generated: '2026-08-13'
method: searched
source: >-
  https://listmonk.app/docs/installation/ , https://listmonk.app/docs/upgrade/ ,
  and https://github.com/knadh/listmonk/blob/master/cmd/init.go
description: >-
  listmonk ships as a single self-contained Go binary, and that binary is its
  CLI. Be precise about what this CLI is: it is an OPERATOR tool for installing,
  migrating and running a listmonk instance — it is NOT an API client. There are
  no `listmonk subscribers list` style commands, no resource verbs, and no way to
  drive the REST API from the command line with a first-party tool. Everything
  below is a process flag, not a subcommand; listmonk has no subcommand surface
  at all. Flags were read from the flag registrations in cmd/init.go on master.
official: true
kind: operator-cli
api_client: false
binary: listmonk
install:
  - method: binary
    detail: >-
      Download the release archive for the platform and extract the `listmonk`
      binary. Prebuilt for linux, darwin, freebsd, netbsd, openbsd and windows
      (amd64).
    url: https://github.com/knadh/listmonk/releases
  - method: docker
    detail: docker compose up -d, using the project's docker-compose.yml
    image: listmonk/listmonk:latest
    url: https://hub.docker.com/r/listmonk/listmonk
  - method: source
    detail: Compile the master branch with the Go toolchain.
    url: https://listmonk.app/docs/installation/#compiling-from-source
subcommands: []
flags:
  - flag: --config
    type: string-slice
    default: config.toml
    description: Path(s) to the TOML configuration file.
  - flag: --new-config
    type: bool
    description: Generate a sample config file at the path given in --config.
  - flag: --install
    type: bool
    description: Set up the database tables (first run). Requires PostgreSQL >= 12.
  - flag: --idempotent
    type: bool
    description: Make --install run only if the database is not already set up.
  - flag: --upgrade
    type: bool
    description: >-
      Upgrade the database schema to the current version. Idempotent — running it
      multiple times has no side effects.
  - flag: --yes
    type: bool
    description: Assume "yes" to prompts during --install / --upgrade.
  - flag: --version
    type: bool
    description: Print the current build version.
  - flag: --static-dir
    type: string
    description: Path to a directory of static files overriding the bundled ones.
  - flag: --i18n-dir
    type: string
    description: Path to a directory of i18n language files.
  - flag: --passive
    type: bool
    description: Run in passive mode where campaigns are not processed.
environment:
  - name: LISTMONK_ADMIN_USER
    description: Super Admin username to create during --install (first run only).
  - name: LISTMONK_ADMIN_PASSWORD
    description: Super Admin password to create during --install (first run only).
  - name: LISTMONK_*
    description: >-
      Every config.toml key has an environment-variable equivalent; the official
      docker-compose.yml configures the whole application this way instead of
      mounting a config file.
flows:
  - name: First install (binary)
    steps:
      - ./listmonk --new-config
      - edit config.toml
      - ./listmonk --install
      - ./listmonk
      - visit http://localhost:9000 and create the Super Admin user
  - name: Upgrade (binary)
    steps:
      - back up PostgreSQL
      - stop the running instance
      - replace the binary with the new release
      - ./listmonk --upgrade
      - ./listmonk
  - name: Containerised install + upgrade in one command
    steps:
      - >-
        ./listmonk --install --idempotent --yes --config /listmonk/config.toml &&
        ./listmonk --upgrade --yes --config /listmonk/config.toml &&
        ./listmonk --config /listmonk/config.toml