---
title: "Deploy WordPress"
description: "Open source publishing platform of choice for millions of websites globally"
category: "CMS"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/wordpress-railway
---

# Deploy WordPress

Open source publishing platform of choice for millions of websites globally

**[Deploy WordPress on Railway](https://railway.com/template/wordpress-railway)**

- **Creator:** A3A
- **Category:** CMS
- **Total deploys:** 3

## Template content

### MySQL https://devicons.railway.app/i/mysql.svg

- **Image:** mysql:9.4
- **Start command:** `docker-entrypoint.sh mysqld --innodb-use-native-aio=0 --disable-log-bin --performance_schema=0 --innodb-buffer-pool-size=1G`

### Redis https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sy1jschh/production/0ce0bfdcfbdbf69662b1116671f97c2dd788b655-157x157.svg

- **Image:** redis:8.2.1
- **Start command:** `/bin/sh -c "rm -rf $RAILWAY_VOLUME_MOUNT_PATH/lost+found/ && exec docker-entrypoint.sh redis-server --requirepass $REDIS_PASSWORD --save 60 1 --dir $RAILWAY_VOLUME_MOUNT_PATH"`

### wordpress https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/wordpress.svg

- **Image:** wordpress:7.0.2-php8.4-apache
- **Start command:** `/bin/sh -c 'printf "upload_max_filesize=64M\npost_max_size=64M\nmemory_limit=256M\nmax_execution_time=300\nmax_input_vars=3000\n" > /usr/local/etc/php/conf.d/zz-railway.ini; a2dismod mpm_event mpm_worker >/dev/null 2>&1 || true; rm -f /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/mpm_event.* /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/mpm_worker.*; a2enmod mpm_prefork >/dev/null 2>&1 || true; grep -q "100.64.0.0/10" /etc/apache2/conf-available/remoteip.conf || { echo "RemoteIPInternalProxy 100.64.0.0/10"; echo "RemoteIPInternalProxy fd00::/8"; } >> /etc/apache2/conf-available/remoteip.conf; apache2ctl -t; exec docker-entrypoint.sh apache2-foreground'`
- **Health check:** /
- **Public domain:** Yes

## Documentation

![WordPress logo](https://res.cloudinary.com/rroe4rtk/image/upload/v1786204514/dfd9e940-0bba-448b-9d73-20407b2e0df0.png)

# Deploy and Host WordPress on Railway

WordPress is the GPL-licensed CMS behind roughly 40% of all websites and about 60% of those on a known CMS. Its advantage is breadth: tens of thousands of plugins, a block editor non-developers can use, and a REST API that makes any install a headless backend. Teams self-host WordPress to keep that ecosystem without a managed host's plugin blocklists or per-site pricing.

Run WordPress on Railway as three services. The Docker Official Image `wordpress:7.0.2-php8.4-apache` — Apache 2.4 with `mod_php`, `imagick`, `gd` and OPcache — serves port `80` behind Railway's HTTPS domain. Managed **MySQL 9.4** holds posts, users and options over the private network, managed **Redis 8.2.1** backs a persistent object cache, and a 5 GB volume at `/var/www/html` persists core, plugins and uploads.

![WordPress Railway architecture](https://res.cloudinary.com/rroe4rtk/image/upload/v1786204107/2b780b33-5eaa-418c-ad65-76dad17a1d5f.png)

## Getting Started with WordPress on Railway

Create the database and scoped user first (below), then open the Railway domain once `wordpress` is green. There are no default credentials: a fresh install redirects to `/wp-admin/install.php`, where you set a site title and create the first administrator. Use a long random password — WordPress publishes admin usernames at `/wp-json/wp/v2/users` once a post exists. Log in at `/wp-login.php`, install **Redis Object Cache** from **Plugins → Add New** and enable it under **Settings → Redis**; the panel should read `Status: Connected`, `Client: Predis`. Publish a test post and open its permalink to check pretty URLs, then upload an image to check media lands on the volume. **Tools → Site Health** should finish Good, with object cache, HTTPS and background updates passing.

