@intlayer/docs 9.0.0-canary.11 → 9.0.0-canary.12

package/docs/en/intlayer_with_vite+vue.md

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ More than just an i18n solution, Intlayer provides an **self-hosted [visual edit
 
 <Tabs defaultTab="video">
   <Tab label="Video" value="video">
-  
+
 <iframe title="The best i18n solution for Vite and Vue? Discover Intlayer" class="m-auto aspect-16/9 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border-0" allow="autoplay; gyroscope;" loading="lazy" width="1080" height="auto" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IE3XWkZ6a5U?autoplay=0&amp;origin=https://intlayer.org&amp;controls=0&amp;rel=1"/>
 
   </Tab>
@@ -131,19 +131,23 @@ See [Application Template](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer-vite-vue-templ
 Install the necessary packages using npm:
 
 ```bash packageManager="npm"
-npx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+npx intlayer@canary init --interactive    # v9
+# npx intlayer init                       # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="pnpm"
-pnpm dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+pnpm dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# pnpm dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="yarn"
-yarn dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+yarn dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# yarn dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="bun"
-bunx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+bunx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# bunx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 > the `--interactive` flag is optional. Use `intlayer-cli init` if you're an AI agent.

package/docs/en/migration_from_i18next_to_intlayer.md

@@ -99,19 +99,23 @@ The following steps are the minimum required to get your existing `i18next` app
 Install the Intlayer core packages and the compat adapter:
 
 ```bash packageManager="npm"
-npx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+npx intlayer@canary init --interactive    # v9
+# npx intlayer init                       # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="pnpm"
-pnpm dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+pnpm dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# pnpm dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="yarn"
-yarn dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+yarn dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# yarn dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="bun"
-bunx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+bunx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# bunx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 > the `--interactive` flag is optional. Use `intlayer-cli init` if you're an AI agent.

package/docs/en/migration_from_next-i18next_to_intlayer.md

@@ -102,19 +102,23 @@ The following steps are the minimum required to get your existing Next.js Pages
 Install the Intlayer core packages and the compat adapters:
 
 ```bash packageManager="npm"
-npx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+npx intlayer@canary init --interactive    # v9
+# npx intlayer init                       # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="pnpm"
-pnpm dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+pnpm dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# pnpm dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="yarn"
-yarn dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+yarn dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# yarn dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="bun"
-bunx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+bunx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# bunx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 > the `--interactive` flag is optional. Use `intlayer-cli init` if you're an AI agent.

package/docs/en/migration_from_next-intl_to_intlayer.md

@@ -98,19 +98,23 @@ The following steps are the minimum required to get your existing `next-intl` ap
 Install the Intlayer core packages and the `@intlayer/next-intl` compat adapter:
 
 ```bash packageManager="npm"
-npx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+npx intlayer@canary init --interactive    # v9
+# npx intlayer init                       # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="pnpm"
-pnpm dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+pnpm dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# pnpm dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="yarn"
-yarn dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+yarn dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# yarn dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="bun"
-bunx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+bunx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# bunx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 > the `--interactive` flag is optional. Use `intlayer-cli init` if you're an AI agent.
@@ -184,9 +188,7 @@ import { createNextIntlPlugin } from "@intlayer/next-intl/plugin";
 
 const withIntlayer = createNextIntlPlugin();
 
-const nextConfig: NextConfig = {
-  /* your existing config options */
-};
+const nextConfig: NextConfig = {/* your existing config options */};
 
 export default withIntlayer(nextConfig);
 ```

package/docs/en/migration_from_nuxtjs_i18n_to_intlayer.md

@@ -101,19 +101,23 @@ The following steps are the minimum required to get your existing Nuxt app runni
 Install the Intlayer core packages and the compat adapter:
 
 ```bash packageManager="npm"
-npx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+npx intlayer@canary init --interactive    # v9
+# npx intlayer init                       # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="pnpm"
-pnpm dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+pnpm dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# pnpm dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="yarn"
-yarn dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+yarn dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# yarn dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="bun"
-bunx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+bunx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# bunx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 > the `--interactive` flag is optional. Use `intlayer-cli init` if you're an AI agent.

