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Learn How to Deploy Directus on Ubuntu VPS! This guide details the steps required to deploy Directus on Ubuntu VPS server. Our guide walks through deploying Directus on a fresh Ubuntu VPS with PostgreSQL, PM2, and Nginx. What is Directus? Directus is an open-source headless CMS and data platform that sits on top of a SQL database (like PostgreSQL or MySQL) and instantly turns it into a real-time API + admin app. Core Concept Instead of creating its own database structure, Directus: Connects directly to your existing database Adds a no-code admin interface Automatically generates: REST API GraphQL API Realtime data access What It Does (In Plain Terms) You create tables → Directus turns them into content collections You add fields → Directus gives you forms/UI automatically Your data → instantly available via API for apps, websites, or services Key Features Headless CMS Manage content without being tied to a frontend Use with: WordPress frontends Next.js / React apps Mobile apps Static sites Database-First Approach Works with: PostgreSQL MySQL SQLite No proprietary schema lock-in Auto-Generated APIs REST + GraphQL out of the box No backend coding required Admin Dashboard Clean UI for: Content editing User roles & permissions File uploads Workflows Authentication & Permissions Fine-grained access control JWT-based auth Role-based permissions Extensions & Automation Webhooks Flows (automation builder) Custom endpoints How It Compares Tool Type Key Difference WordPress Traditional CMS Tied to frontend Strapi Headless CMS Own schema system Directus Data platform Uses your existing DB Typical Use Cases SaaS backends (admin + API) Website content management Internal dashboards Multi-tenant applications Data management layer for apps Why People Use It No vendor lock-in Works with existing databases Fast to deploy Developer + non-technical friendly Simple Architecture Database (PostgreSQL) ↓ Directus ↓ REST / GraphQL API ↓ Frontend (Website / App) System Requirements In order to deploy Directus on Ubuntu VPS, ensure your environment meets the following prerequisite conditions: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS / Ubuntu 24.04 LTS VPS 2+ GB RAM recommended Domain name (optional but recommended) How to Deploy Directus on Ubuntu VPS (Production-Ready Guide) To deploy Directus on Ubuntu VPS, follow the steps provided below: Update System apt update && apt upgrade -y Install Node.js (LTS) curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | bash - apt install -y nodejs Verify: node -v npm -v Install PostgreSQL apt install -y postgresql postgresql-contrib Switch to postgres user: sudo -u postgres psql Create DB + user: CREATE DATABASE directus; CREATE USER directus_user WITH PASSWORD 'strongpassword'; ALTER ROLE directus_user SET client_encoding TO 'utf8'; ALTER ROLE directus_user SET default_transaction_isolation TO 'read committed'; ALTER ROLE directus_user SET timezone TO 'UTC'; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE directus TO directus_user; \q Install Directus mkdir -p /opt/directus cd /opt/directus npm init -y npm install directus Configure Environment Create .env file: nano /opt/directus/.env HOST0.0.0.0 PORT8055 KEYyour-random-secret-key SECRETyour-random-secret DB_CLIENTpg DB_HOST127.0.0.1 DB_PORT5432 DB_DATABASEdirectus DB_USERdirectus_user DB_PASSWORDstrongpassword ADMIN_EMAILadmin@example.com ADMIN_PASSWORDStrongAdminPassword123 Initialize Directus npx directus bootstrap Test Run npx directus start Access: http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8055 Install PM2 (Process Manager) npm install -g pm2 Start Directus: pm2 start "npx directus start" --name directus pm2 save pm2 startup Install Nginx (Reverse Proxy) apt install -y nginx Create config: nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/directus server { listen 80; server_name yourdomain.com; location / { proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8055; proxy_http_version 1.1; proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade; proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade'; proxy_set_header Host $host; proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade; } } Enable site: ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/directus /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ nginx -t systemctl restart nginx Enable HTTPS (Let's Encrypt) Install Certbot: apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx Run: certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com Firewall Setup ufw allow OpenSSH ufw allow 'Nginx Full' ufw enable Useful PM2 Commands pm2 status pm2 logs directus pm2 restart directus pm2 stop directus Optional: Storage (Uploads) Add to .env: STORAGE_LOCATIONSlocal STORAGE_LOCAL_ROOT./uploads Create directory: mkdir /opt/directus/uploads Production Hardening (Recommended) Use strong secrets Move .env permissions: chmod 600 /opt/directus/.env Enable PostgreSQL remote restrictions Set up backups (cron + pg_dump) Use Cloudflare or WAF Monitor with PM2 + logs Auto Backup Script (Optional) crontab -e 0 2 * * * pg_dump -U directus_user directus > /opt/backups/directus_$(date +\%F).sql Done You now have a production-ready Directus deployment: API: https://yourdomain.com Admin Panel: same URL Conclusion You now know how to deploy Directus on Ubuntu VPS.

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