Deploy and Host CookieCloud on Railway

CookieCloud is an open-source, privacy-first cookie and browser data synchronization server. It enables browser extensions and automation tools to securely sync browser cookies and local storage data across devices using end-to-end symmetric encryption. This Railway template deploys easychen/cookiecloud:latest as a single container service paired with persistent volume storage for application state and encrypted sync vaults.

About Hosting CookieCloud

Hosting CookieCloud on Railway deploys a single container service running easychen/cookiecloud:latest. The container exposes a REST API and web service listening internally on port 8088, with an automatic healthcheck mapped to /. Persistent storage is mounted at /data/api/data to ensure all user sync accounts, encrypted cookie stores, and server configuration files remain safe across container updates and redeployments.

Common Use Cases

Cross-browser cookie synchronization: Automatically synchronize session cookies and localStorage between multiple browsers, machines, or mobile devices using the CookieCloud browser extension.
Session persistence for web automation: Share active login sessions with headless scripts, web scraping routines, or automation bots without re-authenticating manually.
Encrypted browser state backup: Maintain continuous, encrypted cloud backups of browser session tokens on infrastructure you control.
Self-hosted credential vault: Replaces third-party commercial sync services with a private, self-hosted deployment.

Dependencies for CookieCloud Hosting

CookieCloud image: easychen/cookiecloud:latest
One persistent volume mounted at /data/api/data
Railway public domain mapped to port 8088
Health Check Path: /

Upstream: GitHub (easychen/CookieCloud) · Docker Hub

Implementation Details

Item	Value
Image	`easychen/cookiecloud:latest`
Server Port	`8088`
Healthcheck Endpoint	`/`
Storage / Volume	`/data/api/data`
Primary Domain	`${{RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN}}`

Topology

Service	Role	Volume	Public	Notes
cookiecloud	Sync Server & REST API	`/data/api/data`	Yes (Port `8088`)	Single container deployment

Volumes (drives) — what to mount

Service	Mount path	What is stored
cookiecloud	`/data/api/data`	Encrypted user data vaults, server sqlite/json database, session files

Warning: Do not remove or detach the /data/api/data volume — deleting this volume will permanently wipe all stored user sync accounts, encrypted cookie vaults, and server records.

Quick Start

Click the Deploy on Railway button above.
Sign in (or create a free Railway account) and click Deploy.
Wait 1–2 minutes for the container and persistent volume to provision.
Open the cookiecloud service → Settings → Networking and copy the generated public domain URL (e.g., https://cookiecloud-production.up.railway.app).
Install the CookieCloud browser extension (available for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox).
In the extension settings:
- Server URL: Paste your Railway public domain (https://cookiecloud-production.up.railway.app).
- User Key (UUID): Enter or generate a unique User ID.
- Password: Set a strong end-to-end encryption password.
Click Save & Sync to initiate encrypted cookie synchronization.

Configuration

Container-level choices defined in the template:

Variable	Default / Source	Description / Notes
`PORT`	`8088`	Internal HTTP port the server listens on

Custom Domain

Open the cookiecloud service → Settings → Networking → Custom Domain.
Add your custom domain (e.g., cookiecloud.yourdomain.com) and follow Railway’s DNS configuration instructions.
Railway provisions TLS automatically.
Update the Server URL in your CookieCloud browser extension to point to your new custom domain.

Updating CookieCloud

Open the cookiecloud service → Settings → Source.
Update the image tag (e.g., easychen/cookiecloud:latest or a specific release tag).
Click Redeploy.

All encrypted user vaults and session data inside /data/api/data remain intact across container updates.

Traps

Common pitfalls and failure modes:

Missing /data/api/data Volume Mount — If the persistent volume at /data/api/data is unmounted or omitted, all registered User Keys and encrypted cookie sync data will be wiped whenever Railway restarts or redeploys the container.
Extension Sync Failures via HTTP — CookieCloud extensions require HTTPS connections for secure end-to-end encryption. Always ensure you use https:// with your Railway public domain or custom domain when configuring extension client settings.
Forgotten Encryption Password — CookieCloud encrypts data client-side before sending it to the server. If you lose your client password or User Key (UUID), server data cannot be decrypted or recovered.
Port Mismatch — Ensure Railway's target port remains set to 8088 to align with the internal container execution port.

Why Deploy CookieCloud on Railway?

Railway offers zero-maintenance, always-on cloud hosting for lightweight API containers. Hosting CookieCloud on Railway gives you a private, encrypted cookie sync server with automated HTTPS certificates, persistent storage volumes, and seamless redeployment handling.