Serverpod Configuration

Serverpod Configuration

Priority (highest wins): Dart config object > environment variables > YAML config files. The config uses YAML files that live in config/. Secrets are in config/passwords.yaml or env vars with SERVERPOD_PASSWORD_ prefix.

Run mode

Config files by mode: config/development.yaml, config/staging.yaml, config/production.yaml, config/test.yaml. Set via --mode when starting server or SERVERPOD_RUN_MODE (default: development).

API server (minimum)

apiServer:
  port: 8080
  publicHost: localhost
  publicPort: 8080
  publicScheme: http

publicHost/publicPort/publicScheme are used for URLs returned to clients.

Database

It is possible to use either PostgreSQL or SQLite as the database.

PostgreSQL

database:
  host: localhost
  port: 8090
  name: my_project
  user: postgres
  dataPath: .serverpod/development/pgdata  # embedded database, see below

Password in passwords.yaml under run mode or SERVERPOD_PASSWORD_database. Optional: searchPaths, maxConnectionCount, requireSsl, isUnixSocket.

Embedded PostgreSQL: with dataPath set, Serverpod launches and manages a PostgreSQL instance in that directory, so nothing has to be installed or run separately. New projects use it for development and testing. serverpod database start [--mode <mode>] [--port <port>] boots the same database on its own, without the server.

Without dataPath the database is external, and serverpod start starts Docker Compose services when the project has a compose file and PostgreSQL is on localhost (--docker / --no-docker override this).

SQLite

database:
  filePath: my_project.sqlite

No password is needed for SQLite.

Redis

redis.enabled, redis.host, redis.port; password via SERVERPOD_PASSWORD_redis.

Secrets (passwords.yaml)

Structure: shared: (all modes) + per-mode (development:, production:, etc.). Built-in keys: database, redis, serviceSecret. Custom keys available via session.passwords['key'] or pod.getPassword('key').

The built-in passwords also have dedicated environment variables: SERVERPOD_DATABASE_PASSWORD, SERVERPOD_REDIS_PASSWORD and SERVERPOD_SERVICE_SECRET. Any password, built-in or custom, can also be set with the SERVERPOD_PASSWORD_ prefix.

export SERVERPOD_PASSWORD_stripeApiKey=sk_live_...  # → session.passwords['stripeApiKey']

Never commit real secrets; use env vars in production.

generator.yaml

In config/generator.yaml:

• type: server (default), module, or internal
• client_package_path: path to client package
• modules: map of module names + optional nickname
• server_test_tools_path: test tools output path (remove to disable)
• extraClasses: custom serializable class URIs
• features: e.g. database: true/false

Dart config override

Pass config: ServerpodConfig(...) to Serverpod(...) to skip file/env loading and use a Dart config object, with CLI flags still merged in.

For tests, it is possible to use configOverride: (config) => config.copyWith(...) to adjust the loaded config after YAML/env/CLI processing.

TLS/SSL

Pass SecurityContextConfig to Serverpod(...) with a SecurityContext that loads cert chain and private key. Set on apiServer, webServer, and/or insightsServer. Client: pass SecurityContext with trusted certificates to Client(...).

Reference files

• references/environment-variables.md — the full SERVERPOD_* environment variable table.
• references/flutter-apps.md — declaring the Flutter apps that serverpod start can launch.