How to Deploy Directus With xCloud One Click Apps
Updated November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
You can run Directus on your own server with xCloud without writing a Docker Compose file. Click New Site, pick Directus in the app catalog, choose a server, enter a site title and the admin email, choose Demo Site or Go Live, and click Next. xCloud starts Directus with its own PostgreSQL database and Redis, keeps the data on the server and serves it over HTTPS. This guide walks through each screen up to your first sign-in.
Who this is for: developers and teams who want a headless CMS or a ready-made REST and GraphQL API over a SQL database, with an admin app (the Directus Studio) for editors, on a server they control. For server sizes and prices, see Directus hosting on xCloud.
What the Directus app includes
| Part | What you get |
|---|---|
| Directus | The official Directus image, pinned to one tested release. |
| Database | A private PostgreSQL database only Directus can reach. xCloud creates its name, user and password. |
| Cache | A private Redis for caching, protected by its own generated password. |
| Web address | Directus runs behind xCloud’s Nginx on your domain, with an SSL certificate. |
| Saved data | The database, uploaded files, extensions, templates and cache are kept on the server, so they survive restarts and redeploys. |
| Admin account | You enter the admin email; xCloud generates the admin password. |
Directus is source-available, not classic open source. The app sets no licence key. Read the Directus licence to check it fits how you use Directus.
Before you start
- An xCloud account that can create sites.
- An Nginx server with Docker, with at least 2 GB RAM, 2 CPU cores and 10 GB disk (4 GB RAM recommended). You can also create a new server during setup.
- For Go Live: a domain you can point at the server. For a first try, Demo Site needs no domain.
Step 1: Find Directus in the app catalog
From the xCloud dashboard, click New Site. On What would you like to host today?, type Directus in the search box, then click the Directus card.
The Directus page opens. It shows Runs on Nginx, Docker and the recommended size: 4 GB RAM · 2 vCPU · 10 GB disk.
Step 2: Choose where Directus will run
Under Where should it run?, pick one option:
- Deploy on a new server: xCloud creates and sets up a server only for Directus.
- An existing server: click its card. Each card shows the server’s free RAM, CPU and disk.
Click Continue.
A server that is too small or on the wrong stack is listed under server cannot run this app. Open that list to see why. With less than 2 GB of RAM, choose Deploy on a new server or resize the server first.
Step 3: Add the site title and choose a domain
The Install Directus Into form opens.
- Enter a Site Title, for example
Directus. Add Tag (optional) helps you group sites. - Under Domain Setup, choose one:
- Demo Site: xCloud gives you a test domain, shown under Domain Name. Click Regenerate for a different one. Use this to try Directus first.
- Go Live: enter your own domain and point its DNS at the server.
Step 4: Enter the admin email and install
In Initial Admin Email, enter an email address you control. Directus creates the first administrator with this email when it starts for the first time. xCloud generates the password.
Click Next at the bottom of the form.
Step 5: Wait for the setup to finish
xCloud shows a progress page with each stage: checking the server and DNS, installing Docker, setting up the app, SSL, HTTPS, Nginx and monitoring. You can leave this page; the setup keeps running.
When it finishes, the site’s Site Overview page opens.
If a stage fails, open Recent Events on the site, click View on the failed event, and fix what it reports (often DNS for Go Live, or a server that is too small). Then try again, or contact support with the event output.
Step 6: Copy the Directus admin login
On Site Overview, the Directus Credentials card shows the Directus URL, the Initial Admin Email and the Initial Admin Password. Click the eye icon to show the password, or click Copy next to each value. A note under the card repeats that the admin email and password are used only for the first install.
Step 7: Sign in to the Directus Studio
Open the Directus URL. If the page doesn’t load straight away, wait a moment and reload: Directus prepares its database the first time it starts. Enter the admin email in Email and the password in Password, then click Sign In.
The Directus Studio opens, and your Directus is ready. To build your first collection, follow the Directus getting started guide.
After your first sign-in
| Task | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Change the admin password | Your user profile in the Directus Studio | The admin email and password from the install are used only when Directus starts the first time. Changing them later in Environment does not change the account. |
| Add team members | The user directory in the Directus Studio | Give each person a role, so editors see only what they need. |
| Turn on email | Environment on the xCloud site | Password resets and invites need SMTP. See below. |
| Turn on realtime | Environment on the xCloud site | WebSockets are off by default. Remove the # before WEBSOCKETS_ENABLED=true and click Save & Redeploy. |
Turn on email (SMTP)
A new Directus site cannot send email, so password resets and user invites fail until you add SMTP. Open the site in xCloud, click Environment in the site menu, find the commented SMTP block in Environment (.env), remove the # in front of each line and fill in your mail provider’s details:
EMAIL_TRANSPORT=smtp
EMAIL_FROM=[email protected]
EMAIL_SMTP_HOST=smtp.example.com
EMAIL_SMTP_PORT=587
EMAIL_SMTP_SECURE=false
EMAIL_SMTP_USER=your-smtp-username
EMAIL_SMTP_PASSWORD=your-smtp-passwordUse EMAIL_SMTP_SECURE=true with port 465. Then click Save & Redeploy. The containers restart briefly. The Directus configuration reference lists the other settings you can add on the same page.
Update and back up Directus
- Update: a newer Directus release does not change a site you already installed. Before you move to a new version, back up, read the Directus release notes for migration steps, then follow Update a One Click App and edit its Docker Compose. Never remove the storage volumes during an update.
- Back up: keep the database, uploads, extensions and templates together, because a database backup without its uploaded files is incomplete. See Back up and restore Docker apps for what xCloud backs up and how to restore it.
Common mistakes
- Choosing Go Live before the domain’s DNS points at the server. Start with Demo Site, then go live from the demo site.
- Installing on a server with less than 2 GB of RAM. It is listed as unable to run Directus; pick a larger server.
- Changing
ADMIN_EMAILorADMIN_PASSWORDin Environment and expecting the login to change. Manage administrators inside the Directus Studio instead.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to write a Docker Compose file to deploy Directus on xCloud?
No. The Directus One Click App already defines Directus, its PostgreSQL database, Redis and their storage. You pick Directus in the app catalog, choose a server, enter a site title and admin email, and click Next.
What server does Directus need on xCloud?
An Nginx server with Docker and at least 2 GB of RAM, 2 CPU cores and 10 GB of disk. The install page recommends 4 GB of RAM. A server below the minimum is listed under the servers that cannot run the app.
Where do I find the Directus admin password?
xCloud generates it during the install. Open the site in xCloud: the Site Overview page shows a Directus Credentials card with the Directus URL, the Initial Admin Email and the Initial Admin Password.
Why don’t password reset and invite emails arrive?
Email is not set up in a new Directus site. Add your SMTP details in the site’s Environment page in xCloud and click Save & Redeploy.
Related guides
If you run into any issues while deploying Directus, feel free to reach out to our support team.