package/docs/en/migration_from_react-i18next_to_intlayer.md

@@ -101,19 +101,23 @@ The following steps are the minimum required to get your existing `react-i18next
 Install the Intlayer core packages and the compat adapters:
 
 ```bash packageManager="npm"
-npx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+npx intlayer@canary init --interactive    # v9
+# npx intlayer init                       # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="pnpm"
-pnpm dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+pnpm dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# pnpm dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="yarn"
-yarn dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+yarn dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# yarn dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="bun"
-bunx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+bunx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# bunx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 > the `--interactive` flag is optional. Use `intlayer-cli init` if you're an AI agent.
@@ -209,9 +213,7 @@ import { createNextI18nPlugin } from "@intlayer/next-i18next/plugin";
 
 const withIntlayer = createNextI18nPlugin();
 
-const nextConfig: NextConfig = {
-  /* your options */
-};
+const nextConfig: NextConfig = {/* your options */};
 
 export default withIntlayer(nextConfig);
 ```

package/docs/en/migration_from_vue-i18n_to_intlayer.md

@@ -100,19 +100,23 @@ The following steps are the minimum required to get your existing `vue-i18n` app
 Install the Intlayer core packages and the compat adapter:
 
 ```bash packageManager="npm"
-npx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+npx intlayer@canary init --interactive    # v9
+# npx intlayer init                       # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="pnpm"
-pnpm dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+pnpm dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# pnpm dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="yarn"
-yarn dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+yarn dlx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# yarn dlx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 ```bash packageManager="bun"
-bunx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+bunx intlayer@canary init --interactive   # v9
+# bunx intlayer init                      # v8
 ```
 
 > the `--interactive` flag is optional. Use `intlayer-cli init` if you're an AI agent.

package/docs/en/releases/v9.md

@@ -201,24 +201,6 @@ const product = useIntlayer("product-copy", {
 
 ---
 
-## Dynamic Loading & Bundle Size Optimizations
-
-To keep bundles extremely small, Intlayer v9 supports dynamic lazy loading.
-
-In your configuration, set `importMode` to `'dynamic'` or `'fetch'`:
-
-```ts fileName="intlayer.config.ts"
-export default {
-  dictionary: {
-    importMode: "dynamic", // "static" | "dynamic" | "fetch"
-  },
-};
-```
-
-At build time, `@intlayer/swc` and `@intlayer/babel` scan your files and replace `useIntlayer` / `getIntlayer` calls with tree-shakeable wrappers (`useDictionary` / `useDictionaryDynamic`). Only the content required for the selected collection item, variant, or locale is loaded, preventing your production bundle from containing unused translations.
-
----
-
 ## Vite Plugin: Bundled Compiler & Proxy
 
 The `intlayer()` Vite plugin now bundles the **compiler** and the **locale-routing proxy** directly, so most projects only need a single plugin in `vite.config.ts`:

package/docs/en/self_hosting.md

@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 ---
 createdAt: 2026-06-30
-updatedAt: 2026-06-30
+updatedAt: 2026-07-02
 title: Self-Hosting Intlayer
-description: Run a complete Intlayer instance on your own infrastructure with a single command. No Intlayer Cloud account required.
+description: Run a complete Intlayer instance on your own infrastructure with a single container. No Intlayer Cloud account required.
 keywords:
   - Self-Hosting
   - Docker
-  - Docker Compose
   - Intlayer
   - CMS
   - Installation
@@ -19,13 +18,9 @@ author: aymericzip
 
 # Self-Hosting Intlayer
 
-Intlayer can run entirely on your own infrastructure — no Intlayer Cloud account required. A single command boots a production-ready stack:
+Intlayer can run on your own infrastructure — no Intlayer Cloud account required. A single all-in-one Docker image bundles the dashboard, the API, and the local datastores (Redis and MinIO) it needs, supervised by [s6-overlay](https://github.com/just-containers/s6-overlay).
 
-```sh
-curl -fsSL https://intlayer.org/install.sh | sh
-```
-
-The installer downloads a `docker-compose.yml` and a `.env`, auto-generates the required secrets, and starts all containers with `docker compose up -d`.
+The only external dependency is **MongoDB**: the backend connects to a MongoDB **Atlas** cluster, which you provide. Everything else runs inside the container.
 