![WordPress dashboard screenshot 1](https://res.cloudinary.com/rroe4rtk/image/upload/v1786204130/01-dashboard_zqkcwy.png)
![WordPress dashboard screenshot 2](https://res.cloudinary.com/rroe4rtk/image/upload/v1786204130/03-site-health_mlrjoi.png)
![WordPress dashboard screenshot 3](https://res.cloudinary.com/rroe4rtk/image/upload/v1786204126/02-published-post_nlivzr.png)

## Configuring WordPress on Railway

Railway's managed MySQL hands out root. Give WordPress a database-scoped user — open a temporary TCP proxy on MySQL, run this, then remove it:

```
CREATE DATABASE wordpress CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'wordpress'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '';
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP, ALTER, INDEX, CREATE TEMPORARY TABLES,
      LOCK TABLES, REFERENCES ON wordpress.* TO 'wordpress'@'%';
```

Railway also replaces a container's `ENTRYPOINT`, so the template restates it in a start command that raises PHP's upload, post and memory limits (`upload_max_filesize` is `PHP_INI_PERDIR`, so no plugin can raise it), forces Apache onto `mpm_prefork` — recent `php:8.x-apache` builds also enable `mpm_event`, which `mod_php` refuses to load beside, crash-looping Apache with `More than one MPM loaded` — and trusts Railway's proxy range in `mod_remoteip`:

```
/bin/sh -c 'printf "upload_max_filesize=64M\npost_max_size=64M\nmemory_limit=256M\nmax_execution_time=300\nmax_input_vars=3000\n" > /usr/local/etc/php/conf.d/zz-railway.ini; a2dismod mpm_event mpm_worker >/dev/null 2>&1 || true; rm -f /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/mpm_event.* /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/mpm_worker.*; a2enmod mpm_prefork >/dev/null 2>&1 || true; grep -q "100.64.0.0/10" /etc/apache2/conf-available/remoteip.conf || { echo "RemoteIPInternalProxy 100.64.0.0/10"; echo "RemoteIPInternalProxy fd00::/8"; } >> /etc/apache2/conf-available/remoteip.conf; apache2ctl -t; exec docker-entrypoint.sh apache2-foreground'
```

Keep the last line: without `docker-entrypoint.sh`, WordPress is never unpacked onto an empty volume and no `wp-config.php` is written. One more constraint: Railway health check paths accept alphanumerics and `/` only, so `/wp-admin/install.php` is rejected — use `/`, set after the installer runs, since an uninstalled site 302s `GET /`.

## About Hosting WordPress

Self-host when content must live in infrastructure you control, when you need plugins a managed platform forbids, or when per-site pricing stops scaling.

- **Block editor** — layouts and templates without touching PHP.
- **Plugin ecosystem** — WooCommerce, SEO, forms, membership and backups from the dashboard.
- **API and media** — every post type under `/wp-json/`; `imagick`/`gd` resize uploads.

## Why Deploy WordPress on Railway

Railway removes the shared-hosting compromises:

- Pinned upstream image — no surprise PHP jumps on redeploy.
- Managed MySQL and Redis on the private network, no public ports.
- Persistent volume for uploads, plugins and themes.
- HTTPS domain, health check and restart policy preset.

## Common Use Cases

- **Marketing site and company blog** — editors publish without developer involvement, theme stays in version control.
- **Headless content backend** — a Next.js front end reads `/wp-json/wp/v2/posts` while editors keep the familiar admin.
- **Membership portal or WooCommerce storefront** — role-gated content, subscriptions, checkout and orders you own.

## Dependencies for WordPress

- **`wordpress`** — [`wordpress:7.0.2-php8.4-apache`](https://hub.docker.com/_/wordpress), port `80`, public. PHP 8.4 over the default 8.3: 8.4 is in active support, 8.3 security-only.
- **`MySQL`** — managed 9.4, private. WordPress 7.0 needs **MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.6+**. Holds every post, comment, user and option.
- **`Redis`** — managed 8.2.1, private. Backs the object cache, so repeat requests skip thousands of `SELECT`s.
- **Volume** — 5 GB at `/var/www/html`: core, `wp-content` and `wp-config.php`.

