ntfy (Push Notification Service)

What this is

A lightweight self-hosted push notification service that allows sending alerts to devices via HTTP, scripts, or apps.

Why I set this up

I wanted a simple way to:

Receive alerts from my homelab (containers, scripts, failures)
Integrate notifications with automation tools
Avoid relying on third-party notification services

Where it runs

Host: micropc (192.168.86.100)
Network: bridge
Access (local): http://192.168.86.100:6741
External access: None (local-only)

Docker Compose

services:
ntfy:
image: binwiederhier/ntfy:latest
container_name: ntfy
command:
- serve
- --config
- /etc/ntfy/server.yml

environment:
- TZ=Europe/London

volumes:
- ./cache:/var/cache/ntfy
- ./auth:/var/lib/ntfy
- ./config/server.yml:/etc/ntfy/server.yml

ports:
- 6741:80

restart: unless-stopped

Key Configuration Notes

Network

Uses bridge networking
Accessible via port 6741
No special networking requirements

Storage

./cache → message cache and attachments
./auth → user authentication data
./config/server.yml → main configuration file

👉 All stored under:

/opt/docker/ntfy/

Special Config

Custom config file:
- /etc/ntfy/server.yml
Timezone set via TZ
Optional:
- Authentication
- Access control
- Rate limiting

Setup Steps

Create folder:

mkdir -p /opt/docker/ntfy/{cache,auth,config}
cd /opt/docker/ntfy

Create config file:

nano config/server.yml

Add basic config (example):

base-url: "http://192.168.86.100:6741"
listen-http: ":80"
cache-file: "/var/cache/ntfy/cache.db"
auth-file: "/var/lib/ntfy/auth.db"

Create compose file:

nano docker-compose.yml

Start container:

docker compose up -d

Problems / Fixes

Cannot access web UI

Cause: Container not running or wrong port
Fix:

docker ps
docker compose restart

Notifications not received

Cause: Incorrect topic or URL
Fix:
Verify:

http://SERVER_IP:6741/<topic>

Config changes not applied

Cause: Container not restarted
Fix:

docker compose restart

Permission issues

Cause: Incorrect folder ownership
Fix:

sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /opt/docker/ntfy

Result

ntfy accessible via browser
Can send notifications via:
- curl
- scripts
- apps
Persistent storage for messages and auth

Notes

Works great with:
- cron jobs
- Docker monitoring (e.g. DIUN)
- Home Assistant automations
Can be exposed externally later via reverse proxy if needed
Keep config backed up (part of /opt/docker)
Topics are created dynamically — no setup required