 ## Table of Contents
 
@@ -38,60 +33,79 @@ The installer downloads a `docker-compose.yml` and a `.env`, auto-generates the
 ```
                 ┌─────────────────────────────┐
  browser ──────▶ │  app  (TanStack Start)  :3000│ ──┐
-                └─────────────────────────────┘   │ VITE_BACKEND_URL
+ (localhost)    └─────────────────────────────┘   │ VITE_BACKEND_URL (baked at build)
                 ┌─────────────────────────────┐   │
                 │  backend (Fastify/Bun)  :3100│ ◀─┘
                 └──────────────┬──────────────┘
-          ┌──────────┬─────────┼──────────┬───────────┐
-          ▼          ▼         ▼          ▼           ▼
-     mongo:27017  redis:6379  minio:9000  mailpit:1025  Chromium
-     (1-node RS)             (S3 API)     (SMTP)        (in-image)
-                             minio:9001   mailpit:8025
-                             (console)    (web UI)
+          ┌──────────┬─────────┼───────────────────────┐
+          ▼          ▼         ▼                        ▼
+       redis:6379  minio:9000  Chromium            MongoDB Atlas
+       (bundled)   (S3 API)    (in-image)          (external, via DB_*)
+                   minio:9001
+                   (console)
 ```
 
-Chromium (used for Puppeteer screenshot generation) is bundled inside the backend image — no separate container is needed.
+Chromium (used for Puppeteer screenshot generation) is bundled inside the image — no separate container is needed. Redis and MinIO run inside the container. MongoDB is **not** hosted by the image; the backend connects to your Atlas cluster over `mongodb+srv://`.
 
 ---
 
 ## Prerequisites
 
-- **Docker** ≥ 24 and **Docker Compose** ≥ v2. If either is missing, the installer prints the install link and exits.
-- Ports `3000`, `3100`, `8025`, `9000`, and `9001` available on the host.
+- **Docker** ≥ 24.
+- Ports `3000`, `3100`, `9000`, and `9001` available on the host.
 - A Linux or macOS host (or WSL2 on Windows).
+- A **MongoDB Atlas** cluster (a free tier works). Create one at [mongodb.com/atlas](https://www.mongodb.com/atlas).
+- A **Resend** API key for transactional email. Get one at [resend.com](https://resend.com).
 
 ---
 
 ## Quick start
 
+Pull and run the published image, supplying your MongoDB Atlas credentials and secrets:
+
 ```sh
-curl -fsSL https://intlayer.org/install.sh | sh
+docker run -d --name intlayer \
+  -p 3000:3000 \
+  -p 3100:3100 \
+  -p 9000:9000 \
+  -p 9001:9001 \
+  -v intlayer-data:/data \
+  -e DB_ID="<atlas-user>" \
+  -e DB_MDP="<atlas-password>" \
+  -e DB_CLUSTER="<cluster>.xxxxx.mongodb.net" \
+  -e BETTER_AUTH_SECRET="$(openssl rand -hex 32)" \
+  -e S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="$(openssl rand -hex 16)" \
+  -e RESEND_API_KEY="<your-resend-key>" \
+  aymericzip/intlayer-selfhost
 ```
 
-What the installer does:
+Then open **http://localhost:3000**.
+
+> The dashboard is served on `localhost`. See [Limitations](#limitations) — custom domains are not supported by the published image.
 
-1. Checks that `docker` and `docker compose` are present.
-2. Downloads `docker-compose.yml` and `.env.example` into `./intlayer/`.
-3. If no `.env` exists, copies the example and generates random secrets for `BETTER_AUTH_SECRET`, `S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID`, and `S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` via `openssl rand`.
-4. Runs `docker compose pull` + `docker compose up -d`.
-5. Prints the URLs: dashboard `:3000`, API `:3100`, email UI `:8025`, MinIO console `:9001`.
+---
+
+## First-run setup
+
+On a fresh instance (empty database), opening the dashboard redirects you to the **`/init`** page:
 
-After the stack is up, open **http://localhost:3000** and create your first account.
+1. Create the first account. Because the users collection is empty, this account is automatically promoted to **super admin**.
+2. A verification email is sent (via Resend). Email verification is **mandatory** — this is why `RESEND_API_KEY` must be set before you start.
+3. Click the link in the email, then sign in.
+
+Once an admin exists, `/init` redirects to the standard sign-in page.
 
