---
description:
  If you're looking for the fastest way to get up-and-running with Directus locally, this guide will get you there in minutes.
---

# Self-Hosting Quickstart

<iframe style="width:100%; aspect-ratio:16/9; margin-top: 2em;" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J7tFWxAGkh4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

## Install Docker

You should have [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/) installed and running on your machine.

::: info What Is Docker?

Docker is a developer tool that allows software-creators to distribute their work along with all dependencies and
required environment settings. This means that applications can run reliably and consistently, making it the perfect way
to use Directus both locally and in-production.

As soon as there are new releases of Directus, we publish them on
[Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/directus/directus).

:::

## Create a Docker Compose File

Create a new empty directory, and open it in a text editor. Create a `docker-compose.yml` file and paste the following:

```yml
version: '3'
services:
  directus:
    image: directus/directus:latest
    ports:
      - 8055:8055
    volumes:
      - ./database:/directus/database
      - ./uploads:/directus/uploads
    environment:
      KEY: 'replace-with-random-value'
      SECRET: 'replace-with-random-value'
      ADMIN_EMAIL: 'admin@example.com'
      ADMIN_PASSWORD: 'd1r3ctu5'
      DB_CLIENT: 'sqlite3'
      DB_FILENAME: '/directus/database/data.db'
      WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED: true
```

Save the file. Let's step through it:

- This file defines a single Docker container that will use the latest version of the `directus/directus` image.
- The `ports` list maps internal port `8055` is made available to our machine using the same port number, meaning we can
  access it from our computer's browser.
- The`volumes` section maps internal `directus/database` and `directus/uploads` to our local file system alongside the
  `docker-compose.yml` - meaning data is backed up outside of Docker containers.
- The `environment` section contains any [configuration variables](/self-hosted/config-options.html) we wish to set.
  - `KEY` and `SECRET` are required and should be long random values. `KEY` is used for telemetry and health tracking,
    and `SECRET` is used to sign access tokens.
  - `ADMIN_EMAIL` and `ADMIN_PASSWORD` is the initial admin user credentials on first launch.
  - `DB_CLIENT` and `DB_FILENAME` are defining the connection to your database.
  - `WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED` is not required, but enables [Directus Realtime](/guides/real-time/getting-started/index.html).

The volumes section is not required, but without this, our database and file uploads will be destroyed when the Docker
container stops running. The default database is SQLite - a self-contained server-less database that stores data to a
file.

## Run Directus

Run the following in your terminal:

```
docker compose up
```

Directus should now be available at <a href="http://localhost:8055" target="_blank">http://localhost:8055</a> or
<a href="http://127.0.0.1:8055" target="_blank">http://127.0.0.1:8055</a>