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Ntfy Stack

Overview

The Ntfy stack provides a simple, self-hosted push notification service. It enables sending browser, phone, and desktop notifications to yourself or sharing notification channels with others for collaborative alerts and real-time updates.

Components

Ntfy Server

  • Image: ntfy (self-hosted ntfy.sh implementation)
  • Purpose: Push notification hub and web interface
  • Container Name: ntfy
  • Access: https://ntfy.{{ main_domain }}
  • API: Available for external notification sources

Key Features

  • Web Interface: Simple topic-based notification management
  • Multiple Clients: Browser notifications, mobile apps, webhooks, APIs
  • Topics: Public or private notification topics/channels
  • Subscription: Subscribe to topics and receive notifications
  • Retention: Store recent notifications for later retrieval
  • Scheduling: Send notifications at specific times
  • Scripting: API for integration with automation tools
  • No Authentication Required (by default): Simple use without accounts

Use Cases

  • Home Automation: Alerts from smart home systems
  • Backup Notifications: Get alerts when backups complete
  • Monitoring Alerts: Receive system and service alerts
  • Cronjob Status: Notifications for scheduled task completion
  • Team Updates: Share notifications across teams
  • Health Checks: Integration with monitoring systems
  • Mobile Alerts: Receive notifications on phone

Dependencies

Optional Stacks

  • Backbone: Traefik for HTTPS access (recommended)

Storage

  • Notification History: Recent notifications stored in memory
  • Configuration: Application settings

Network Configuration

  • web network: Public access via Traefik

API Integration

Sending Notifications

  • HTTP POST: Send notifications to topics via HTTP
  • Webhook Support: Trigger notifications from webhooks
  • Email Integration: Receive notifications via email
  • Command Line: curl commands for easy integration

Example Integrations

  • Ansible: Ansible tasks can send ntfy notifications
  • Cronjobs: Automated tasks can alert on completion
  • Monitoring: Prometheus alertmanager integration
  • Webhooks: GitHub, GitLab, other services

Security Considerations

  • Public Topics: Anyone with URL can subscribe
  • Private Topics: Access control via authentication
  • HTTPS: All communication encrypted
  • Rate Limiting: Prevent abuse and spam

Deployment Notes

  • Lightweight service with minimal resource requirements
  • No database required (notifications stored in memory)
  • Simple configuration via environment variables
  • Perfect for simple, targeted notifications
  • Can be used alongside more complex monitoring systems

User-Facing Features

  • Web UI: Subscribe to and manage topics
  • Mobile Apps: iOS and Android apps available
  • Browser Notifications: Native browser notification support
  • Topic Management: Create public or private topics
  • History: View recent notifications for a topic
  • CLI: Command-line tools for scripting

Ntfy is a simple notification service that integrates well with the Backbone stack for web access and works alongside the Monitoring stack for alerting.