Self-hosting

Master this essential documentation concept

Quick Definition

The practice of running and maintaining software applications on your own servers rather than using a third-party hosting service.

How Self-hosting Works

graph TD A[Documentation Team] --> B[Self-Hosted Server] B --> C[Documentation Platform] B --> D[Database] B --> E[File Storage] C --> F[Content Management] C --> G[User Authentication] C --> H[Search Engine] F --> I[Writers Create Content] G --> J[Team Access Control] H --> K[Reader Search Experience] L[External Users] --> M[Custom Domain] M --> C N[Backup System] --> B O[Security Monitoring] --> B P[Performance Analytics] --> C style B fill:#e1f5fe style C fill:#f3e5f5 style A fill:#e8f5e8

Understanding Self-hosting

Self-hosting represents a strategic approach where documentation teams deploy and maintain their own software infrastructure instead of using cloud-based or third-party hosting solutions. This method provides organizations with complete autonomy over their documentation systems, from server configuration to data management.

Key Features

  • Complete server and infrastructure control
  • Custom domain and branding capabilities
  • Direct database and file system access
  • Flexible security and authentication configurations
  • Unlimited customization and integration options
  • Full backup and disaster recovery control

Benefits for Documentation Teams

  • Enhanced data privacy and security compliance
  • Reduced long-term operational costs
  • Freedom from vendor lock-in situations
  • Ability to integrate with existing enterprise systems
  • Custom performance optimization opportunities
  • Complete control over uptime and availability

Common Misconceptions

  • Self-hosting always requires extensive technical expertise
  • It's more expensive than cloud solutions in all scenarios
  • Self-hosted solutions can't scale effectively
  • Maintenance and updates are overly complex
  • Security is automatically better with self-hosting

Self-hosting Your Documentation: From Video Guides to Searchable Resources

When implementing self-hosting solutions, your team likely creates detailed video walkthroughs covering server setup, maintenance procedures, and troubleshooting processes. These videos capture the nuanced knowledge needed for successfully running applications on your own infrastructure rather than relying on third-party services.

However, video-only documentation of self-hosting practices creates significant challenges. Engineers troubleshooting urgent server issues can't quickly locate specific configuration steps buried in hour-long setup videos. New team members struggle to find precise commands or requirements when videos lack timestamps or searchable content.

Converting these self-hosting videos into structured documentation solves these problems. By transforming recorded knowledge into searchable text, you create resources that allow teams to instantly locate exact server requirements, configuration steps, or maintenance procedures. This approach particularly benefits self-hosting scenarios where precise technical details are critical and referencing specific commands or parameters is frequent.

For example, a 90-minute server migration video can become a searchable guide with clearly defined sections for database transfers, DNS configuration, and security settings—making your self-hosting knowledge truly accessible when needed.

Learn how to transform your self-hosting videos into searchable documentation →

Real-World Documentation Use Cases

Enterprise Compliance Documentation

Problem

Large organizations need to maintain sensitive technical documentation while meeting strict data residency and security compliance requirements that cloud solutions cannot guarantee.

Solution

Deploy a self-hosted documentation platform on internal servers with custom security protocols, audit trails, and data encryption that meets industry-specific compliance standards.

Implementation

1. Set up dedicated servers within company infrastructure 2. Install documentation software with enterprise security features 3. Configure LDAP/SSO integration with existing systems 4. Implement custom backup and audit logging 5. Establish monitoring and maintenance procedures

Expected Outcome

Complete compliance adherence, enhanced security posture, and full control over sensitive documentation while maintaining team productivity and collaboration capabilities.

Multi-Brand Documentation Portal

Problem

Companies with multiple product lines need separate documentation sites with unique branding, custom domains, and different access controls, which becomes expensive with hosted solutions.

Solution

Self-host a multi-tenant documentation system that supports multiple brands, custom themes, and isolated content management while sharing infrastructure costs.

