docs(docker): document single-origin proxy deployment

Author: AnishSarkar22

surfsense_web/content/docs/docker-installation/dev-compose.mdx

@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ cd SurfSense/docker
 docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml up --build
 ```
 
-This file builds the backend and frontend from your local source code (instead of pulling prebuilt images) and includes pgAdmin for database inspection at [http://localhost:5050](http://localhost:5050). Use the production `docker-compose.yml` for all other cases.
+This file builds the backend and frontend from your local source code (instead
+of pulling prebuilt images) and includes pgAdmin for database inspection at
+[http://localhost:5050](http://localhost:5050). It intentionally keeps raw
+frontend, backend, and zero-cache ports published for debugging. Use the
+production `docker-compose.yml` for the default Caddy single-origin setup.
 
 ## Dev-Only Environment Variables
 
@@ -28,3 +32,6 @@ The following `.env` variables are **only used by the dev compose file** (they h
 | `NEXT_PUBLIC_DEPLOYMENT_MODE` | Frontend build arg for deployment mode | `self-hosted` |
 
 In the production compose file, the `NEXT_PUBLIC_*` frontend variables are automatically derived from `AUTH_TYPE`, `ETL_SERVICE`, and the port settings. In the dev compose file, they are passed as build args since the frontend is built from source.
+Production Docker exposes only the bundled Caddy proxy by default; dev compose
+keeps direct service ports so contributors can inspect and restart individual
+services without going through the proxy.

surfsense_web/content/docs/docker-installation/docker-compose.mdx

@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ docker compose up -d
 
 After starting, access SurfSense at:
 
-- **Frontend**: [http://localhost:3929](http://localhost:3929)
-- **Backend API**: [http://localhost:8929](http://localhost:8929)
-- **API Docs**: [http://localhost:8929/docs](http://localhost:8929/docs)
+- **SurfSense**: [http://localhost:3929](http://localhost:3929)
+- **Backend API**: [http://localhost:3929/api/v1](http://localhost:3929/api/v1)
+- **Zero sync**: `ws://localhost:3929/zero`
 ---
 
 ## Configuration
@@ -99,24 +99,59 @@ docker run -d --name watchtower \
 
 SurfSense containers are labeled for Watchtower, so `--label-enable` limits updates to the SurfSense services.
 
-### Ports
+### Public URL and Ports
 
 | Variable | Description | Default |
 |----------|-------------|---------|
-| `FRONTEND_PORT` | Frontend service port | `3929` |
-| `BACKEND_PORT` | Backend API service port | `8929` |
-| `ZERO_CACHE_PORT` | Zero-cache real-time sync port | `5929` |
+| `SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL` | Public origin used by the frontend, backend OAuth callbacks, and Zero browser URL | `http://localhost:3929` |
+| `SURFSENSE_SITE_ADDRESS` | Caddy site address. `:80` means local plain HTTP; a hostname enables automatic HTTPS | `:80` |
+| `LISTEN_HTTP_PORT` | Host port mapped to Caddy's HTTP listener | `3929` |
+| `LISTEN_HTTPS_PORT` | Host port mapped to Caddy's HTTPS listener for domain mode | `443` |
 
-### Custom Domain / Reverse Proxy
+SurfSense includes Caddy by default. The `frontend`, `backend`, and
+`zero-cache` containers are internal-only in the production compose file; the
+browser reaches them through Caddy path routing.
 
-Only set these if serving SurfSense on a real domain via a reverse proxy (Caddy, Nginx, Cloudflare Tunnel, etc.). Leave commented out for standard localhost deployments.
+### Custom Domain / Automatic HTTPS
+
+For a real domain, point DNS at the Docker host and set:
+
+```dotenv
+SURFSENSE_SITE_ADDRESS=surf.example.com
+LISTEN_HTTP_PORT=80
+LISTEN_HTTPS_PORT=443
+CERT_EMAIL=you@example.com
+SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL=https://surf.example.com
+```
+
+Caddy will issue and renew Let's Encrypt certificates automatically. Ports 80
+and 443 must be reachable from the internet for the default HTTP-01 challenge.