 ---
 
 ## Services
 
-| Service     | Image                                | Host port(s)                   | Purpose                                                  |
-| ----------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- |
-| **app**     | built from `apps/app/Dockerfile`     | `3000`                         | TanStack Start dashboard (CMS UI)                        |
-| **backend** | built from `apps/backend/Dockerfile` | `3100`                         | Fastify REST API (`/health` endpoint)                    |
-| **mongo**   | `mongo:7`                            | internal                       | Single-node replica set (`rs0`)                          |
-| **redis**   | `redis:7-alpine`                     | internal                       | Job queues (BullMQ) and caching (ioredis)                |
-| **minio**   | `minio/minio`                        | `9000` (S3), `9001` (console)  | S3-compatible object storage for avatars and screenshots |
-| **mailpit** | `axllent/mailpit`                    | `1025` (SMTP), `8025` (web UI) | Local transactional email sink                           |
-
-Internal ports (mongo, redis) are not exposed to the host by default.
+| Service     | Location           | Host port(s)                  | Purpose                                                       |
+| ----------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| **app**     | bundled            | `3000`                        | TanStack Start dashboard (CMS UI)                             |
+| **backend** | bundled            | `3100`                        | Fastify REST API (`/health` endpoint)                         |
+| **redis**   | bundled            | internal                      | Job queues (BullMQ) and caching (ioredis)                     |
+| **minio**   | bundled            | `9000` (S3), `9001` (console) | S3-compatible object storage for avatars and screenshots      |
+| **mongo**   | **external** (you) | —                             | MongoDB Atlas, provided via `DB_ID` / `DB_MDP` / `DB_CLUSTER` |
 
 > MinIO port `9000` must be reachable by the browser because uploaded assets (avatars, screenshots) are loaded directly from `S3_PUBLIC_URL=http://localhost:9000/intlayer`.
 
@@ -99,45 +113,41 @@ Internal ports (mongo, redis) are not exposed to the host by default.
 
 ## Environment variables
 
-The installer generates a ready-to-use `.env`. The table below describes every variable.
-
-### Required (auto-generated or prompted)
-
-| Variable               | Example                                         | Description                                        |
-| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
-| `NODE_ENV`             | `production`                                    | Runtime environment                                |
-| `PORT`                 | `3100`                                          | Backend listening port                             |
-| `BACKEND_URL`          | `http://localhost:3100`                         | Public URL of the backend API                      |
-| `APP_URL`              | `http://localhost:3000`                         | Public URL of the dashboard                        |
-| `DOMAIN`               | `localhost`                                     | Cookie domain                                      |
-| `MONGODB_URI`          | `mongodb://mongo:27017/intlayer?replicaSet=rs0` | Full MongoDB connection URI                        |
-| `REDIS_URL`            | `redis://redis:6379`                            | Redis connection URL                               |
-| `BETTER_AUTH_SECRET`   | _(generated)_                                   | 32-byte secret for session signing                 |
-| `MAIL_PROVIDER`        | `smtp`                                          | Mail transport: `smtp` or `resend`                 |
-| `MAIL_SMTP_HOST`       | `mailpit`                                       | SMTP hostname (Mailpit container name)             |
-| `MAIL_SMTP_PORT`       | `1025`                                          | SMTP port                                          |
-| `MAIL_FROM`            | `Intlayer <no-reply@localhost>`                 | Sender address                                     |
-| `S3_ENDPOINT`          | `http://minio:9000`                             | S3-compatible endpoint                             |
-| `S3_PUBLIC_URL`        | `http://localhost:9000/intlayer`                | Public URL for browser asset loading               |
-| `S3_BUCKET_NAME`       | `intlayer`                                      | Bucket name                                        |
-| `S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID`     | _(generated)_                                   | MinIO access key                                   |
-| `S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` | _(generated)_                                   | MinIO secret key                                   |
-| `VITE_BACKEND_URL`     | `http://localhost:3100`                         | Backend URL baked into the dashboard at build time |
-| `VITE_DOMAIN`          | `localhost`                                     | Domain baked into the dashboard at build time      |
+### Required
+
+| Variable               | Example                      | Description                                                   |
+| ---------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `DB_ID`                | `intlayer`                   | MongoDB Atlas user                                            |
+| `DB_MDP`               | _(your password)_            | MongoDB Atlas password                                        |
+| `DB_CLUSTER`           | `cluster0.xxxxx.mongodb.net` | MongoDB Atlas cluster host (used in the `mongodb+srv://` URI) |
+| `BETTER_AUTH_SECRET`   | _(generated)_                | 32-byte secret for session signing                            |
+| `S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` | _(generated)_                | Secret for the bundled MinIO                                  |
+| `RESEND_API_KEY`       | _(your key)_                 | Transactional email; required to complete first-run setup     |
+
+### Baked-in defaults (override only if needed)
+
+| Variable           | Default                          | Description                          |
+| ------------------ | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
+| `PORT`             | `3100`                           | Backend listening port               |
+| `APP_URL`          | `http://localhost:3000`          | Public URL of the dashboard          |
+| `BACKEND_URL`      | `http://localhost:3100`          | Public URL of the backend API        |
+| `DOMAIN`           | `localhost`                      | Cookie domain                        |
+| `REDIS_URL`        | `redis://127.0.0.1:6379`         | Bundled Redis                        |
+| `S3_ENDPOINT`      | `http://127.0.0.1:9000`          | Bundled MinIO (server-to-server)     |
+| `S3_PUBLIC_URL`    | `http://localhost:9000/intlayer` | Public URL for browser asset loading |
+| `S3_BUCKET_NAME`   | `intlayer`                       | Bucket name                          |
+| `S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID` | `intlayer`                       | MinIO access key                     |
 
