Deploy and manage applications on VPS servers with Dokploy (Claude Code / Codex / Gemini skill).
Dokpilot is a local, single-user skill — it runs on your machine, uses your credentials, and deploys to your VPS. There is no hosted service.
- Node.js 20+ (runs the local dashboard, standard-library only)
- jq and sshpass —
brew install jq sshpass(macOS) /sudo apt install -y jq sshpass(Ubuntu/Debian) - git, and a VPS you control (2 GB RAM / 30 GB disk minimum)
- Optional: a Cloudflare token for DNS + SSL
Platform support: on macOS, Dokploy/Cloudflare secrets live in the system
Keychain and servers.json holds only {_secret} references. On
Linux / non-macOS there is no OS keystore, so secrets are stored as
plaintext in servers.json (mode 0600) with a loud warning — keep that
file private and never commit it.
git clone https://github.com/kyzdes/dokpilot.git ~/dokpilot
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
# the skill lives in the skills/dokpilot subfolder of the repo:
ln -s ~/dokpilot/skills/dokpilot ~/.claude/skills/dokpilotLaunch the dashboard with /dokpilot ui (see Dashboard).
The skill locates its own scripts and references via self-location, so the
symlink target is what matters.
Once a dokpilot entry lands in the kyzdes/claude-skills marketplace:
/plugin marketplace add kyzdes/claude-skills
/plugin install dokpilot@claude-skills
Until then, use Mode B.
Full walkthrough (add server → secret store → first deploy):
skills/dokpilot/references/install.md.
One command to go from a GitHub repo to a live app with SSL, domain, and auto-deploy on push.
/dokpilot deploy github.com/user/my-app --domain app.example.com
Dokpilot is a Claude Code skill that turns Claude into a DevOps engineer for your VPS. It automates the full lifecycle through Dokploy and CloudFlare DNS — setup, deploy, domains, databases, monitoring, and teardown.
We tested Claude with and without Dokpilot across 3 real-world DevOps scenarios:
|
|
Most revealing test: When asked about auto-deploy, naked Claude recommends setting up webhooks — the exact opposite of how Dokploy works. Dokpilot correctly explains that the GitHub App handles it automatically.
The recorded eval transcripts are being regenerated against a neutral fixture server before public release (the originals referenced the author's own infrastructure).
Install the skill first (see Install), then:
/dokpilot setup <server-ip> <root-password>
Claude SSHs in, installs Dokploy, configures the firewall, and walks you through creating an admin account + generating a Dokploy API key.
/dokpilot deploy github.com/user/app --domain app.example.com
Dokpilot analyzes the repo read-only, shows you a plan, and — after you confirm — creates the project in Dokploy, sets up DNS + SSL, deploys, and enables auto-deploy on push. See How It Works for the two-phase detail.
Full onboarding walkthrough:
skills/dokpilot/references/install.md.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/dokpilot setup <ip> <password> |
Set up a fresh VPS with Dokploy |
/dokpilot deploy <url> [--domain D] [--dry-run] |
Deploy from GitHub |
/dokpilot domain add <domain> <project> |
Add domain with SSL |
/dokpilot domain remove <domain> |
Remove domain |
/dokpilot domain list |
List all domains |
/dokpilot db create <type> <name> |
Create database (postgres/mysql/mongo/redis) |
/dokpilot db list |
List databases |
/dokpilot db delete <name> |
Delete database |
/dokpilot status |
Server + project status with resource warnings |
/dokpilot logs <project> [--build] |
Runtime or build logs |
/dokpilot destroy <project> |
Delete project (with confirmation) |
/dokpilot config |
Manage servers and CloudFlare config |
/dokpilot ui |
Launch the local web dashboard (new in v4.0) |
All commands support --server <name> for multi-server setups.
/dokpilot ui launches a local web dashboard at http://127.0.0.1:<port>/
(bearer-token gated, 127.0.0.1-only) with:
- Servers + apps inventory — live status from your configured Dokploy instances
- Deploy wizard — paste a GitHub URL, answer the questions Claude asks, watch the build stream live, click the resulting URL
- Live log tail — SSE-streamed deploy logs via SSH
tail -f - Domains + DNS — Dokploy domains × Cloudflare records, with one-click add
- Databases — list, create (postgres / mysql / mariadb / mongo / redis)
- Claude console — chat with Claude directly inside the dashboard; tool calls and reasoning stream inline
Backend is Node 20 stdlib only (zero npm deps), lives in
mcp-server/ui-server/. Start with /dokpilot ui,
stop with /dokpilot ui --stop, status with --status.
Auto-detected from your project files:
| Runtime | Frameworks |
|---|---|
| Node.js | Next.js, Nuxt, NestJS, Express, Remix, Vite, Astro |
| Python | Django, FastAPI, Flask |
| Go | Any Go project |
| Rust | Any Rust project |
| Ruby | Rails, Sinatra |
| Java | Spring Boot, Maven, Gradle |
| .NET | ASP.NET Core |
| PHP | Laravel, Symfony |
| Docker | Dockerfile or docker-compose.yml |
Deploy runs in two phases with a human gate in between. The target repo is treated as untrusted input (see SECURITY.md).
You: /dokpilot deploy github.com/user/app --domain app.example.com
── Phase A · ANALYZE (read-only) ───────────────────────────────
Shallow-clones the repo into a throwaway dir. A headless agent
inspects it with Read / Grep / Glob ONLY (no Bash, no Write, no
bypassPermissions) and emits a schema-validated stack manifest
(e.g. Next.js + Prisma + PostgreSQL, env-var NAMES, build/start).