 
 | Variable | Description |
 |----------|-------------|
-| `NEXT_FRONTEND_URL` | Public frontend URL (e.g. `https://app.yourdomain.com`) |
-| `BACKEND_URL` | Public backend URL for OAuth callbacks (e.g. `https://api.yourdomain.com`) |
-| `NEXT_PUBLIC_FASTAPI_BACKEND_URL` | Backend URL used by the frontend (e.g. `https://api.yourdomain.com`) |
-| `NEXT_PUBLIC_ZERO_CACHE_URL` | Zero-cache URL used by the frontend (e.g. `https://zero.yourdomain.com`) |
+| `CERT_EMAIL` | Optional ACME contact email |
+| `CERT_ACME_CA` | ACME directory URL; use Let's Encrypt staging when testing cert issuance |
+| `CERT_ACME_DNS` | DNS-01 challenge config; requires the custom Caddy build |
+| `TRUSTED_PROXIES` | CIDR ranges trusted for forwarded client IP headers |
+| `SURFSENSE_MAX_BODY_SIZE` | Upload limit enforced at the proxy |
+
+### Bring Your Own Proxy
+
+If you already run nginx, Traefik, Cloudflare Tunnel, or another ingress, you
+can comment out the `proxy` service and route traffic to the internal services
+with the same path contract:
+
+| Public path | Upstream |
+|-------------|----------|
+| `/auth/*` | `backend:8000` |
+| `/api/v1/*` | `backend:8000` |
+| `/zero/*` | `zero-cache:4848` |
+| `/*` | `frontend:3000` |
+
+Alternative proxies must preserve WebSocket upgrades for `/zero`, avoid
+buffering streaming responses, allow long-running requests, and support large
+uploads. For DNS-01 or wildcard certificates with Caddy, build
+`docker/proxy/Dockerfile` and set `CERT_ACME_DNS` for your DNS provider.
 
 ### Zero-cache (Real-Time Sync)
 
@@ -165,7 +200,10 @@ Create credentials at the [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.co
 
 ### Connector OAuth Keys
 
-Uncomment the connectors you want to use. Redirect URIs follow the pattern `http://localhost:8000/api/v1/auth/<connector>/connector/callback`.
+Uncomment the connectors you want to use. Redirect URIs follow the single-origin
+pattern `${SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL}/api/v1/auth/<connector>/connector/callback`.
+For local Docker defaults, that means
+`http://localhost:3929/api/v1/auth/<connector>/connector/callback`.
 
 | Connector | Variables |
 |-----------|-----------|
@@ -218,6 +256,7 @@ for full setup.
 
 | Service | Description |
 |---------|-------------|
+| `proxy` | Caddy reverse proxy; the only public ingress in production Docker |
 | `db` | PostgreSQL with pgvector extension |
 | `migrations` | Short-lived: runs `alembic upgrade head` and verifies `zero_publication`, then exits |
 | `redis` | Message broker for Celery |
@@ -226,7 +265,7 @@ for full setup.
 | `celery_worker` | Background task processing (document indexing, etc.) |
 | `celery_beat` | Periodic task scheduler (connector sync) |
 | `zero-cache` | Rocicorp Zero real-time sync (replicates Postgres to clients) |
-| `frontend` | Next.js web application |
+| `frontend` | Next.js web application, internal behind Caddy |
 
 All services start automatically with `docker compose up -d`.
 
@@ -292,9 +331,9 @@ docker compose down -v
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
-- **Ports already in use**: Change the relevant `*_PORT` variable in `.env` and restart.
+- **Port already in use**: Change `LISTEN_HTTP_PORT` in `.env` and restart. In domain mode, use ports `80` and `443` so Caddy can complete certificate issuance.
 - **Permission errors on Linux**: You may need to prefix `docker` commands with `sudo`.
-- **Real-time updates not working**: Open DevTools → Console and check for WebSocket errors. Verify `NEXT_PUBLIC_ZERO_CACHE_URL` matches the running zero-cache address.
+- **Real-time updates not working**: Open DevTools → Console and check for WebSocket errors. In production Docker the expected URL is `${SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL}/zero`.
 - **Line ending issues on Windows**: Run `git config --global core.autocrlf true` before cloning.
 
 ### Migration service exited non-zero

surfsense_web/content/docs/docker-installation/install-script.mdx

@@ -74,7 +74,27 @@ If Watchtower is enabled, it preserves the running image variant tag automatical
 
 After starting, access SurfSense at:
 
-- **Frontend**: [http://localhost:3929](http://localhost:3929)
-- **Backend API**: [http://localhost:8929](http://localhost:8929)
-- **API Docs**: [http://localhost:8929/docs](http://localhost:8929/docs)
-- **Zero-cache**: [http://localhost:5929](http://localhost:5929)
+- **SurfSense**: [http://localhost:3929](http://localhost:3929)
+- **Backend API**: [http://localhost:3929/api/v1](http://localhost:3929/api/v1)
+- **Zero sync**: `ws://localhost:3929/zero`
+
+The installer uses the bundled Caddy reverse proxy by default. The backend and
+zero-cache containers are not published on separate host ports in the production
+stack.