 ### Optional (features degrade gracefully when absent)
 
-| Variable                                                 | Feature                                                     |
-| -------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
-| `OPENAI_API_KEY`                                         | AI-assisted translation and content audit                   |
-| `STRIPE_SECRET_KEY`, `STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET`, `STRIPE_*` | Billing and subscription management                         |
-| `RESEND_API_KEY`                                         | Transactional email via Resend (overrides Mailpit when set) |
-| `GITHUB_CLIENT_ID`, `GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET`               | GitHub OAuth login                                          |
-| `GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID`, `GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET`               | Google OAuth login                                          |
-| `GITLAB_CLIENT_ID`, `GITLAB_CLIENT_SECRET`               | GitLab OAuth login                                          |
-| `MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID`, `MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET`         | Microsoft OAuth login                                       |
-| `LINKEDIN_CLIENT_ID`, `LINKEDIN_CLIENT_SECRET`           | LinkedIn OAuth login                                        |
-| `ATLASSIAN_CLIENT_ID`, `ATLASSIAN_CLIENT_SECRET`         | Atlassian OAuth login                                       |
+| Variable                                                 | Feature                                   |
+| -------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
+| `OPENAI_API_KEY`                                         | AI-assisted translation and content audit |
+| `STRIPE_SECRET_KEY`, `STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET`, `STRIPE_*` | Billing and subscription management       |
+| `GITHUB_CLIENT_ID`, `GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET`               | GitHub OAuth login                        |
+| `GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID`, `GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET`               | Google OAuth login                        |
+| `GITLAB_CLIENT_ID`, `GITLAB_CLIENT_SECRET`               | GitLab OAuth login                        |
+| `MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID`, `MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET`         | Microsoft OAuth login                     |
 
 ---
 
@@ -206,138 +216,70 @@ const { data: dictionaries } = await dictionaryEndpoint(cms).getDictionaries();
 
 ## Upgrading
 
-Re-running the installer on an existing deployment performs a rolling upgrade:
+Pull the latest image and recreate the container. Your data is preserved in the named volume (MinIO/Redis) and in your Atlas cluster (MongoDB):
 
 ```sh
-curl -fsSL https://intlayer.org/install.sh | sh
-```
-
-This pulls the latest images and restarts containers with `docker compose pull && docker compose up -d`. Existing volumes (`mongo-data`, `redis-data`, `minio-data`) are preserved — no data loss.
-
-To upgrade manually from inside the `./intlayer/` directory:
-
-```sh
-docker compose pull
-docker compose up -d
+docker pull aymericzip/intlayer-selfhost
+docker stop intlayer && docker rm intlayer
+# re-run the `docker run …` command from Quick start
 ```
 
 ---
 
 ## Backup and restore
 
-All persistent data lives in three named Docker volumes.
+MongoDB data lives in your Atlas cluster — back it up with Atlas' own tools. The bundled local datastores live under the `intlayer-data` volume.
 
 ### Backup
 
 ```sh
 docker run --rm \
-  -v intlayer_mongo-data:/data \
-  -v "$(pwd)":/backup \
-  busybox tar czf /backup/mongo-data.tar.gz /data
-
-docker run --rm \
-  -v intlayer_redis-data:/data \
-  -v "$(pwd)":/backup \
-  busybox tar czf /backup/redis-data.tar.gz /data
-
-docker run --rm \
-  -v intlayer_minio-data:/data \
+  -v intlayer-data:/data \
   -v "$(pwd)":/backup \
-  busybox tar czf /backup/minio-data.tar.gz /data
+  busybox tar czf /backup/intlayer-data.tar.gz /data
 ```
 
