How to Install PyRunner on Coolify

I built PyRunner because I wanted to stop renting my automations from Zapier and run them on my own server, in plain Python. Upload a script, schedule it, watch it run. That's the whole platform.

Think of it as a self-hosted alternative to Zapier, Make, and n8n. The difference: every step is just Python. Anything a Python library can do, your automation can do. And since Claude writes most of the Python for me, a new automation takes minutes, not an afternoon.

It handles the boring parts too: an isolated virtual environment per script, encrypted secrets, full run logs with stdout and stderr, scheduling that's manual or on an interval or daily at a set time, and alerts over email, webhook, or Telegram when a job finishes or fails.

This guide installs it on a Coolify v4 server in about three minutes, using the official Docker Compose file.

By the end of this guide you'll have:

• PyRunner running on your own Coolify server
• Your own domain with automatic HTTPS
• A persistent volume that Coolify creates for you (no manual setup)
• One-click updates whenever a new PyRunner version ships

---

What do you need to install PyRunner on Coolify?

Three things, all standard for any self-hosted app:

• Coolify v4.x running on a server you control. If you don't have it yet, follow the Coolify install guide first, then come back here.
• A server with at least 1 GB RAM. In my experience, 2 GB feels less cramped once you add a few jobs. I run mine on Contabo, but Hetzner or any VPS you like works fine.
• A domain pointed at your Coolify server (set an A record at your DNS provider). No domain yet? Coolify will give you a free sslip.io subdomain you can use to start.

That's the whole list. Let's get started.

---

---

Step 1: Generate two secret keys

PyRunner needs two keys before it can start:

1. SECRET_KEY: Django uses this for sessions and CSRF protection.
2. ENCRYPTION_KEY: This encrypts every secret you store inside PyRunner (API tokens, env vars, anything sensitive).

Use the generators below. Both keys are made in your browser, so they never leave this page. Copy them somewhere safe. I keep mine in a password manager. You'll paste them into Coolify in a minute.

---

Step 2: Create the resource in Coolify

Open Coolify and go to Projects → your project → + New → Public Repository.

Fill in:

Repository URL

https://github.com/hassancs91/PyRunner

Branch: main

Click Check Repository.

On the next screen, set:

Build Pack: Docker Compose

Docker Compose Location

/docker-compose.coolify.yml

Click Save.

What just happened: Coolify is now reading the pre-tuned compose file from the PyRunner repo. The volume, port, healthcheck, and SSL handling are all already defined in that file. You don't have to configure any of them manually.

---

Step 3: Set three environment variables

Open the Environment Variables tab for the resource.

You'll notice a variable called SERVICE_FQDN_PYRUNNER_8000 already there, auto-populated by Coolify. Leave it alone. That's the variable that wires up your domain to the right container port.

Add these three:

Toggle the Secret flag on SECRET_KEY and ENCRYPTION_KEY so they stay masked in the UI and logs.

If your Coolify is in Developer mode, copy this block and paste it. The values stay in sync with the keys you generated above and the domain you set at the top:

SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here
ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-encryption-key-here
ALLOWED_HOSTS=localhost,127.0.0.1,pyrunner.example.com

---

Step 4: Set your domain

Go back to the main Configuration page for the resource. You'll see a Domains for pyrunner field.

Enter your domain (for example https://pyrunner.example.com) and click Save.

Coolify will automatically request an SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt once you deploy. You don't need to do anything else for HTTPS.

If you don't have a custom domain ready, click Generate Domain and Coolify gives you a free sslip.io URL.

---

Step 5: Deploy

Click Redeploy (top right).

The first deploy takes about a minute. Coolify pulls the image, creates the volume, and runs the database migrations. Watch the logs:

• You should see PyRunner is ready! followed by Gunicorn startup messages on port 8000.
• If you see ERROR: SECRET_KEY is required or ERROR: ENCRYPTION_KEY is required, go back to Step 3 and check your env vars.

When the healthcheck turns green, open your domain in a browser. PyRunner runs a quick first-time setup. Pick a username, email, and password for your admin account. Then it drops you on the dashboard.

---

Email setup (do this next)

PyRunner sends email for two things: password resets, and the messages your scripts fire off. With no email set up, none of that leaves the server. So do this next.

Inside the app:

1. Go to Settings → Email.
2. Pick one:
   • Resend (simplest): paste your Resend API key, set the From address, toggle Use Resend on.
   • SMTP: fill in your SMTP host, port, username, password, and From address. Works with Mailgun, SendGrid, Postmark, or your own SMTP server.
3. Send a test email from the same page to confirm it works.

Done. PyRunner is running on your own server, your own domain, everything persistent.

---

When things go wrong

Here are the issues I see most often:

---

Updating PyRunner

When a new version ships to Docker Hub:

1. Open your PyRunner resource in Coolify.
2. Click Redeploy with Pull latest image toggled on.

The volume keeps your data safe across redeploys. Migrations run automatically when the new container starts.

---

FAQ

---

What's next

You now have PyRunner running on your own server. Now build something. A script that checks a page each morning and Telegrams you what changed. A nightly database backup. A job that pulls an API and drops the data in a sheet. Whatever you'd normally pay Zapier for. Ask Claude to write the Python, paste it in, set a schedule.

Want the whole stack on video instead of guide by guide? That's what my Self Hosting 2.0 is for. The free guides still get you there. The course just saves you the trial and error.

More self-hosting guides are on the way: Postal SMTP, Coolify from scratch, backups, hardening.

ship it.