hermes-config/skills/self-hosting/mealie-setup/SKILL.md

name, description, version, author, license, platforms, metadata

name	description	version	author	license	platforms	metadata
mealie-setup	Deploy and configure Mealie (self-hosted meal planner/recipe manager) — Docker deployment, nginx reverse proxy, batch recipe import, mobile app setup, and common pitfalls.	1.0.0	Hermes Agent	MIT	linux	hermes tags mealie meal-planner recipes docker self-hosting nginx

Mealie Setup

Mealie is a self-hosted recipe manager and meal planner. Web-based with PWA support for mobile, plus third-party Android/iOS apps (Ghee, Mealient, MealieSwift).

Quick Deploy

docker run -d \
  --name mealie \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 127.0.0.1:9925:9000 \
  -v /path/to/data:/app/data \
  ghcr.io/mealie-recipes/mealie:latest

⚠️ PORT PITFALL: Mealie listens on port 9000 internally, not 9925. The -p mapping must be host:9000, not host:9925. If you map 9925:9925, the container starts but the proxy returns empty responses.

BASE_URL (critical for invite links)

Without BASE_URL, Mealie generates invite links, password reset URLs, and notification links using http://localhost:8080 — they'll always fail. Set it to the external URL including the port:

docker run -d \
  --name mealie \
  ...
  -e BASE_URL=https://your.domain:3449 \
  ghcr.io/mealie-recipes/mealie:latest

If invite links show "refused to connect", you forgot BASE_URL. Re-create the container with it set — data survives in the volume.

Nginx Reverse Proxy

Mealie needs to be at the root path — subpath proxying (/mealie/) is not supported (JS framework limitation).

server {
    listen PORT ssl;
    server_name your.domain;

    ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/your.domain/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/your.domain/privkey.pem;

    client_max_body_size 50M;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:9925;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
        proxy_read_timeout 86400;
    }
}

First Visit & Setup

• First visitor creates the admin account (no default credentials).
• Seed Foods and Units databases: User menu → Manage Data → ensure orange button shows "Foods" → click Seed → do the same for Units. This enables smart ingredient parsing and shopping list generation.

Mobile Access

• PWA (recommended, free): Open Mealie in Chrome Android → ⋮ → "Add to Home Screen". Full-screen with offline caching. All features (meal planner, shopping lists, cook mode) are free — unlike third-party apps.
• Ghee (Play Store): ⚠️ Meal planner is a paid feature. Recipe browsing and shopping lists work for free, but the meal calendar requires an in-app purchase. If "server unreachable" with SSL URL, try http://192.168.50.X:9925 first — hairpin NAT or Android cleartext policies often block HTTPS on non-standard ports from apps.
• Mealient (open source): GitHub release APK. Free, no paywalls.

Batch Importing Recipes

Recipes are imported by URL via the scraper API. See references/batch-import.md for a curl/Python script.

Scraper compatibility: see references/scraper-sites.md for which recipe sites work reliably and workarounds for blocked sites.

Recipe management (list, filter, delete): see references/recipe-management.md for bulk CRUD via API — useful when you need to remove recipes by keyword (e.g., all pork/bacon recipes) or inspect what's in the library.

Managing Recipes

Search, filter, and delete recipes in bulk via the API — useful for dietary cleanup, duplicate removal, and post-import curation. See references/recipe-management.md for the full API workflow (list, keyword-search, inspect ingredients, delete).

Data Location

• Container data: /app/data (bind-mount to persistent storage)
• Database: SQLite inside the data directory
• Backups: copy the data directory