Legacy Version
These are the docs for Directus 8, a legacy version of the platform. If you're looking for the current Directus 9 documentation, go here: https://docs.directus.io
Using the DigitalOcean One-Click
Our friends over at DigitalOcean provide an easy-to-use one-click for automatically configuring new Droplets with Directus pre-installed.
Step 1: Register for DigitalOcean (if you haven't already)
If you don't have an account yet, create one now. If you use our referral link, you will get $100 in DigitalOcean credit!
Step 2: Create a new Droplet through the Marketplace
Go to marketplace.digitalocean.com/apps/directus-1 and hit the big blue "Create Directus Droplet" button in the top right.
Step 3: Choose a plan & create the Droplet
Directus is able to run on any of the plans that DigitalOcean offers. The $10/mo plan offers a nice balance of cost vs power and should be sufficient for most website uses. If you're expecting a high throughput on the API, we recommend upping the CPU and RAM as needed.
Enabling HTTPS
The DigitalOcean One-Click sets you up with an installation of Apache, which means you can use Certbot to automatically configure an SSL certificate. Follow this tutorial to set this up: How To Secure Apache with Let's Encrypt on Ubuntu 18.04
You're required to run Directus using HTTPS.
Step 4: Login to your newly created Droplet
When you login for the first time, the Droplet will display some important information about your installation, including database username and password. Make note of these values, as you need them in the next step.
Step 5: Install your first project
Open your new Directus installation in the browser. It will take you straight to the installation wizard for your first project. Use the credentials you were given in the previous step to continue.
Updating
The one-click sets you up with a Git based installation. See the git instructions for more information on how to update to the latest version of Directus.