Docker: first install in 10 minutes

1. Run it (2 minutes)

docker run -d --name skald --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 127.0.0.1:8080:8080 \
  -v /var/log/nginx:/logs:ro \
  -v skald-data:/var/lib/traffic-intel \
  -e SKALD_SITE=example.com \
  -e SKALD_HOSTS="example.com www.example.com" \
  -e SKALD_TIMEZONE=America/New_York \
  -e SKALD_BASE_URL=https://www.example.com \
  -e SKALD_TRUSTED_PROXIES=private -e SKALD_REAL_IP_HEADER=X-Real-IP \
  ghcr.io/spcaeo/skald:2

• 127.0.0.1: publishes the port on this machine only. nginx in front gives it to the world. Keep the same line in every later docker run.
• /var/log/nginx is read-only: Skald reads the log, never changes it.
• skald-data holds everything Skald keeps. It must be mounted at /var/lib/traffic-intel, where the image keeps its data. Keep the volume.
• :2 follows every 2.x release and never a breaking one.
• Not a Next.js site? Add -e SKALD_ASSET_PREFIXES="/wp-content/ /wp-includes/" (WordPress), or the folder your pages load their scripts and styles from. A visit counts as people only when its browser fetched one.
• The last line is for nginx on the same machine. It lets Skald see each visitor's address, not nginx's.
• Countries: nginx's stock log has no country. To get one, give Skald a GeoIP country file. DB-IP's free country file works. Keep it on the host, for example in /usr/share/GeoIP, and add -v /usr/share/GeoIP:/geoip:ro -e SKALD_COUNTRY_DB=/geoip/dbip-country-lite.mmdb. Each visit then gets its address's country, and so does a lead your backend sends with an address. Refresh the file on the host once a month (your updater or a cron job that downloads DB-IP's new file). Skald reads the new file by itself, no restart. DB-IP's credit is shown under the countries. Without a file, countries say Not recorded. A country your log already carries (Cloudflare's, or nginx's own cc=) always wins.
• A new install keeps each visit with its IP address, and each lead's name and email, so admins can look a person up. To keep neither, add -e SKALD_KEEP_IPS=0 -e SKALD_IDENTITY=anonymous. To keep each address shortened, with its last part removed (203.0.113.57 is kept as 203.0.113.0), add -e SKALD_KEEP_IPS=short instead. Admins can change both later in Settings > Data retention > People. See Privacy.

2. Put it on the web (2 minutes)

In your site's HTTPS server { } block, before location /:

location ^~ /traffic {
    access_log off;
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https;
    client_max_body_size 6m;
}

Then check and reload. Careful: your website shares this nginx, so never reload without the check.

sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx

3. Sign in (1 minute)

docker exec -it skald traffic-intel accounts init --org "Example Co" --owner-email owner@example.com

It prints a "set your password" link, valid 60 minutes. Open it, set a password, and you are in at https://www.example.com/traffic/. See Sign-in and team to invite others.

4. Fill the last 14 days (2 minutes)

docker exec skald traffic-intel backfill --days 14

It stores each day the log's rotations still hold. Today fills by itself within two minutes.

5. Ask the doctor (1 minute)

docker exec skald traffic-intel doctor

One line per part, each OK, NEEDS ATTENTION or OFF, and the fix in plain words:

OFF is a part you have not turned on. It exits 1 when anything needs attention, so a script can watch it. --json prints the same list as JSON. --send-test also sends one test mail to the recipients.

The daily run happens at 07:15 in the site's time zone. Before the first one, "Daily run: has never run here" is expected.

6. Add the script tag (2 minutes)

The tag gives form steps, clicks and booking widgets. Start the container again with your site's origin:

docker rm -f skald
docker run ... -e SKALD_BEACON_ORIGINS=https://www.example.com ...    # the same command, plus this line

Then copy the tag from Settings > Integrations into every page's head. See Tracking script.

Only the first site needs SKALD_BEACON_ORIGINS. A site you add later from the dashboard takes events from its own Host names (Settings > This site > Sites). Its page assets are its own too: a site that is not Next.js sets them in Settings > This site > Sites > Page assets (SKALD_ASSET_PREFIXES is for the first site only). See Tracking script, "More than one site".

7. Add hooks

Settings > Integrations > Make secret for each tool, or on the server:

docker exec skald traffic-intel hooks secret example.com lead

Then: Send leads from your backend, Demo bookings, and Webhooks for the other tools. Not sure which? Pick your road.

Upgrade

docker pull ghcr.io/spcaeo/skald:2
docker rm -f skald
docker run ...        # the same command as before

The volume keeps all data. Not during the daily run.

When something is wrong

docker logs skald shows one line per job.