 ### Restore
 
 ```sh
 docker run --rm \
-  -v intlayer_mongo-data:/data \
+  -v intlayer-data:/data \
   -v "$(pwd)":/backup \
-  busybox tar xzf /backup/mongo-data.tar.gz -C /
-
-# Repeat for redis-data and minio-data
+  busybox tar xzf /backup/intlayer-data.tar.gz -C /
 ```
 
 ---
 
-## Using a reverse proxy (Nginx / Caddy)
-
-For production deployments, place a reverse proxy in front of the app and backend containers instead of exposing them directly.
-
-### Nginx example
-
-```nginx
-server {
-    listen 80;
-    server_name cms.example.com;
-
-    location / {
-        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
-        proxy_set_header Host $host;
-        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
-    }
-}
-
-server {
-    listen 80;
-    server_name api.example.com;
-
-    location / {
-        proxy_pass http://localhost:3100;
-        proxy_set_header Host $host;
-        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
-    }
-}
-```
-
-Update the following `.env` variables to match your public domains:
+## Limitations
 
-```sh
-BACKEND_URL=https://api.example.com
-APP_URL=https://cms.example.com
-DOMAIN=example.com
-VITE_BACKEND_URL=https://api.example.com
-VITE_DOMAIN=example.com
-```
-
-> `VITE_*` variables are baked into the dashboard image at build time. If you change them after the image is built, you need to rebuild the `app` image (`docker compose build app`) or use runtime config injection.
+- **MongoDB must be external (Atlas).** The backend connects only over `mongodb+srv://` (built from `DB_ID` / `DB_MDP` / `DB_CLUSTER`), so a plain `mongodb://host:27017` — including the container's own bundled `mongod` — cannot be used. Provide a MongoDB Atlas cluster.
+- **No custom domain.** All browser-facing `VITE_*` URLs are inlined into the app at build time, and the published image ships with `localhost` values. The dashboard must be accessed at `http://localhost:3000`; serving it on a public domain would require rebuilding the image with the target URLs baked in and is not supported out of the box.
+- **Email requires Resend.** First-run setup enforces email verification, so `RESEND_API_KEY` must be set. After the first admin signs in, each organization can configure its own SMTP or Resend mailer from the dashboard.
 
 ---
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
-### Backend crash-loops on first start
-
-MongoDB and Redis must be healthy before the backend starts. The compose file uses `depends_on` with `condition: service_healthy`. If you see repeated backend restarts, check that the `mongo` and `redis` healthchecks pass:
-
-```sh
-docker compose ps
-docker compose logs mongo
-docker compose logs redis
-```
-
-### Dashboard cannot reach the API
+### Dashboard loads but the API resets the connection (`ERR_CONNECTION_RESET` on `:3100`)
 
-Verify that `VITE_BACKEND_URL` matches the URL where the backend is reachable from the **browser** (not the Docker network). If you changed the backend port or added a reverse proxy, rebuild the dashboard image:
+The backend crashed on startup and is not listening. The most common cause is a missing or invalid MongoDB connection: check that `DB_ID`, `DB_MDP`, and `DB_CLUSTER` are set and correct.
 
 ```sh
-docker compose build app
-docker compose up -d app
+docker logs intlayer
 ```
 
-### Email not sending
+Look for `MongoDB connection error` near the top of the log.
 
-By default, all outbound email is captured by Mailpit. Open `http://localhost:8025` to see sent messages. To send real email, set `MAIL_PROVIDER=resend` and `RESEND_API_KEY=<your-key>` in `.env`, then restart the backend:
+### First account can't be verified
 
-```sh
-docker compose restart backend
-```
+Email verification is mandatory. Make sure `RESEND_API_KEY` is set and valid, then re-check your inbox (and spam). Without a working mailer, the verification link is never delivered.
 
 ### MinIO bucket missing
 
-If the `minio-init` one-shot service didn't run (or ran before MinIO was ready), create the bucket manually:
+The `init-minio` one-shot creates the bucket on first boot. If assets fail to load, restart the container so it runs again:
 
 ```sh
-docker compose run --rm minio-init
+docker restart intlayer
 ```
 
 ---
@@ -347,3 +289,4 @@ docker compose run --rm minio-init
 - [Intlayer CMS documentation](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en/intlayer_CMS.md)
 - [Configuration reference](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en/configuration.md)
 - [CMS SDK — `@intlayer/api`](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en/intlayer_CMS.md#programmatic-access-with-the-intlayerapi-sdk)
+- [Docker Image (aymercizip/intlayer-selfhost)](https://hub.docker.com/repository/docker/aymercizip/intlayer-selfhost/general)