Install and Configure ListMonk on Ubuntu VPS

Here is a step-by-step guide to install and configure ListMonk (a high-performance, self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager) on an Ubuntu VPS.

✅ What is ListMonk?

ListMonk is a fast, open-source newsletter and mailing list manager built with Go and PostgreSQL. It supports email templating, subscriber management, campaign analytics, and more.

• Website: https://listmonk.app
• Backend: Go (Golang)
• Database: PostgreSQL

🧰 Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 20.04 or newer VPS
• Root or sudo access
• Domain name (optional, but recommended)
• SMTP credentials for sending emails

🛠️ How to Install and Configure ListMonk on Ubuntu VPS

1. Update Your System

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   

2. Install Dependencies

   Install required packages:

   sudo apt install curl git unzip postgresql postgresql-contrib -y
   

3. Set Up PostgreSQL

   Create a database and user for ListMonk:

   sudo -u postgres psql
   

   Inside the PostgreSQL shell:

   CREATE DATABASE listmonk;
   CREATE USER listmonk_user WITH PASSWORD 'your_secure_password';
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE listmonk TO listmonk_user;
   \q
   

4. Download ListMonk

   Create a directory and download the latest release:

   cd /opt
   sudo git clone https://github.com/knadh/listmonk.git
   cd listmonk
   sudo ./build.sh
   

   This builds the listmonk binary from source using Go. If you prefer, you can download a precompiled binary from the Releases.

5. Configure ListMonk

   Copy the default config:

   cp config.example.toml config.toml
   

   Edit the config:

   nano config.toml
   

   Change the following:

   [app]
   address = "0.0.0.0:9000"  # You can change the port
   admin_username = "admin"
   admin_password = "changeme"
   
   [db]
   host = "localhost"
   port = 5432
   user = "listmonk_user"
   password = "your_secure_password"
   database = "listmonk"
   ssl_mode = "disable"
   
   [smtp]
   host = "smtp.yourprovider.com"
   port = 587
   username = "your@email.com"
   password = "your_smtp_password"
   from_email = "your@email.com"
   from_name = "Your Name or Brand"
   

   Save and close the file.

6. Run Database Migrations

   Initialize the database schema:

   ./listmonk --install --yes
   

7. Start ListMonk

   Run the server:

   ./listmonk
   

   Access the web UI at:

   http://your-server-ip:9000
   

   Login with the credentials you configured (admin / changeme by default).

8. 🔁 Optional: Run ListMonk as a Systemd Service

   Create a systemd unit file:

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/listmonk.service
   

   Paste the following:

   [Unit]
   Description=ListMonk Newsletter Manager
   After=network.target
   
   [Service]
   Type=simple
   User=root
   WorkingDirectory=/opt/listmonk
   ExecStart=/opt/listmonk/listmonk
   Restart=always
   
   [Install]
   WantedBy=multi-user.target
   

   Enable and start the service:

   sudo systemctl daemon-reexec
   sudo systemctl enable --now listmonk
   

9. 🔐 (Optional) Secure with NGINX and HTTPS

   If using a domain, you can reverse-proxy ListMonk via NGINX and add Let’s Encrypt SSL.

   Install NGINX:

   sudo apt install nginx -y
   

   Create a reverse proxy config:

   sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/listmonk
   

   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name yourdomain.com;
   
       location / {
           proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:9000;
           proxy_set_header Host $host;
           proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
       }
   }
   

   Enable the config:

   sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/listmonk /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
   sudo nginx -t
   sudo systemctl restart nginx
   

   Set up HTTPS with Certbot:

   sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
   sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com
   

10. ✅ Final Checks

    • Visit: https://yourdomain.com or http://your-ip:9000
    • Login using admin credentials
    • Add SMTP details under Settings (if not added in config)
    • Create lists, subscribers, and start sending campaigns!

📦 Useful Commands

📚 Resources

• Docs: https://listmonk.app/docs/
• GitHub: https://github.com/knadh/listmonk

Conclusion

You now know how to install and configure ListMonk on Ubuntu VPS.