Deploy a PHP Project on Coolify (Nixpacks)

Configuration Settings

When adding a PHP project from GitHub in Coolify:

Setting	Value	Notes
Build Pack	Nixpacks	Auto-detects PHP
Base Directory	/	Root of the repository
Port	80	Web servers listen on port 80, NOT 3000
Is static site	❌ Off	PHP projects are dynamic

Important: The default port in Coolify is 3000 (for Node.js). PHP web servers use port 80. Change this or you'll get a 502 error.

Subdomain Setup in Cloudflare

Before deploying, configure DNS:

1. Cloudflare → DNS → Add record
2. Type: A | Name: subdomain | Value: server-ip | Proxy: ON

Debug: 403 Forbidden Error

If you get 403, check the container:

COPY
# In Coolify Terminal tab for the application:
ls -la /app

Common issues:

• index.php is missing — Bind Mount overwrote the directory
• Wrong file name — Linux is case-sensitive; must be index.php (lowercase)
• Files in subdirectory — Change Base Directory to /public

Database Connection in PHP

Use the internal Docker hostname (not localhost):

COPY
<?php
define('DB_HOST', 'cijv3lwi1triqxwi71co7ad1'); // Coolify internal hostname
define('DB_NAME', 'mydb');
define('DB_USER', 'mysql');          // Normal user, not root
define('DB_PASS', 'your-password');

Project Isolation Best Practice

Create a separate Coolify project for each application.

Benefits:

• Independent environment variables and secrets
• Clean teardown without affecting other projects
• Clear visual separation in the dashboard