── CONFIRM · plan-then-confirm gate ────────────────────────────
Dokpilot shows the plan and asks for any secret env vars
(NEXTAUTH_SECRET, etc.). Flagged/freeform commands are surfaced
here. Nothing infra-changing runs until you confirm.
── Phase B · ACTUATE (infra only) ──────────────────────────────
Driven ONLY by the validated manifest (never re-reads the repo):
1. Creates project + PostgreSQL in Dokploy
2. Connects repo via GitHub App (auto-deploy enabled)
3. Sets build type (Nixpacks) with all required API fields
4. Creates DNS A-record in Cloudflare (--no-proxy for SSL)
5. Adds domain with Let's Encrypt certificate
6. Deploys, monitors logs, verifies HTTPS
Result: https://app.example.com is live
Auto-deploy active — push to main to redeploy
This is a containment posture, not a sandbox: Phase A has no write/exec capability and the manifest is the only thing crossing into Phase B.
If the GitHub App isn't available, the skill automatically falls back:
GitHub App (recommended)
└─ Public git URL
└─ PAT-authenticated URL
└─ Manual Docker build on server
dokpilot/ # this repo
├── skills/dokpilot/ # the skill itself (symlink target for Mode B)
│ ├── SKILL.md # skill logic + command routing
│ ├── scripts/ # Bash core (D-002: shell, not Node)
│ │ ├── dokploy-api.sh # Dokploy tRPC client; destroy env-gate
│ │ ├── cloudflare-dns.sh # Cloudflare DNS (multi-part TLD support)
│ │ ├── ssh-exec.sh # SSH wrapper (normal/bg/poll modes)
│ │ ├── secret-store.sh # macOS Keychain wrapper
│ │ └── wait-ready.sh # URL health checker
│ ├── references/ # built-in guides (primary source of truth)
│ │ ├── install.md # onboarding walkthrough
│ │ ├── deploy-guide.md setup-guide.md stack-detection.md
│ │ ├── secrets-management.md troubleshooting.md …
│ ├── config/
│ │ └── servers.json # credentials / {_secret} refs (gitignored)
│ └── templates/ # VPS init script(s)
├── mcp-server/ui-server/ # local dashboard backend (Node 20 stdlib, zero-dep)
│ ├── server.js # 127.0.0.1 + bearer token + CSRF + Host allow-list
│ ├── launch.sh # cross-platform launcher (/dokpilot ui)
│ └── lib/
│ ├── analyze-worker.js # Phase A — read-only repo analysis
│ ├── claude-worker.js # Phase B — infra-only actuation (manifest-driven)
│ ├── manifest.js # the trust-boundary validator
│ ├── worker-guard.js # shared hard guard for the workers
│ └── destroy-nonce.js # server-minted single-use HMAC for UI deletes
├── dokpilot-ui/ # dashboard HTML/CSS/JS (static)
└── scripts/clean-machine-smoke.sh # throwaway-HOME install smoke (Mode B)
The security-critical boundary is the manifest: Phase A (read-only) emits
it, lib/manifest.js validates it, and Phase B acts on only that. See
SECURITY.md.
Dokpilot is a real DevOps automation, not a sandbox. Running as you, it can:
- Your machine: run local shell, clone arbitrary third-party repos, and read the secrets you stored for it.
- Your servers: SSH in (often as
root) and create, deploy, restart, and delete Dokploy projects, apps, databases, and domains.- Your DNS: create/modify Cloudflare records for the zones your token covers.
- Your bill: each deploy runs a headless
claudeand spends your own Claude usage.Only point it at repositories and servers you trust. The full trust boundary, threat model (repo prompt injection), two-phase defense, safety controls, and honest residual risks are in SECURITY.md.
- Cost: every
analyze/deployconsumes your Claude subscription/API usage. Server, bandwidth, and domain costs are billed by your VPS and registrar. - Your data stays yours: the repo and its env vars go to your Dokploy instance over your credentials. Nothing is sent to a Dokpilot-controlled service.
- Cloudflare token scope: grant only Zone → DNS → Edit on the specific zone(s) you deploy to — nothing broader.
- Local-only storage: credentials live in your macOS Keychain (or a
0600servers.jsonon Linux, with a loud warning). Secret values are never echoed. - No telemetry: Dokpilot has no analytics, no phone-home, no accounts.
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
SECURITY.md |
Trust boundary, threat model, safety controls, residual risks |
CONTRIBUTING.md |
How to contribute (issues-only support, hard constraints) |
skills/dokpilot/references/install.md |
Full onboarding walkthrough |
CHANGELOG.md |
Full version history |
Current: v4.0.0 (2026-05-24) — Full changelog
- v4.0: Rebrand to Dokpilot, Dokploy v0.29+ baseline, local web dashboard with deploy wizard & SSE log streaming, real Claude console
- v3.2: macOS Keychain secret store (
scripts/secret-store.sh) - v3.1: Fixed GitHub App integration, 4-tier deploy fallback, command injection fix,
--dry-runmode - v3.0: Built-in reference guides, MCP server, benchmarks (100% pass rate)
- v2.0: Dokploy v0.27 compatibility (
environmentId) - v1.0: Initial release — 8 commands, 20+ stacks
Solo-maintained, issues-only support — no SLA, no Discord, no roadmap voting. Found a bug or want a new stack? Open an issue.
- Contributor guide + hard constraints (Bash core, zero-dep ui-server, never
commit
servers.json/context-map-*/): CONTRIBUTING.md. - Security issues: follow responsible disclosure in SECURITY.md — do not file them as normal public issues.
MIT — provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind. You run Dokpilot against your own servers and repos at your own risk.