+
+For a custom domain, edit `surfsense/.env` after installation:
+
+```dotenv
+SURFSENSE_SITE_ADDRESS=surf.example.com
+LISTEN_HTTP_PORT=80
+LISTEN_HTTPS_PORT=443
+CERT_EMAIL=you@example.com
+SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL=https://surf.example.com
+```
+
+Then run:
+
+```bash
+cd surfsense
+docker compose up -d --wait
+```

surfsense_web/content/docs/how-to/zero-sync.mdx

@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ zero-cache is included in the Docker Compose setup. The key environment variable
 
 | Variable | Description | Default |
 |----------|-------------|---------|
-| `ZERO_CACHE_PORT` | Port for the zero-cache service | `5929` (prod) / `4848` (dev) |
+| `SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL` | Public SurfSense origin used by the browser | `http://localhost:3929` |
 | `ZERO_ADMIN_PASSWORD` | Password for the zero-cache admin UI and `/statz` endpoint | `surfsense-zero-admin` |
 | `ZERO_UPSTREAM_DB` | PostgreSQL connection URL for replication | Built from `DB_*` vars |
-| `NEXT_PUBLIC_ZERO_CACHE_URL` | URL the frontend uses to connect to zero-cache | `http://localhost:<ZERO_CACHE_PORT>` |
+| `NEXT_PUBLIC_ZERO_CACHE_URL` | URL the frontend uses to connect to zero-cache | `${SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL}/zero` |
 | `ZERO_APP_PUBLICATIONS` | PostgreSQL publication restricting which tables are replicated | `zero_publication` |
 | `ZERO_NUM_SYNC_WORKERS` | Number of view-sync worker processes. Must be ≤ `ZERO_UPSTREAM_MAX_CONNS` and ≤ `ZERO_CVR_MAX_CONNS` | `4` |
 | `ZERO_UPSTREAM_MAX_CONNS` | Max connections to upstream PostgreSQL for mutations | `20` |
@@ -71,7 +71,11 @@ For the full manual setup walkthrough, see the [Manual Installation guide](/docs
 
 ### Custom Domain / Reverse Proxy
 
-When deploying behind a reverse proxy, set `NEXT_PUBLIC_ZERO_CACHE_URL` to your public zero-cache URL (e.g., `https://zero.yourdomain.com`). The zero-cache service must be accessible via WebSocket from the browser.
+The production Docker stack includes Caddy by default. Zero is exposed under the
+same public origin as the app at `${SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL}/zero`, for example
+`https://surf.example.com/zero`. Zero accepts this single path-component base
+URL, so Caddy forwards `/zero/*` to the internal `zero-cache:4848` service
+without stripping the prefix.
 
 ### Database Requirements
 
@@ -110,7 +114,7 @@ Zero syncs the following tables for real-time features:
 
 - **zero-cache not starting**: Check `docker compose logs zero-cache`. Ensure PostgreSQL has `wal_level=logical` (configured in `postgresql.conf`).
 - **"Insufficient upstream connections" error**: zero-cache defaults `ZERO_NUM_SYNC_WORKERS` to the number of CPU cores, which can exceed connection pool limits on high-core machines. Lower `ZERO_NUM_SYNC_WORKERS` or raise `ZERO_UPSTREAM_MAX_CONNS` / `ZERO_CVR_MAX_CONNS` in your `.env`.
-- **Frontend not syncing**: Open DevTools → Console and check for WebSocket connection errors. Verify `NEXT_PUBLIC_ZERO_CACHE_URL` matches the running zero-cache address.
+- **Frontend not syncing**: Open DevTools → Console and check for WebSocket connection errors. In production Docker, verify `NEXT_PUBLIC_ZERO_CACHE_URL` resolves to `${SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL}/zero`.
 - **Stale data after restart**: zero-cache rebuilds its SQLite replica from PostgreSQL on startup. This may take a moment for large databases.
 
 ## Learn More

surfsense_web/content/docs/messaging-channels/docker.mdx

@@ -15,17 +15,19 @@ wired by Compose.
 ## Public URLs
 
 For localhost-only testing, the defaults are enough for the SurfSense UI, but
-public webhooks from Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack require a public HTTPS backend
-URL. Use your deployed backend URL or a tunnel such as Cloudflare Tunnel or
-ngrok.
+public webhooks from Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack require a public HTTPS
+SurfSense URL. Use your deployed domain or a tunnel such as Cloudflare Tunnel
+or ngrok.
 
-When using a custom domain or tunnel, set:
+When using a custom domain or tunnel with the bundled Caddy proxy, set:
 
 ```bash
-BACKEND_URL=https://api.example.com
-GATEWAY_BASE_URL=https://api.example.com
-NEXT_FRONTEND_URL=https://app.example.com
-NEXT_PUBLIC_FASTAPI_BACKEND_URL=https://api.example.com
+SURFSENSE_PUBLIC_URL=https://surf.example.com
+SURFSENSE_SITE_ADDRESS=surf.example.com
+LISTEN_HTTP_PORT=80
+LISTEN_HTTPS_PORT=443
+CERT_EMAIL=you@example.com
+GATEWAY_BASE_URL=https://surf.example.com
 ```
 
 ## Environment Variables