Questions & answers
Everything you might wonder before and after installing Chatstead. Can’t find it? Get in touch.
General
What is Chatstead?
A private, real-time team chat you run entirely on your own server — messaging, calls, files and an admin panel, with nothing sent to third-party services.
Is any data sent to third parties?
No. Messages, files and accounts live only on your server. The only optional outbound connections are your own SMTP server, Let’s Encrypt (if you use a domain certificate), and browser push services (only if users enable notifications).
Does it work without internet?
Yes, after installation. Setup needs internet to fetch Node.js; afterwards it runs on an isolated LAN.
How many users can it handle?
A small VPS comfortably serves a typical team. It uses the SQLite engine built into Node.js — no separate database server to run.
Installation
Do I need to be technical?
No. You copy one command onto a fresh Ubuntu server, then finish setup in your browser with a friendly wizard.
Do I need to log in as root?
No — a sudo-enabled user works fine. Installing a system service does need elevated privileges, so keep the sudo in the commands.
How do I get trusted HTTPS?
Point a domain at your server and the installer provisions a free, auto-renewing Let’s Encrypt certificate via Caddy. See the Docs for the two ways to set up a domain.
Can I use Docker?
Yes — the package ships a Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml. One command brings it up.
Accounts & management
The login screen has no “Register” link — why?
Self-registration is off by default for security. Sign in as admin → Registration & Security → enable “Allow users to register themselves”, and a Register link appears. Or add users manually from the admin panel.
How do users get accounts?
Either an admin creates them, or you enable self-registration and people sign up themselves (with captcha, and optional email verification / admin approval).
Can I make it look like my brand?
Yes — set your name, logo and icon in the admin panel. Changes apply instantly, no code needed.
I forgot the admin password.
Ask another admin to reset it. Keep backups so you can always recover.
Operations
Where is my data?
In a data folder on your server (database, keys, certificate, branding) plus an uploads folder for files. Back both up.
How do I update without losing data?
Upload the new release and re-run the installer — data is preserved and the schema migrates automatically. Back up first.
Is there a backup script?
Yes, a daily backup script is included and can be scheduled with cron.
Didn’t find your answer? hello@chatstead.com