Getting Started

Open-source log management. Privacy-first. Self-hosted or cloud.

Deployment Options

Managed Cloud

Zero setup required. Start logging in seconds.

  • Instant access, no installation
  • Automatic updates & backups
  • 99.9% uptime SLA
  • API: api.logward.dev
Self-Hosted

Full control. Privacy-first. Docker deployment.

  • 100% data ownership
  • GDPR-compliant by design
  • One-command deployment
  • License: AGPLv3

Self-Hosted Quick Start

Prerequisites

  • Docker Engine - Container runtime
  • Docker Compose - Multi-container orchestration

That's it! No Node.js, no build tools, no database setup. Uses pre-built images from Docker Hub.

Installation (2 minutes)

bash 
# 1. Create project directory
mkdir logward && cd logward

# 2. Download configuration files
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/logward-dev/logward/main/docker/docker-compose.yml
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/logward-dev/logward/main/.env.example
mv .env.example .env

# 3. Configure secure passwords (IMPORTANT!)
nano .env
# Change: DB_PASSWORD, REDIS_PASSWORD, API_KEY_SECRET

# 4. Start LogWard
docker compose up -d

# 5. Access the dashboard
# Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser
What happens automatically
  • Pulls pre-built images from Docker Hub
  • Starts PostgreSQL + TimescaleDB (database)
  • Starts Redis (queue & cache)
  • Runs database migrations
  • Starts backend API & worker
  • Starts frontend dashboard

Required Configuration

Edit your .env file and set secure values for these variables:

VariableDescription
DB_PASSWORDPostgreSQL database password
REDIS_PASSWORDRedis password
API_KEY_SECRETEncryption key (32+ characters)
PUBLIC_API_URLBackend URL (default: http://localhost:8080)
Docker Images

Pre-built images are available from:

  • Docker Hub: logward/backend, logward/frontend
  • GitHub: ghcr.io/logward-dev/logward-backend

Pin versions in production: LOGWARD_BACKEND_IMAGE=logward/backend:0.2.3

First Steps

1. Create Your Organization

After logging in, create your first organization to get started. Organizations are top-level containers for your projects.

2. Create a Project

Each organization can have multiple projects (e.g., "production", "staging"). Projects isolate logs and have their own API keys.

3. Generate an API Key

In your project settings, create an API key to start sending logs. Save it securely - it's shown only once!

4. Send Your First Log

Use the ingestion API to send logs:

Cloud (api.logward.dev)

bash 
curl -X POST https://api.logward.dev/api/v1/ingest \
  -H "X-API-Key: lp_your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "logs": [{
      "time": "2025-01-23T10:30:00Z",
      "service": "my-app",
      "level": "info",
      "message": "Hello from LogWard Cloud!",
      "metadata": {
        "environment": "production"
      }
    }]
  }'

Self-Hosted (localhost:8080)

bash 
curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/v1/ingest \
  -H "X-API-Key: lp_your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "logs": [{
      "time": "2025-01-23T10:30:00Z",
      "service": "my-app",
      "level": "info",
      "message": "Hello from LogWard!",
      "metadata": {
        "environment": "production"
      }
    }]
  }'

Next Steps

Use an SDK
Official SDKs for Node.js, Python, PHP, and Kotlin
API Reference
Explore all available API endpoints and examples
Deployment Guide
Production deployment, SSL setup, and best practices
Architecture
Understand how LogWard works under the hood