Where Does Mealie Store Recipes and Data?
Mealie keeps recipes and the SQLite database in /app/data on Docker, with settings in .env beside compose.
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Mealie fits its world in one data folder. The SQLite database, recipe images, and backups all sit under /app/data inside the container. Settings arrive through the .env file beside your compose file.
That makes the backup list short: one folder plus one env file. Stop the container before copying the database or WAL sidecars split the snapshot. Postgres variants move the ledger to a server but keep images in the same data tree.
Where Mealie stores this, by platform
/app/data (inside container)
mealie.db plus recipe images and local backups here. Bind it to a host folder or named volume. Keep .env with secrets beside compose.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up self-hosted Mealie?
Stop the stack and copy the whole data mount plus the .env file, then restore both on the new host before starting. Recipes, images, and users travel in the database while .env holds secrets and URLs. Mixed versions can refuse old schemas.
Does Mealie need a data volume?
Mount a host folder to /app/data in compose and keep it outside container lifecycles. Without the mount, recreates wipe every recipe. The image itself holds no durable state worth keeping.
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