Environment Variables

All Selu configuration is done through environment variables, typically set in your .env file alongside docker-compose.yml.

Required

Only one variable is required to start Selu:

Variable	Description
SELU__ENCRYPTION_KEY	Encryption key for stored credentials. Use a random string of at least 32 characters.

Caution

Keep SELU__ENCRYPTION_KEY safe. If you lose it, all encrypted credentials (API keys, tokens) become unrecoverable.

Server

Variable	Description	Default
SELU__SERVER__PORT	Port the Selu dashboard listens on	3000
SELU__SERVER__HOST	IP address to bind to	0.0.0.0
SELU__EXTERNAL_URL	Public URL of your instance (needed for webhooks behind a reverse proxy)	—
SELU__BASE_PATH	URL path prefix when running behind a reverse proxy on a sub-path (e.g., /selu)	—

Database

Selu uses an embedded SQLite database. By default it’s stored inside the container at /app/data/selu.db.

Variable	Description	Default
SELU__DATABASE__URL	SQLite connection string	sqlite:///app/data/selu.db?mode=rwc

Tip

You don’t need to change the database URL. The default Docker Compose setup maps ./data on your host to /app/data in the container, so your database is automatically persisted.

System updates

The built-in update system is configured with these variables:

Variable	Description	Default
SELU_RELEASE_CHANNEL	Release channel: stable, dev, or nightly	stable
SELU__RELEASE_METADATA_URL	URL for release metadata API	https://selu.bot/api/releases/selu

The update system also writes these variables to your .env file automatically — you don’t need to set them:

Variable	Description
SELU_IMAGE_TAG	Current Docker image tag
SELU_IMAGE_DIGEST	Image digest used for verification
SELU_IMAGE_VERSION	Release version (e.g., v1.5.0)
SELU_IMAGE_BUILD	Build number

Updater sidecar (advanced)

The update sidecar runs alongside Selu and manages the actual update process. These variables are pre-configured by the installer — you normally don’t need to change them.

Variable	Description	Default
SELU_UPDATER_URL	URL of the updater sidecar	http://selu-updater:8090
SELU_UPDATER_SHARED_SECRET	Shared secret for authenticating with the sidecar	—
SELU_UPDATER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECS	Timeout for requests to the sidecar (seconds)	30

Note

The update system manages SELU_IMAGE_* variables automatically. The most important setting for you is SELU_RELEASE_CHANNEL.

Marketplace and agents

Variable	Description	Default
SELU__MARKETPLACE_URL	Agent marketplace API URL	https://selu.bot/api/marketplace/agents
SELU__INSTALLED_AGENTS_DIR	Directory for installed marketplace agents	/app/installed_agents

LLM providers and channels

LLM provider credentials (Anthropic, OpenAI, Bedrock) and channel credentials (Telegram, iMessage) are managed through the Selu dashboard — not through environment variables. Go to Settings → Providers to add your API keys, or Pipes to set up messaging channels.

Advanced

Variable	Description	Default
SELU__EGRESS_PROXY_ADDR	Egress proxy address for agent containers	0.0.0.0:8888
SELU__MAX_CHAIN_DEPTH	Maximum event chain depth (prevents loops)	3

Example .env file

.env

SELU__ENCRYPTION_KEY=a1b2c3d4e5f6...

# Release channel
SELU_RELEASE_CHANNEL=stable

# If behind a reverse proxy
# SELU__EXTERNAL_URL=https://selu.example.com

You can also set variables directly in docker-compose.yml under the environment key, but the .env file is simpler for most setups.

Variable naming

Selu uses a double-underscore (__) separator for nested configuration. For example:

• SELU__SERVER__PORT → server port
• SELU__EXTERNAL_URL → external URL

A few variables used by the update system (SELU_RELEASE_CHANNEL, SELU_IMAGE_TAG, etc.) use single underscores because they are read directly, not through the configuration library.

Release channels

Channel	Update frequency	Best for
Stable	Every few weeks	Production use (recommended)
Dev	Weekly	Early access to new features
Nightly	Daily	Testing (may be unstable)

You can also switch channels in the dashboard under System Updates.