVER environment variable to avoid entering the URL each time:

export SLIPWAY_SERVER=http://203.0.113.50
slipway login

Verify Setup

Confirm everything is working:

# Check CLI connection
slipway whoami

# Should output your email and team name

What's Next?

Your Slipway instance is ready. Now you can:

• Deploy your first application
• Configure a custom domain
• Set up additional team members