Media, checked 2026-09-07

Audiobookshelf: Docker configuration reference

Self-hosted server for audiobooks and podcasts with per-user progress sync and companion mobile apps.

At a glance

Image: ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf
Tags: latest, edge, 2.36.0, 2.35.1, 2.35.0
Licence: GPL-3.0
Source: https://github.com/advplyr/audiobookshelf
Docs: https://audiobookshelf.org/docs

Ports

Ports
Port	What listens	Source
`80`	HTTP listener inside the container. The official compose file maps host port 13378 to it; only the host side should be changed.	source for port 80

Environment variables

Environment variables
Variable	Required	What it does	Example	Source
`CONFIG_PATH`	No	Path to the config directory holding the users, books, libraries and settings database. Must not be on a network mount.	`/config`	source for CONFIG_PATH
`METADATA_PATH`	No	Path to the metadata directory: cache, streams, covers, downloads, backups and logs.	`/metadata`	source for METADATA_PATH
`JWT_SECRET_KEY`	No	Secret used to sign auth tokens. Generated randomly if unset. Changing it after deployment logs every client out.		source for JWT_SECRET_KEY
`DISABLE_SSRF_REQUEST_FILTER`	No	Turns off the server side request forgery filter, which otherwise can block self-hosted podcast feeds on the same server.	`1`	source for DISABLE_SSRF_REQUEST_FILTER

Volumes that must persist

Volumes
Path	What is in it	Source
`/config`	The SQLite database: users, libraries, progress and settings. The one directory that must be backed up.	source for /config
`/metadata`	Cache, cover art, backups and logs, including any automated database backups the server creates.	source for /metadata
`/audiobooks`	Audiobook library files, mounted read access for the server to scan and stream.	source for /audiobooks

Behind a reverse proxy

Requires a websocket connection; the nginx example sets Upgrade and Connection headers, without which playback and sync break. source for this reverse-proxy note
Sub-path hosting is supported but the path is fixed to /audiobookshelf; it cannot be changed to anything else. source for this reverse-proxy note
Raise client_max_body_size well above the nginx default; large audiobook and cover uploads otherwise fail with a 413. source for this reverse-proxy note
Forward X-Forwarded-For, X-Forwarded-Proto and Host so the server logs real client IPs and builds correct links. source for this reverse-proxy note

Release timeline

Releases
Version	Date	Breaking	What changed	Source
`v2.36.0`	2026-07-27	No	Adds a logout-all-devices button and an auth sessions table on the account page, plus a weak-protocol fix.	source for release v2.36.0
`v2.35.1`	2026-05-28	No	Fixes duplicate refresh tokens across sessions causing unexpected logouts, and a crash renaming a duplicate author.	source for release v2.35.1
`v2.35.0`	2026-05-17	No	Adds an access token refresh grace period so users stop being logged out frequently.	source for release v2.35.0
`v2.34.0`	2026-04-27	No	Adds Japanese language and podcast region support, plus password manager autocomplete on login and setup fields.	source for release v2.34.0
`v2.33.2`	2026-04-19	No	Fixes Matroska audiobooks with the Opus codec failing to play in the web client.	source for release v2.33.2

If it is not coming up

Read from the upstream documentation, repository and container registry by Keita Emsden on 2026-09-07. Every row links the page it came from. Upstream changes without telling anyone, so check the source link before you rely on a value.

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