1. Create a Project Directory#

mkdir nginx-proxy-manager && cd nginx-proxy-manager

2. Create docker network for external connectivity for other containers#

docker network create nginx

3. Create docker-compose.yml#

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following configuration:

version: '3'
services:
  app:
    image: 'jc21/nginx-proxy-manager:latest'
    restart: always
    ports:
      - '80:80'      # Public HTTP Port
      - '81:81'      # Admin Web UI
      - '443:443'    # Public HTTPS Port
    environment:
      DB_SQLITE_FILE: "/data/database.sqlite"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
      - ./letsencrypt:/etc/letsencrypt
networks:
  nginx:
    external: true

💡 You can change ports 80, 81, and 443 to avoid conflicts with other services.

3. Start the Services#

docker compose up -d

Check if the containers are running:

docker ps

4. Access the Web Interface#

Open your browser and go to:

http://<your-server-ip>:81

5. Default Credentials#

• Email: [email protected]
• Password: changeme

🔒 Be sure to update your login credentials after first login.

NOTE

Now you can add your other containers to Nginx Proxy Manager using container_name:port. There’s no need to expose ports to the host. Your external Docker applications can communicate through the shared Docker network.