Configuration

Pulsarr uses a hybrid configuration approach. Core application settings (like port, URL, logging) must be defined in a .env file, while application-specific settings are configured through the web UI after installation.

The .env file is required for the initial setup and contains essential configuration values. Any values set in the .env file will override settings stored in the database, giving you flexibility to customize your deployment.

Environment Variable Override Behavior

Environment variables in .env override web UI settings on app restart. If you configure a setting in both the .env file and web UI:

Web UI changes work during the current session
On app restart, the .env values will override any database changes
Remove the environment variable from .env to persist web UI configuration changes permanently

About Apprise

If you're using the Apprise integration, additional configuration values like appriseUrl should be included in your .env file. These values are only needed if you're running the Apprise container alongside Pulsarr.

Core Configuration

Variable	Description	Required?	Default
`baseUrl`	Base URL where Pulsarr can be reached by Sonarr/Radarr (e.g., `http://pulsarr` for Docker network or `http://your-server-ip`)	Yes	`http://localhost`
`port`	Port where Pulsarr is accessible - works with baseUrl to form complete address	Yes	`3003`
`TZ`	Your local timezone (e.g., America/New_York, Europe/London)	Yes	`UTC`
`logLevel`	Logging level (silent, error, warn, info, debug, trace)	Recommended	`silent`
`NODE_ARGS`	Logger configuration for Docker (`--log-both` recommended for most users)	Recommended	`--log-file`
`cookieSecured`	Set to true ONLY if serving UI over HTTPS	No	`false`
`appriseUrl`	URL for the Apprise server (only if using Apprise)	No*	None

*Required only if you're using the Apprise integration.

Database Configuration

Pulsarr supports both SQLite (default) and PostgreSQL databases:

SQLite (Default)

Variable	Description	Required?	Default
`dbPath`	Path to SQLite database file	No	`./data/db/pulsarr.db`

PostgreSQL

Migration Available

PostgreSQL is supported for both new installations and migrations from existing SQLite databases. If you're already using Pulsarr with SQLite, see the PostgreSQL Migration Guide for step-by-step instructions on migrating your data.

Database Setup Required

Before configuring Pulsarr with PostgreSQL, ensure you have:

A PostgreSQL server running
Created a database for Pulsarr (e.g., CREATE DATABASE pulsarr;)
Created a user with appropriate permissions (e.g., CREATE USER pulsarr WITH PASSWORD 'your_password';)
Granted database access (e.g., GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE pulsarr TO pulsarr;)

Variable	Description	Required?	Default
`dbType`	Database type - set to `postgres` to enable PostgreSQL	Yes (for PostgreSQL)	`sqlite`
`dbHost`	PostgreSQL server hostname or IP	Yes (for PostgreSQL)	`localhost`
`dbPort`	PostgreSQL server port	No	`5432`
`dbName`	PostgreSQL database name	Yes (for PostgreSQL)	`pulsarr`
`dbUser`	PostgreSQL username	Yes (for PostgreSQL)	`postgres`
`dbPassword`	PostgreSQL password	Yes (for PostgreSQL)	`pulsarrpostgrespw`
`dbConnectionString`	Full PostgreSQL connection string (takes priority over individual settings)	No	``

Example .env File

Here is how your .env should look:

SQLite Configuration (Default)

# Required settings
baseUrl=http://your-server-ip   # Address where Pulsarr can be reached by Sonarr/Radarr
port=3003                       # Port where Pulsarr is accessible
TZ=America/Los_Angeles          # Set to your local timezone

# Recommended settings
logLevel=info                   # Default is 'silent', but 'info' is recommended
NODE_ARGS=--log-both            # Default logs to file only, '--log-both' shows logs in terminal too

# Optional settings
cookieSecured=false             # Set to 'true' ONLY if serving UI over HTTPS
dbPath=./data/db/pulsarr.db     # SQLite database path (optional, this is default)

# Only needed if using Apprise
# appriseUrl=http://apprise:8000  # URL to your Apprise container

PostgreSQL Configuration

# Required settings
baseUrl=http://your-server-ip   # Address where Pulsarr can be reached by Sonarr/Radarr
port=3003                       # Port where Pulsarr is accessible
TZ=America/Los_Angeles          # Set to your local timezone

# Recommended settings
logLevel=info                   # Default is 'silent', but 'info' is recommended
NODE_ARGS=--log-both            # Default logs to file only, '--log-both' shows logs in terminal too

# PostgreSQL Database Configuration
dbType=postgres                 # Enable PostgreSQL support
dbHost=your-postgres-host       # PostgreSQL server hostname or IP
dbPort=5432                     # PostgreSQL server port (optional, defaults to 5432)
dbName=pulsarr                  # PostgreSQL database name
dbUser=pulsarr                  # PostgreSQL username
dbPassword=your-secure-password # PostgreSQL password
# dbConnectionString=postgresql://user:pass@host:port/database  # Alternative: connection string (takes priority)

# Optional settings
cookieSecured=false             # Set to 'true' ONLY if serving UI over HTTPS

# Only needed if using Apprise
# appriseUrl=http://apprise:8000  # URL to your Apprise container

NODE_ARGS Options

Controls logging behavior in Docker. Options are:

--log-terminal - Log to terminal only
--log-file - Log to file only (default)
--log-both - Log to both terminal and file

Authentication Configuration

Pulsarr supports configurable authentication options. Set authenticationMethod in your .env file:

required - Authentication always required (default)
requiredExceptLocal - Skip authentication for local/private network connections
disabled - Authentication completely disabled

Local Network Details

For details on which IP ranges are considered "local" when using requiredExceptLocal, see the Authentication Configuration Details in the development documentation.

Restart Required

After changing this setting in your .env file, you need to restart the container for it to take effect.

Security Configuration

Iframe Support (Dashboard Integration)

Variable	Description	Required?	Default
`allowIframes`	Allow Pulsarr to be embedded in iframes (required for dashboard apps like Organizr)	No	`false`

Pulsarr can be embedded in dashboard applications like Organizr, Heimdall, or other iframe-based frontends by setting:

allowIframes=true

Security Consideration

When allowIframes=true, Pulsarr will disable the X-Frame-Options security header, allowing the application to be embedded in iframes from any domain. This is necessary for dashboard applications but slightly reduces security. Only enable this if you need iframe embedding.

Restart Required

After changing this setting in your .env file, you need to restart the container for it to take effect.

Complete Variable Reference

For a comprehensive list of all environment variables including development and advanced options, see the Environment Variables Reference.

Core Configuration​

Database Configuration​

SQLite (Default)​

PostgreSQL​

Example .env File​

SQLite Configuration (Default)​

PostgreSQL Configuration​

Authentication Configuration​

Security Configuration​

Iframe Support (Dashboard Integration)​