directus/docs/guides/projects.md

Projects

A Project is a complete instance of Directus, including its Database, config file, asset storage, and any custom extensions. Learn more about Projects.

Creating a Project

To install Directus, choose one of the following methods.

• Command Line Interface (CLI)
• Docker
• Manually

Configuring a Project

All project configuration is handled by the .env file within the /api directory. This file accepts a number of environment variables, each is explained in the following reference:

• Environment Variables

Adjusting Project Settings

1. Navigate to Settings > Project Settings
2. Configure any of the following branding fields

• Project Name — The name used at the top of the Navigation Bar and on the login/public pages
• Project URL — The URL when clicking the logo at the top of the Module Bar
• Project Color — The color used behind the logo at the top of the Module Bar, on the login/public pages, and for the browser's FavIcon
• Project Logo — A 40x40 pixel logo at the top of the Module Bar and on the login/public pages. The image is inset within the 64x64 pixel square filled with the Project Color, so we recommend using a SVG or PNG logo with transparency to avoid a "boxy" look.

::: tip Browser FavIcon & Title

The Project Color is also used to set a dynamic favicon, and the Project Name is used in the browser's page title. This makes it easier to identify different Directus projects in the browser.

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Public Pages

In addition to the above global Project Settings, you can also apply the following styling to tailor your project's public pages.

• Public Foreground — An image centered in the public page's right-pane. Limited to a maximum width of 400px.
• Public Background — An image displayed behind the above foreground image, shown full-bleed within the public page's right-pane. When a Public Background image is not set, the Project Color is used instead.
• Public Note — A helpful note displayed at the bottom of the public page's right-pane; supports markdown for rich-text formatting

Security

• Auth Password Policy — Allows setting a policy requirement for all user's passwords, with the following options:
  • None — Not recommended
  • Weak — Minimum of 8 characters
  • Strong — Uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters
• Auth Login Attempts — Sets the number of failed login attempts allowed before a user's account is locked. Once locked, an Admin user is required to unlock the account.

Files & Thumbnails

See Creating a Thumbnail Preset

App Overrides

See Styles > Custom CSS

Upgrading a Project

1. Backup your project
2. Run npm update
3. Run npx directus database migrate:latest to update the DB

Backing-up a Project

1. Make a copy of the files within each storage adapter, and store them in a safe place
2. Make a copy of the Env file (/api/.env), and store it in a safe place
3. Run the Backup API Endpoint (/backup) to create a SQL dump of your database

Migrating a Project

Directus doesn't rely on anything besides the database for it's operation. Therefore, migrating your Directus project can be done by moving the whole database to a new location using a database dump.

::: tip File Storage

If you have files uploaded, make sure to copy those over as well, or use the same storage location in the new location of Directus.

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Deleting a Project

1. Optional: Backup any local files stored within the project's root directory
2. Optional: Backup any custom code and extensions within the project's root directory
3. Optional: Backup your entire database, only system tables, or only project tables
4. Delete the project's root directory from the server
5. Delete all Directus system tables (directus_*) from the database

::: tip Pure SQL

After completing this process, you will be left with a pure SQL database, with no trace that Directus was ever installed. Any external services connecting to your database's project tables directly (eg: SQL queries) should continue working normally.

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