Manual Deployment

Deploy Scrolly directly on a VPS without Docker.

Requirements

• OS: Ubuntu 22.04+ (or similar Linux)
• Node.js: 24+
• FFmpeg: For video/audio processing
• Python 3: Required by some download providers
• Process manager: PM2 recommended

Download providers (e.g. for video downloading) are installed at runtime by the host from the Settings UI — no manual installation required.

Setup

# 1. Install system dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y ffmpeg python3

# 2. Install Node.js 24+
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# 3. Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/312-dev/scrolly.git
cd scrolly
npm install
npm run build

# 4. Create data directory
mkdir -p data/videos

# 5. Configure environment
cp .env.example .env
nano .env  # see Configuration page

# 6. Generate VAPID keys for push notifications
npx web-push generate-vapid-keys
# Add the keys to your .env file

# 7. Start with PM2
npm install -g pm2
pm2 start build/index.js --name scrolly
pm2 save
pm2 startup  # auto-start on reboot

Reverse Proxy

Set up HTTPS with a reverse proxy. Example with Caddy:

scrolly.example.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:3000
}

Twilio

Twilio is used for phone verification (SMS codes during onboarding and login). Configure your Twilio Verify service SID and credentials in your .env file. See the Configuration page for details.

Updating

cd scrolly
git pull
npm install
npm run build
pm2 restart scrolly

Migrations run automatically on startup.

Self-Hosting Responsibilities

By operating a self-hosted instance, you are responsible for:

• All content downloaded, stored, and shared on your instance
• Compliance with data protection laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)
• Compliance with telecommunications regulations for SMS verification
• Establishing your own terms of service and privacy policy
• Securing your deployment and protecting user data
• Download providers: Installing a provider is an explicit opt-in action. By doing so, you accept responsibility for compliance with applicable laws and the provider's own license terms. No download tools are bundled with or automatically installed by Scrolly.

See the Disclaimer for full details.