Stack Templates

Stack Templates turn a working compose.yaml into a reusable blueprint. Save a well-configured Postgres stack once, then deploy identical (or parameterized) copies on any host with one click.

Creating a template

Two paths:

From an existing stack:

1. Open the stack detail page
2. Actions → Save as template
3. Name + description + (optional) icon
4. Pick which variables should be parameters

From scratch:

1. Templates → New template
2. Paste compose.yaml
3. Define parameters manually

Parameters

Parameters are placeholders that get filled at deploy time. Syntax is {{param_name}}:

services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:{{version|default:16-alpine}}
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: {{user|default:postgres}}
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: {{password|secret}}
      POSTGRES_DB: {{database}}
    volumes:
      - {{stack_name}}_pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    ports:
      - "{{port|default:5432}}:5432"

volumes:
  {{stack_name}}_pgdata:

Each parameter can have:

• default:... — pre-filled value in the deploy dialog
• secret — renders as password field, stored encrypted
• description — shown as help text
• enum:... — dropdown of allowed values
• pattern:... — regex validation

Built-in parameters

dockmesh auto-provides these:

• {{stack_name}} — the name the user picks for the new stack
• {{host}} — the target host
• {{timestamp}} — current ISO timestamp (useful for unique volume names)

Deploying from a template

1. Templates → [your template] → Deploy
2. dockmesh shows a form with all parameters
3. Required fields, defaults, help text, validation
4. Pick target host
5. Click Deploy

Behind the scenes: dockmesh substitutes parameters, writes the final compose.yaml to the stack directory, and runs deploy.

Sharing templates

Export produces a .yml file with the template + metadata. Import it on another dockmesh instance or commit it to a Git repo for team sharing.

Built-in template library

dockmesh ships with starter templates for common self-host apps:

• PostgreSQL
• MySQL / MariaDB
• Redis
• Nginx reverse proxy
• Caddy with auto-HTTPS
• Nextcloud
• Gitea
• Vaultwarden
• Plex / Jellyfin
• Watchtower (for auto-updates)
• Uptime Kuma

Clone and customize for your environment.

Update flow

When a template is updated, existing stacks deployed from it are not touched — they keep running with their original config. To apply template changes, redeploy the stack from the template (with the current parameters).

If you want stacks to update automatically, use Git-backed stacks instead.

See also

• Stack Management — manual stack creation
• Environment Variables — alternative to template params for env
• Deploy Tutorials — end-to-end deploy walkthroughs