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 Run 9Router in a container. Published image: [`decolua/9router`](https://hub.docker.com/r/decolua/9router) — multi-platform `linux/amd64` + `linux/arm64`.
 
+For Git-based Dokploy deployments with a persistent named volume, see
+[`docs/DOKPLOY.md`](docs/DOKPLOY.md).
+
 ---
 
 # 👤 For Users
diff --git a/docs/DOKPLOY.md b/docs/DOKPLOY.md
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+# Deploying 9Router with Dokploy
+
+This guide deploys 9Router from this Git repository and keeps its application
+data through every rebuild and container replacement.
+
+## Persistence design
+
+The Compose stack mounts the named Docker volume `9router-data` at `/app/data`.
+`DATA_DIR` is explicitly set to that location. The application stores its
+SQLite database, generated JWT secret, database migration backups, tunnel
+state, and other runtime state there.
+
+```text
+Docker volume: 9router-data
+Container path: /app/data
+Database:       /app/data/db/data.sqlite
+Backups:        /app/data/db/backups/
+JWT secret:     /app/data/jwt-secret
+```
+
+Dokploy replaces the container when a new commit is deployed; named Docker
+volumes survive that operation. **Do not change `DATA_VOLUME_NAME` after the
+first successful deployment**, or Dokploy will mount a new, empty volume.
+
+## 1. Create the Dokploy application
+
+1. Create a **Compose** application in Dokploy and connect this repository.
+2. Select the branch that should deploy (for example, `main`).
+3. Use the repository root and `docker-compose.yml` as the Compose file.
+4. Enable automatic deployment on pushes for the selected branch.
+
+The Compose file contains a `build` section, so every deploy builds the image
+from the exact checked-out commit rather than pulling a published image.
+
+## 2. Configure environment variables
+
+In the Dokploy application's **Environment** settings, add the following
+values. Keep these values in Dokploy; do not commit an `.env` file.
+
+| Variable | Required | Value |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `JWT_SECRET` | Yes | A unique random value, for example `openssl rand -hex 32` |
+| `INITIAL_PASSWORD` | Yes | A strong password used for the first login |
+| `API_KEY_SECRET` | Yes | A unique random value, for example `openssl rand -hex 32` |
+| `MACHINE_ID_SALT` | Yes | A unique random value, for example `openssl rand -hex 32` |
+| `DATA_VOLUME_NAME` | Recommended | `9router-data` — choose a unique stable name per environment |
+| `AUTH_COOKIE_SECURE` | Recommended | `true` when serving through an HTTPS domain |
+| `IMAGE_TAG` | Optional | A stable label such as `dokploy` |
+
+`DATA_DIR`, `PORT`, `HOSTNAME`, and `NODE_ENV` are intentionally fixed in
+`docker-compose.yml`; do not override them in Dokploy.
+
+The bundled `headroom` service is retained for token compression. It does not
+hold 9Router application data. To use a different Headroom endpoint, set
+`HEADROOM_URL` in Dokploy.
+
+## 3. Attach a domain
+
+Add the application's public domain in Dokploy and target the `9router`
+service on internal port `20128`. Let Dokploy/Traefik terminate TLS. With TLS
+enabled, retain `AUTH_COOKIE_SECURE=true`.
+
+## 4. Deploy and verify persistence
+
+1. Run the first deployment, open `/dashboard`, and sign in.
+2. Add a provider connection or a model combo, then change a setting.
+3. Push a harmless commit to the configured branch.
+4. Wait for Dokploy's automatic deployment to finish and sign in again.
+5. Verify the provider, combo, and setting are still present.
+
+If the dashboard is empty after a redeploy, check that the running service has
+both `DATA_DIR=/app/data` and the original `DATA_VOLUME_NAME`. Do not delete
+the `9router-data` Docker volume when deleting/recreating the application.
+
+## Backup and restore
+
+The data volume is persistent but is not a backup. Take regular, off-host
+copies of the entire `/app/data` directory, especially
+`/app/data/db/data.sqlite`. Include the `jwt-secret` file so existing browser
+sessions remain valid after a disaster recovery.
+
+Before a manual restore:
+
+1. Stop the Dokploy application so SQLite is not being written.
+2. Restore the saved contents into the existing `DATA_VOLUME_NAME` volume.
+3. Ensure the restored files are writable by the container's `node` user.
+4. Start the application and confirm `/api/health` returns `{ "ok": true }`.
+
+Never run two 9Router containers against the same SQLite volume at once.
+SQLite is suitable for this single-instance deployment, not shared multi-node
+storage.