Automated installation with `autoconfig.php`

Use config/autoconfig.php to prefill, or fully automate, the web-based initial setup of Nextcloud. This is useful when installing multiple identical or similar instances.

Create config/autoconfig.php and include the installation parameters that you want to prefill. Any values not provided in the file can be completed in the setup form when you first launch Nextcloud.

To complete the installation without interaction, provide a valid database configuration, data directory, and both adminlogin and adminpass. Otherwise, Nextcloud displays the setup form so that missing or invalid values can be corrected.

Nextcloud removes config/autoconfig.php after a successful installation. The file remains in place if installation fails.

Note

The supplied database account must be able to connect to the database server and have sufficient privileges for the selected configuration. Depending on the database backend and the account’s privileges, Nextcloud may create the database and a dedicated database user. Alternatively, create the database and database user in advance, and grant the user the required privileges, as described in Database configuration.

Warning

autoconfig.php commonly contains plaintext database and administrator passwords. Restrict access to the file before writing secrets to it. If installation fails, remove the file or rotate any exposed secrets.

Parameters

The following parameters are commonly used:

directory (written to config.php as datadirectory)
dbtype, dbname, dbuser, dbpass, dbhost, and dbtableprefix
adminlogin and adminpass
optionally, trusted_domains and adminemail

Two parameters have different names from their corresponding config.php settings:

`autoconfig.php`	`config.php`
`directory`	`datadirectory`
`dbpass`	`dbpassword`

Examples

The following examples show partial and complete automatic configurations.

Data Directory

This configuration prefills the data directory. Complete the database and administrator-account settings in the setup form.

<?php
$AUTOCONFIG = [
  "directory"     => "/www/htdocs/nextcloud/data",
];

SQLite database

This configuration prefills the SQLite database settings. Complete the data directory and administrator-account settings in the setup form.

<?php
$AUTOCONFIG = [
  "dbtype"        => "sqlite",
  "dbname"        => "nextcloud",
  "dbtableprefix" => "",
];

MySQL / MariaDB database

This configuration prefills the MySQL or MariaDB settings. Complete the data directory and administrator-account settings in the setup form.

<?php
$AUTOCONFIG = [
  "dbtype"        => "mysql",
  "dbname"        => "nextcloud",
  "dbuser"        => "username",
  "dbpass"        => "password",
  "dbhost"        => "localhost",
  "dbtableprefix" => "",
];

PostgreSQL database

This configuration prefills the PostgreSQL settings. Complete the data directory and administrator-account settings in the setup form.

<?php
$AUTOCONFIG = [
  "dbtype"        => "pgsql",
  "dbname"        => "nextcloud",
  "dbuser"        => "username",
  "dbpass"        => "password",
  "dbhost"        => "localhost",
  "dbtableprefix" => "",
];

Complete non-interactive setup

When all required values are present and valid, the installation proceeds without requiring user interaction.

The following configuration bypasses the setup form:

<?php
$AUTOCONFIG = [
  "dbtype"        => "mysql",
  "dbname"        => "nextcloud",
  "dbuser"        => "username",
  "dbpass"        => "password",
  "dbhost"        => "localhost",
  "dbtableprefix" => "",
  "adminlogin"    => "root",
  "adminpass"     => "root-password",
  "directory"     => "/www/htdocs/nextcloud/data",
];

Automated installation with autoconfig.php