Getting Started

Quick Deploy

Go from zero to a fully working Cleanmails instance in under 10 minutes. No coding required — just a VPS and your license key.

What is a VPS?

A VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a computer that stays on 24/7 in a data center. Instead of running Cleanmails on your laptop, you run it on a VPS so it can handle thousands of emails while you sleep.

Recommended VPS Providers

We recommend Contabo, Hetzner, or DigitalOcean. Choose a plan with at least 1GB RAM (4GB recommended) and Ubuntu 22.04 as the operating system.

Step-by-Step Setup

Get your VPS & connect via SSH

Purchase a VPS with Ubuntu 22.04. You'll receive an IP address and root password.

Windows users: Download Putty, enter your VPS IP, click Open, login as root.

Mac/Linux users: Open Terminal and run:

bash

ssh root@YOUR_VPS_IP

How to paste in terminal

In most terminals (Putty, etc.), you don't use Ctrl+V. Just right-click inside the terminal window to paste.

Point your domain to your VPS IP

Create an A record pointing your domain to your VPS IP address before running the installer. This is needed for SSL provisioning.

Type	Name	Value
A	app (or @)	YOUR_VPS_IP

Run the installer

Use the command generator below to create your personalized install command, then paste it into your terminal.

Auto-Deploy

One-Command Installer

SSH into your VPS as root and paste this. The installer will prompt for your domain, then handle Docker, the database, and SSL automatically.

Terminal

curl -fsSL https://coldmail.host/install.sh | sudo bash

Step 1

Point an A record at your VPS IP before running the command.

Step 2

Run the command. Enter your domain when prompted. Wait ~3–5 min.

Step 3

Open the dashboard URL and paste your license key on the welcome screen.

rDNS Configuration

After install, set your server's Reverse DNS (PTR) record at your VPS provider to the same domain. Essential for inbox delivery.

The installer will:

Run preflight checks (root, RAM, disk, port availability)
Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose (if not present)
Download the latest release from the Cleanmails S3 bucket
Build Docker images (API, Worker, Frontend)
Generate secure secrets (AES-256 encryption key, JWT secret, DB password)
Configure Caddy reverse proxy with security headers
Start the full stack (PostgreSQL, Redis, API, Worker, Frontend, Caddy)
Auto-provision SSL certificate via Let's Encrypt

Point your domain

Create an A record pointing your domain to your VPS IP address:

Type	Name	Value
A	app (or @)	YOUR_VPS_IP

Set Reverse DNS (rDNS/PTR)

Go to your VPS provider's control panel and set the PTR record to your domain. This is critical for email deliverability.

Complete the setup wizard

Open your domain in a browser. You'll see the initialization page where you create your admin account.

Save your password!

There is no "Forgot Password" button because your data is private and self-hosted. Write down your admin credentials.