---

name: coolify
description: >-
Deploy and manage applications, databases, and services on Coolify. Use when
a user asks to deploy an app to Coolify, manage Coolify deployments, check
deployment logs, sync environment variables, create or manage databases on
Coolify, trigger a deployment, manage Coolify servers, or troubleshoot Coolify
issues. Covers the Coolify CLI and REST API. For infrastructure provisioning
on Hetzner, see hetzner-cloud.
license: Apache-2.0
compatibility: "Requires Coolify CLI (coolify) or curl for API access. Install CLI: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coollabsio/coolify-cli/main/scripts/install.sh | bash"
metadata:
author: terminal-skills
version: "1.0.0"
category: devops
tags: ["coolify", "paas", "deployment", "self-hosting", "docker"]
evals:

• name: deploy-nextjs-with-env-sync
  prompt: |
  Deploy my Next.js app to my Coolify instance. The app UUID is
  abc123-def456. Before deploying, sync the production env vars from my
  local .env.production file. Then trigger the deploy and tell me how
  to monitor the logs.
  rubric: |
  Score 0-100 by points achieved:
  • Uses coolify app env sync abc123-def456 --file .env.production (or equivalent --file flag): 30pts
  • Notes the sync is non-destructive (keeps unlisted vars intact): 10pts
  • Uses coolify deploy uuid abc123-def456 (not dashboard UI, not coolify deploy app): 30pts
  • Mentions coolify app deployments logs <deployment-uuid> for monitoring: 20pts
  • Does NOT recommend scp/SSH or manual file copy of the .env: 10pts
• name: debug-failed-deployment
  prompt: |
  My deployment to Coolify just failed. The deployment UUID is dep-789xyz.
  Help me figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
  rubric: |
  Score 0-100 by points achieved:
  • First diagnostic step is coolify app deployments logs dep-789xyz (NOT SSH-into-server): 35pts
  • Distinguishes build-time vs runtime errors when interpreting logs: 15pts
  • Suggests coolify deploy cancel <uuid> if the deploy is stuck/queued: 15pts
  • Mentions checking env vars / config if logs show missing-config errors: 15pts
  • Does NOT recommend SSH-into-server as the first or primary action: 20pts
• name: postgres-with-nightly-backups
  prompt: |
  Create a PostgreSQL database on my Coolify server (server UUID
  srv-abc123) called "analytics" with automated nightly backups to S3.
  rubric: |
  Score 0-100 by points achieved:
  • Uses coolify database create postgresql --name analytics --server srv-abc123: 30pts
  • Uses coolify database backup create <db-uuid> --frequency with cron syntax for nightly (e.g. "0 2 * * *"): 30pts
  • Includes --s3 <s3-config-uuid> flag (or notes an S3 storage target is required): 20pts
  • Notes the S3 storage target must be pre-configured in the Coolify dashboard before creating the backup: 10pts
  • Does NOT suggest pg_dump-via-cron on the host or manual backup scripts: 10pts
• name: github-actions-deploy-webhook
  prompt: |
  Set up GitHub Actions to automatically deploy my Coolify app whenever I
  push to the main branch. My Coolify URL is https://coolify.example.com
  and the app UUID is xyz-789. Show me the workflow file.
  rubric: |
  Score 0-100 by points achieved:
  • Uses the /api/v1/deploy endpoint (NOT a custom webhook URL or dashboard URL): 25pts
  • POSTs JSON body {"uuid": "xyz-789"} (correct payload shape): 20pts
  • Includes Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.COOLIFY_TOKEN }} header: 20pts
  • Stores COOLIFY_TOKEN (and any other sensitive values) in GitHub Secrets, not hardcoded: 20pts
  • Provides a complete, working .github/workflows/deploy.yml example with on.push.branches: [main]: 15pts
• name: manage-multiple-coolify-instances
  prompt: |
  I have two Coolify instances — one for production and one for staging.
  How do I switch between them with the CLI without re-entering API tokens
  every time?
  rubric: |
  Score 0-100 by points achieved:
  • Uses coolify context add <name> <url> <token> to register both instances: 30pts
  • Uses coolify context use <name> to switch the active context: 30pts
  • Mentions coolify context list to see configured contexts: 15pts
  • Mentions coolify context verify to test the connection after switching: 15pts
  • Does NOT recommend manual env-var swapping, .coolifyrc edits, or re-running setup: 10pts

---

Coolify

Overview

Manage Coolify deployments, applications, databases, and services from the terminal. Supports the Coolify CLI for day-to-day operations and the REST API for CI/CD integration. Coolify is an open-source self-hostable PaaS that deploys resources as Docker containers on your own servers.