Implementation

1. Deploy scalable server infrastructure 2. Configure multi-tenant documentation platform 3. Set up custom domains and SSL certificates 4. Create brand-specific themes and templates 5. Implement role-based access controls per brand

Expected Outcome

Significant cost savings, unified management interface, consistent performance across all brands, and complete customization freedom for each product line's documentation needs.

API Documentation with Custom Integrations

Problem

Development teams need API documentation that integrates directly with internal testing environments, deployment pipelines, and custom developer tools that hosted solutions cannot access.

Solution

Self-host an API documentation platform with custom plugins and integrations that connect to internal systems, CI/CD pipelines, and development workflows.

Implementation

1. Install self-hosted API documentation software 2. Develop custom plugins for internal tool integration 3. Connect to CI/CD pipelines for automated updates 4. Integrate with internal authentication systems 5. Set up automated testing and validation workflows

Expected Outcome

Seamless integration with development workflows, automated documentation updates, enhanced developer experience, and reduced manual maintenance overhead.

Offline-Capable Documentation System

Problem

Field teams and remote workers need access to critical documentation in environments with limited or unreliable internet connectivity, requiring offline-first solutions.

Solution

Implement a self-hosted documentation system with offline synchronization capabilities and local caching for distributed teams working in remote locations.

Implementation

1. Set up central self-hosted documentation server 2. Deploy local sync clients on field devices 3. Configure offline content caching and search 4. Implement conflict resolution for offline edits 5. Establish periodic synchronization schedules

Expected Outcome

Reliable documentation access regardless of connectivity, improved field team productivity, reduced downtime, and seamless synchronization when connectivity is restored.

Best Practices

✓ Implement Robust Backup and Recovery Systems

Self-hosting requires comprehensive backup strategies to protect against data loss, server failures, and security incidents. Regular automated backups with tested recovery procedures are essential for maintaining documentation availability.

✓ Do: Set up automated daily backups with multiple retention periods, test recovery procedures monthly, store backups in geographically separate locations, and document recovery processes clearly.
✗ Don't: Rely on single backup methods, skip testing recovery procedures, store backups only on the same server, or assume backups work without regular verification.

✓ Establish Proactive Security Monitoring

Self-hosted systems require continuous security monitoring to detect threats, unauthorized access, and system vulnerabilities. Implementing comprehensive security measures protects both the documentation platform and sensitive content.

✓ Do: Deploy intrusion detection systems, monitor access logs regularly, keep software updated with security patches, use strong authentication methods, and conduct regular security audits.
✗ Don't: Ignore security updates, use default passwords, disable logging features, skip regular security assessments, or assume internal networks are inherently secure.

✓ Plan for Scalable Infrastructure Growth

Documentation needs grow over time, requiring infrastructure that can scale efficiently. Planning for growth prevents performance issues and ensures smooth expansion of documentation capabilities.

✓ Do: Design modular architecture, monitor resource usage trends, implement load balancing early, plan for database scaling, and establish clear upgrade procedures.
✗ Don't: Over-provision resources initially, ignore performance metrics, delay infrastructure upgrades, use single points of failure, or skip capacity planning exercises.

✓ Maintain Comprehensive System Documentation

Self-hosted systems require detailed documentation of configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps. This ensures knowledge continuity and enables efficient maintenance by different team members.

✓ Do: Document all configurations and customizations, maintain runbooks for common procedures, create troubleshooting guides, keep dependency lists updated, and ensure multiple team members understand the system.
✗ Don't: Rely on single person's knowledge, skip documenting configuration changes, ignore dependency tracking, delay updating procedures, or assume configurations are self-explanatory.

✓ Optimize Performance Through Regular Monitoring

Self-hosted documentation platforms require ongoing performance optimization to ensure fast load times and positive user experience. Regular monitoring helps identify bottlenecks before they impact users.

✓ Do: Monitor page load times, track user engagement metrics, optimize database queries, implement caching strategies, and regularly review server performance metrics.
✗ Don't: Ignore performance degradation, skip regular optimization reviews, overlook database maintenance, disable performance monitoring, or wait for user complaints to identify issues.

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