Change Detection

Track changes to web pages and receive notifications.

Choose your deployment and the way you want to use Selfhost. The instructions below follow that choice.

Deployment Use Selfhost with

Set up Change Detection

Editable Compose files in your own directory.

Start the app, create its access password, then add a watch.
For JavaScript pages, configure a trusted Playwright browser connection.

selfhost app --directory ./changedetection init changedetection

Initialization writes portable files and does not start the app. Review compose.yaml, the private .env and any files in files/, then start it:

selfhost app --directory ./changedetection start

No Selfhost dashboard or background service is needed. You can also start these files directly:

cd changedetection
docker compose -f compose.yaml up -d

Connect an existing installation

Use Existing apps → Link an app in the dashboard, or the CLI’s existing-app commands. Choose Change Detection, its URL and, optionally, its exact Docker container on a connected server.

Save existing.json with your app URL. Add server_id and container for container inspection and actions.

{
  "profile": "changedetection",
  "name": "Change Detection",
  "url": "https://app.example.com"
}

selfhost existing link --file existing.json
selfhost existing list
selfhost existing inspect EXISTING_ID

Linking enables the existing-app profile’s supported inspection and actions. It does not import Compose or attach the new-deployment settings and onboarding profiles described below.

Existing app commands, permissions and unlinking

Before configuring integrations

Adjust worker count, recheck interval and public URL through native settings.
Watch creation, notification credentials and browser authentication remain in the app.
The browser can access networks reachable from its host.

Change Detection integrations

Compose service: changedetection. These operations use the profile saved when this deployment is created.

Configure the application password before exposing this instance. Browser services can reach networks available to their host.

Native settings

Changes use the app’s Compose environment. Unrelated settings are preserved.

Supported fields (8)

Public URL public-url: string
Browser WebSocket URL browser: Connect a trusted Playwright-compatible browser. Use a protected network for remote access. string
Parallel fetchers workers: string
Minimum recheck interval minimum-interval: Seconds; 0 disables the lower limit. string
Hide referrer from watched websites hide-referrer: stringChoices: true, false
Disable upstream version checks version-check: stringChoices: true, false
Maximum watches watch-limit: string
Time zone timezone: string

Save a JSON map of the field IDs you want to change as changes.json. Replace FIELD_ID with an ID from the supported fields above, and use its declared value type. Review the plan and replace REVIEWED_REVISION with the revision it returns.

{
  "FIELD_ID": "YOUR_VALUE"
}

selfhost app --directory ./changedetection config changedetection
selfhost app --directory ./changedetection plan changedetection changes.json
selfhost app --directory ./changedetection apply changedetection changes.json --revision REVIEWED_REVISION

Saved changes need service recreation to become active. Existing interpolated environment values stay under your control in .env or Compose.

App configuration reference

Versions and updates

This deployment uses the following images. Existing projects retain their saved recipe and images. A new catalogue version does not silently update them.

changedetection: ghcr.io/dgtlmoon/changedetection.io:latest

Review compatibility and back up app data before an update. Choose an image version and review the change.

Keep control of your setup

Selfhost remains optional. Your app runs using ordinary Compose files, its own settings and persistent data. Keep the Compose project name and volumes to preserve storage. Configuration exports and setting backups do not include application data.

Standalone CLI guide · Backups and removal · Change Detection documentation