Instructions

When a user asks for help with Coolify, determine which task they need:

Task A: Set up CLI context

Connect the CLI to a Coolify instance:

# Add a context (name, URL, API token)
coolify context add production https://coolify.example.com <api-token>

# List configured contexts
coolify context list

# Switch active context
coolify context use production

# Verify connection
coolify context verify

API tokens are created in the Coolify dashboard under Keys & Tokens > API tokens. Permission levels:

• read-only — view resources, no sensitive data
• read:sensitive — view resources including secrets
• * — full access (needed for deploys and mutations)

Task B: Deploy applications

# Deploy by UUID
coolify deploy uuid <app-uuid>

# Deploy by name
coolify deploy name my-api

# Deploy multiple resources at once
coolify deploy batch app1-uuid,app2-uuid,db-uuid

# List recent deployments
coolify app deployments list <app-uuid>

# View deployment logs
coolify app deployments logs <deployment-uuid>

# Cancel a running deployment
coolify deploy cancel <deployment-uuid>

Via API (for CI/CD pipelines):

curl -X POST "https://coolify.example.com/api/v1/deploy" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer " \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"uuid": "app-uuid-here"}'

Task C: Manage environment variables

# List env vars for an application
coolify app env list <app-uuid>

# Create a single env var
coolify app env create <app-uuid> --key DATABASE_URL --value "postgres://user:pass@db:5432/myapp"

# Sync from a .env file (creates missing, updates existing, leaves others untouched)
coolify app env sync <app-uuid> --file .env.production

# Bulk update via API
curl -X PATCH "https://coolify.example.com/api/v1/applications/<uuid>/envs/bulk" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer " \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[{"key": "NODE_ENV", "value": "production"}, {"key": "PORT", "value": "3000"}]'

Task D: Manage databases

# List all databases
coolify database list

# Create a PostgreSQL database
coolify database create postgresql --name my-postgres --server <server-uuid>

# Start/stop/restart a database
coolify database start <db-uuid>
coolify database stop <db-uuid>
coolify database restart <db-uuid>

# Create a backup configuration
coolify database backup create <db-uuid> --frequency "0 2 * * *" --s3 <s3-uuid>

# Trigger a backup immediately
coolify database backup trigger <backup-uuid>

Supported database types: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis, ClickHouse, Dragonfly, KeyDB.

Task E: Manage applications and services

# List all applications
coolify app list

# Get application details
coolify app get <app-uuid>

# Start/stop/restart an application
coolify app start <app-uuid>
coolify app stop <app-uuid>
coolify app restart <app-uuid>

# View application logs
coolify app logs <app-uuid>

# List one-click services
coolify service list

# Start/stop a service
coolify service start <service-uuid>
coolify service stop <service-uuid>

Task F: Server and resource management

# List all servers
coolify server list

# Validate a server (checks SSH, Docker, prerequisites)
coolify server validate <server-uuid>

# List all resources across servers
coolify resources list

# Get server details (JSON output for scripting)
coolify server get <server-uuid> --format json

Examples

Example 1: Deploy a Next.js app and sync env vars

User request: "Deploy my Next.js app to Coolify and sync the production env vars"

Steps taken:

# First, sync env vars from local .env.production
$ coolify app env sync abc123-def456 --file .env.production
Synced 12 environment variables (3 created, 9 updated)

# Trigger deployment
$ coolify deploy uuid abc123-def456
Deployment queued: dep-789xyz

# Monitor deployment
$ coolify app deployments logs dep-789xyz
[2024-01-15 10:23:01] Building with Nixpacks...
[2024-01-15 10:23:45] Build completed successfully
[2024-01-15 10:23:50] Deploying container...
[2024-01-15 10:24:02] Health check passed
[2024-01-15 10:24:03] Deployment successful

Example 2: Set up a PostgreSQL database with automated backups

User request: "Create a PostgreSQL database on Coolify with nightly backups"

Steps taken:

# Create the database
$ coolify database create postgresql --name analytics-db --server srv-abc123
Created database: db-xyz789 (PostgreSQL 16)

# Create backup schedule (daily at 2 AM)
$ coolify database backup create db-xyz789 --frequency "0 2 * * *" --s3 s3-backup-config
Backup schedule created: backup-111222

# Verify it's running
$ coolify database list
UUID          NAME           TYPE         STATUS
db-xyz789     analytics-db   postgresql   running

Example 3: CI/CD deployment from GitHub Actions

User request: "Set up automatic deployment from GitHub Actions"

GitHub Actions workflow:

# .github/workflows/deploy.yml
name: Deploy to Coolify
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Trigger Coolify deployment
        run: |
          curl -X POST "${{ secrets.COOLIFY_URL }}/api/v1/deploy" \
            -H "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.COOLIFY_TOKEN }}" \
            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
            -d '{"uuid": "${{ secrets.COOLIFY_APP_UUID }}"}'

Guidelines

• Store your Coolify API token securely. Never commit it to version control. Use COOLIFY_TOKEN as an environment variable in CI/CD.
• Use coolify context to manage multiple Coolify instances (production, staging). Avoid hardcoding URLs.
• The coolify app env sync command is non-destructive — it won't remove env vars not in your file. Use this for safe syncing.
• Deployments are queued and processed sequentially per server. Check the queue if deploys seem delayed.
• For troubleshooting failed deployments, always check coolify app deployments logs <deployment-uuid> first.
• Database backups require an S3-compatible storage target configured in Coolify (AWS S3, MinIO, Backblaze B2, etc.).
• Use --format json with any CLI command to get machine-readable output for scripting.
• For detailed API endpoint reference, see references/api-reference.md.