Why Linkwarden?
Bookmarks break. Websites change. Pages disappear. Linkwarden fixes this:
- Auto-archiving — Full HTML copy of every saved page.
- Screenshots — Visual preview of every bookmark.
- Collections — Organize by project, topic, or team.
- Tags — Flexible categorization.
- Full-text search — Search inside archived page content.
- Collaboration — Share collections with team members.
- Browser extension — One-click save from any browser.
Prerequisites
- Docker with docker-compose.
- At least 512 MB RAM.
Step 1: Deploy with Docker Compose
# docker-compose.yml
version: "3"
services:
linkwarden:
image: ghcr.io/linkwarden/linkwarden:latest
ports:
- "3000:3000"
environment:
DATABASE_URL: postgresql://linkwarden:password@postgres:5432/linkwarden
NEXTAUTH_SECRET: your-random-secret-string
NEXTAUTH_URL: http://linkwarden.example.com
volumes:
- ./data:/data/data
depends_on:
- postgres
restart: always
postgres:
image: postgres:16-alpine
environment:
POSTGRES_USER: linkwarden
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: password
POSTGRES_DB: linkwarden
volumes:
- ./pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
restart: always
docker compose up -d
Access at http://your-server:3000.
Step 2: Organizing Your Library
| Feature | How |
|---|
| Collections | Create folders by project/topic (e.g., “DevOps Tools”, “Research Papers”) |
| Tags | Add multiple tags per link for cross-cutting categorization |
| Search | Full-text search inside archived page content |
| Filters | Filter by collection, tag, date, or link status |
| Views | Card view (with screenshots) or list view |
Linkwarden vs Alternatives
| Feature | Linkwarden | Raindrop.io | Pocket | Wallabag |
|---|
| Self-hosted | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Auto-archive | Full HTML | No | Simplified | Full HTML |
| Screenshots | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Collaboration | Yes | Yes (paid) | No | No |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full-text search | Yes | Paid only | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | Free | Free / $3/mo | Free / $5/mo | Free |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|
| Archiving fails for some sites | Site may block bots; check Linkwarden logs for details |
| Screenshots not generating | Ensure the container has enough RAM (min 512 MB) |
| Browser extension can’t connect | Verify the server URL in extension settings; check CORS headers |
| Search returns no results | Archiving must complete first; check the Jobs queue |
| Import from browser bookmarks | Use Settings > Import > Upload HTML bookmark export |
Summary
- Archive every link with screenshots and full HTML copies.
- Browser extension for one-click saving from Chrome/Firefox/Edge.
- Collaboration via shared collections for teams.
- Beats link rot — your saved content survives even when sites go down.
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