---
title: Docker
description: Build a production Docker image of your Spree project, or run the official prebuilt image.
---

## Building Your Project's Image

Every [create-spree-app](../create-spree-app/quickstart.md) project builds into a single production image: the web server and background jobs run in one container, and the only dependency is a PostgreSQL database (the [single-node topology](quickstart.md#single-node-vs-distributed)).

If you haven't ejected yet, do that first:

```bash
spree eject
```

This generates the app source — including its production `Dockerfile` — in `server/`. Make your customizations, then build:

```bash
spree build --production                                  # → <project>-spree:latest
spree build --production --tag registry.example.com/my-store:v42
```

Or with plain Docker, from the project root:

```bash
docker build . -f server/Dockerfile -t my-store
```

Both produce the same image — and it's exactly what Render and Railway build from your repository. Migrations run automatically on boot.

## Running the Image

One app container plus Postgres is a complete deployment:

```yaml docker-compose.yml
services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:18-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_HOST_AUTH_METHOD: trust
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test: pg_isready -U postgres
      interval: 5s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5

  web:
    image: my-store   # or ghcr.io/spree/spree:latest for the stock image
    depends_on:
      postgres:
        condition: service_healthy
    environment:
      DATABASE_URL: postgres://postgres@postgres:5432/spree_production
      SECRET_KEY_BASE: change-me-to-a-real-secret
      RAILS_FORCE_SSL: "false"
      RAILS_ASSUME_SSL: "false"
      # Public host used in generated URLs (images/attachments in API
      # responses, email links) — set to your domain or IP in production.
      RAILS_HOST: localhost:3000
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    healthcheck:
      test: curl -f http://localhost:3000/up || exit 1
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 10
      start_period: 30s

volumes:
  postgres_data:
```

Start everything:

```bash
docker compose up -d
```

The database is created and migrated on first boot. The app is available at [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000).

### Scaling out the worker

Background jobs run inside the web container by default. When job load deserves its own process, split it out — same image, no rebuild: set `SOLID_QUEUE_IN_PUMA: "false"` on `web` and add a worker service:

```yaml
  worker:
    image: my-store
    depends_on:
      postgres:
        condition: service_healthy
    environment:
      DATABASE_URL: postgres://postgres@postgres:5432/spree_production
      SECRET_KEY_BASE: change-me-to-a-real-secret
      RAILS_HOST: localhost:3000
    command: bin/jobs
```

### Required Environment Variables

| Variable | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `DATABASE_URL` | PostgreSQL connection URL | `postgres://user:pass@host:5432/spree` |
| `SECRET_KEY_BASE` | Secret key for session encryption | Generate with `bin/rails secret` |
| `RAILS_HOST` | Public host used in generated URLs — image/attachment URLs in API responses, email links | `store.example.com` |
| `SOLID_QUEUE_IN_PUMA` | Run background jobs inside the web container (default `true`); set `false` when running a dedicated worker | `true` |

See [Environment Variables](environment_variables.md) for the full list.

## Official Docker Image

To run Spree without any customizations, pull the prebuilt multi-arch image (`linux/amd64` and `linux/arm64`) published to the GitHub Container Registry on every release:

```bash
docker pull ghcr.io/spree/spree:latest
```

| Tag | Description |
|-----|-------------|
| `latest` | Latest stable release |
| `5.4.0` | Specific version |
| `5.4` | Latest patch for a minor version |

Browse all tags on the [GitHub Packages page](https://github.com/spree/spree/pkgs/container/spree). The image drops into the compose file above in place of your custom tag.