Auto-Install Extensions

Pre-configure extensions to install automatically when LNbits starts - useful for Docker, automated deployments, and managed instances.

Auto-install lets you specify which extensions should be installed automatically when LNbits starts. This is essential for reproducible deployments where you want a consistent set of extensions.

Configuration

LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT_INSTALL=tpos,lnurlp,satspay,withdraw

Comma-separated list of extension IDs. On startup, LNbits will:

1. Check if each listed extension is already installed
2. Download and install any that are missing
3. Run database migrations
4. Make them available for activation

Re-install behavior

If an auto-install extension is uninstalled by an admin, it will be reinstalled on the next restart. This ensures the configured extensions are always present.

To permanently remove an auto-installed extension, remove it from LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT_INSTALL before uninstalling.

Docker example

services:
  lnbits:
    image: lnbits/lnbits:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - LNBITS_BACKEND_WALLET_CLASS=FakeWallet
      - LNBITS_ADMIN_UI=true
      - LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT_INSTALL=tpos,lnurlp,satspay,withdraw,boltz
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
      - ./.env:/app/.env
    ports:
      - "5000:5000"

Docker Compose with custom manifest

Combine auto-install with a custom manifest for full control:

services:
  lnbits:
    image: lnbits/lnbits:latest
    environment:
      - LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_MANIFESTS=["https://your-company.com/manifest.json"]
      - LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT_INSTALL=tpos,lnurlp,custom_ext

Default extensions for new users

Separate from auto-install, you can configure which extensions are enabled by default for new users:

# Auto-install (instance-level: ensures extensions are downloaded)
LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT_INSTALL=tpos,lnurlp,withdraw

# User defaults (user-level: enables extensions in new user dashboards)
LNBITS_USER_DEFAULT_EXTENSIONS=tpos,lnurlp

Both settings work together:

• LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT_INSTALL ensures the extensions are installed on the instance
• LNBITS_USER_DEFAULT_EXTENSIONS ensures they are enabled for new users

Use cases

Scenario	Configuration
Merchant POS deployment	LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT_INSTALL=tpos,lnurlp
Developer testing	LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT_INSTALL=decoder,nwcprovider
Full-featured instance	LNBITS_EXTENSIONS_DEFAULT_INSTALL=tpos,lnurlp,withdraw,satspay,boltz
Managed SaaS	Custom manifest + auto-install + user defaults

Related Pages

• Deploying Extensions - all deployment methods
• Custom Marketplace - curate your own extension list
• Using Extensions - user-facing extension management
• Reference - all environment variables