### WordPress Environment Variables Reference

| Variable | What it does |
|---|---|
| `WORDPRESS_DB_HOST` / `_USER` / `_PASSWORD` | Private MySQL host:port, and the scoped credentials — not root |
| `WORDPRESS_AUTH_KEY` … `NONCE_SALT` | Eight keys and salts signing auth cookies. **Keep stable** — changing one logs everyone out |
| `WORDPRESS_CONFIG_EXTRA` | PHP evaluated in `wp-config.php` per request, editable after first boot |
| `REDISHOST` / `REDISPORT` / `REDISPASSWORD` | Feed the `WP_REDIS_*` object-cache constants |

`WORDPRESS_CONFIG_EXTRA` pins `WP_HOME`/`WP_SITEURL` to the Railway domain, sets `FORCE_SSL_ADMIN` and `DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT`, and configures Redis; `DISALLOW_FILE_MODS` stays unset so plugin installs keep working. HTTPS needs no work — the image promotes `X-Forwarded-Proto`.

### Deployment Dependencies

[WordPress/WordPress](https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress) (GPL-2.0-or-later), the [REST API reference](https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/) and the [Redis Object Cache](https://wordpress.org/plugins/redis-cache/) plugin.

## Hardware Requirements for Self-Hosting WordPress

| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 vCPU | 2 vCPU |
| RAM | 512 MB | 2 GB app, 1 GB MySQL |
| Storage | 5 GB volume | 20 GB+, scaled to media |
| Runtime | PHP 7.4, MySQL 8.0 | PHP 8.4, MySQL 9.4 |

A quiet site idles near 60 MB of memory, peaking around 260 MB during plugin installs and image processing. Busier sites want a full-page cache or CDN in front — an object cache is not a page cache. Nothing here sends mail: add an SMTP plugin and credentials before password resets or contact forms deliver.

## Self-Hosting WordPress with Docker

The image needs only a MySQL server and a volume:

```
docker run -d --name wordpress -p 8080:80 \
  -e WORDPRESS_DB_HOST="db.internal:3306" \
  -e WORDPRESS_DB_NAME="wordpress" \
  -e WORDPRESS_DB_USER="wordpress" \
  -e WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD="change-me" \
  -v wp:/var/www/html wordpress:7.0.2-php8.4-apache
```

Because the volume sits at `/var/www/html` and the entrypoint unpacks core only when it is empty, bumping the image tag upgrades PHP and Apache but **not** WordPress core — core updates come from the dashboard updater.

## How Much Does WordPress Cost to Self-Host?

WordPress is free and GPL-licensed — no seats, no site limits, no feature tiers, and the whole plugin and theme directory installs at no cost. WordPress.com, the managed service, runs from about $4/month to $40/month per site before arbitrary plugins are allowed. Self-hosting on Railway costs infrastructure only.

## FAQ

**What is WordPress?**

An open-source, GPL-licensed CMS in PHP, backed by MySQL, powering roughly 40% of the web.

**What does this template deploy?**

The `wordpress:7.0.2-php8.4-apache` image on a public HTTPS domain, managed MySQL 9.4, managed Redis 8.2.1 and a 5 GB volume.

**What are the default login credentials?**

None. The first visit runs the installer, where you create the administrator account.

**Why does it need MySQL and Redis?**

MySQL stores every post, user, comment and option. Redis is optional but recommended — without it WordPress re-queries the database for options on every request. The image ships no `phpredis`, so the plugin uses bundled Predis (`WP_REDIS_CLIENT=predis`).

**Can I run more than one replica?**

Not with this layout: a Railway volume attaches to one service, so `wp-content` cannot be shared. Move media to object storage with an S3 offload plugin first.


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