Introduction to self-hosted SlugBase
What SlugBase is, how self-hosted differs from cloud, terminology, and how these guides are written.
What you get with self-hosted SlugBase
Self-hosted SlugBase is an open-source bookmark manager you run on your own server. Save links with titles, folders, and tags; search everything with Ctrl+K; and turn any bookmark into a short link at /go/<slug> you can share or use as a browser shortcut.
The first account created during setup becomes an administrator. From Admin you can manage users, teams, OIDC sign-in providers, SMTP email, and optional AI suggestions for bookmark titles and tags.
Cloud vs self-hosted: The hosted product at slugbase.app adds organizations, plans, and billing on top of the same core app. Features that work the same way in both editions are documented here; Cloud-only topics are in the Cloud guides.
Main areas of the app
After login you'll find these sections in the sidebar:
| Area | What it does |
|---|---|
| Overview (dashboard) | Library stats, pinned bookmarks, and the quick-search bar. |
| Bookmarks | Your saved links — create, search, filter, import, and export. |
| Folders | Group bookmarks and share them with your team. |
| Tags | Label bookmarks so you can filter by topic. |
| Profile | Account settings, preferences, API tokens, and MFA. |
| Admin | User and team management, OIDC, SMTP, and AI settings (admins only). |
Short links work at /go/<slug> on your server. You can manage saved slug choices from Profile → Manage remembered slug choices.
Terminology
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bookmark | A saved URL with metadata; a slug is optional. |
| Slug | A short keyword that resolves to a bookmark URL via /go/... and browser shortcuts. |
| Self-hosted | The core product you install and run yourself (open-source license in the SlugBase repository). |
| Cloud | The hosted multi-tenant service; app URLs are under https://slugbase.app/app/.... |
Where to go next
Quick start
Run SlugBase locally for development or try a fast production path.
Docker Compose
Recommended way to run the full app in production with persistent data.
Configuration
Environment variables, secrets, and URLs that must match your deployment.
First run setup
Create the first admin user and reach the dashboard.
Last updated 1 week ago
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