Wordpress template with Docker and Traefik

This is my template to host Wordpress sites on a server.

It uses:

• Docker
• Docker Compose
• Traefik, as a reverse proxy
• Worpress (of course)
• Redis, for the cache
• MySQL
• PhPMyAdmin, for database administrations
• Let's Encrypt for SSL certificate generation

How to deploy Wordpress

Server and domains

Have a server with Docker installed and point your domains to your IP:

• mysite.com
• sql.mysite.com if you want to use phpmyadmin
• test1.mysite.com and test2.mysite.com if you want to learn by playing with whoami containers (see traefik/readme.md)

Update the files

Update the files by changing placeholders:

• traefik/sample.env then rename it .env
• site/sample.env then rename it .env
• site/docker-compose.yml if you want to change the containers and networks names (needed if you have several sites)

Launch the containers

Get into the traefik directory and launch it:

cd traefik
docker network create traefik
docker-compose up -d traefik

Then get into the site directory and launch it:

cd ../site
docker-compose up -d

Coffee time! Allow a few minutes for Let's Encrypt to generate the certificates.

Install and configure wordpress

Connect to mysite.com and follow Wordpress installation steps.

You also need to edit the Wordpress configuration file on the server to enable Redis:

sudo nano site/wordpress/data/wp_config.php

Add:

//
// redis config cache for total cache
//
define( 'W3TC_CONFIG_CACHE_ENGINE', 'redis');
define( 'W3TC_CONFIG_CACHE_REDIS_SERVERS', 'redis::6379' );
// optional redis settings
define( 'W3TC_CONFIG_CACHE_REDIS_PERSISTENT', true );
define( 'W3TC_CONFIG_CACHE_REDIS_DBID', 0 );
define( 'W3TC_CONFIG_CACHE_REDIS_PASSWORD', '' );

Install the plugins

Once in Wordpress, install and configure the following plugins:

• W3 Total Cache to take advantage of Redis Cache
• WP Mail SMTP or similar, to make it possible to send emails from the site

I also recommend:

• Neve as a simple and optimized all purpose theme with a nice free version.
• WP Forms for the contact form
• Send In Blue as an SMTP provided and Newsletter handeling

Hosting several sites on the same server

Multiple sites can be hosted on the same server thanks to Traefik reverse proxy capabilities.

Just duplicate the original ./site directory and change the container and label names.

Then launch the new site's containers. Traefik will automatically detect it.

cd site2
docker-compose up -d

Detailed explainations

I created a tutorial there: https://thibaut-deveraux.medium.com/a-docker-compose-file-to-install-wordpress-with-a-traefik-reverse-proxy-an-ssl-certificate-and-a-e878c2a03a17

Each directory also contain explainations in its readme.md file.