Volume mounts

A volume mount stores data in a named Docker volume on the resource's deployment server. Docker manages the volume's directory, and Coolify mounts the volume at the Destination Path inside each replacement container.

Choose a volume mount when the data must survive redeployments but you do not need it at a specific server filesystem path.

When to use a volume mount

Volume mounts are a good default for:

• application uploads and generated files
• stateful application data
• database data directories
• caches that must survive container replacement

Do not use a volume for temporary build files or caches that the application can safely recreate. Persistent data consumes disk space until you remove or clean up the volume.

Add a volume mount

Before adding the mount, find the exact directory where the application writes its data. Check the image or application documentation instead of assuming that the path starts with /app.

1. Open the application or database in Coolify.
2. Select Configuration > Persistent Storage.
3. Select Add > Volume Mount.
4. Enter a short Name, such as uploads.
5. Leave Source Path empty. Entering a source path creates a bind mount instead of a named volume.
6. Enter the Destination Path inside the container. For example, use /app/uploads only when the application writes uploads to that exact path.
7. Select Add.
8. Redeploy the resource so Docker creates the new container with the mount attached.

Coolify prefixes the name with the resource UUID to prevent name collisions on the deployment server. The name shown by docker volume ls is therefore longer than the value entered in Name.

Verify the mount by letting the application write a test file under the destination path. Redeploy the resource again and confirm that the application can still read the file.

Use volume mounts with preview deployments

Application preview deployments use separate storage by default. Coolify adds a -pr-N suffix to the volume name, where N is the pull request number.

After creating a mount, keep Add suffix for PR deployments enabled when each preview should have isolated data. Disable it only when the main application and every preview can safely share the same volume.

Define volumes in Docker Compose

For a Docker Compose application or one-click service, define the named volume in the Compose file:

services:
  app:
    image: example/app:latest
    volumes:
      - app-data:/app/data

volumes:
  app-data:

Replace /app/data with the exact data directory used by the image. Save the Compose file and reload its configuration in Coolify.

Coolify prefixes parsed volume names to avoid collisions. The Persistent Storage page displays the resulting mount as read-only because the Compose file owns its configuration. Edit the Compose file when the source or destination needs to change.

Back up a volume

For an application, Coolify can create scheduled file-level archives of a Volume Mount, including a Volume Mount with a Source Path. You can keep archives on the deployment server and optionally copy them to S3-compatible storage.

Read Storage mount backups to choose a target, reduce the risk of an inconsistent archive, set retention, and verify each execution.

Coolify does not let you delete a volume while its storage backup schedule exists. Delete the schedule and its archives first, then delete the volume only after confirming that you no longer need its data.

Inspect a volume

Connect over SSH to the deployment server, then list its Docker volumes:

docker volume ls

Inspect the volume after finding its actual name:

docker volume inspect <actual-volume-name>

The inspection output includes Docker's server-side mountpoint. Avoid editing files inside Docker's internal volume directory while the application is running.