How to Get Started with LinkStack and Move Your Data Between Instances

Updated

LinkStack is a self-hosted, open-source link-sharing platform — a Linktree alternative you can run on your own web server or Docker, or use through a free community instance. Getting started means picking where you want to live (a hosted instance, Docker, or your own web server), creating an account there, and then using the built-in export/import tools if you later want to move your links and settings somewhere else. The export/import path is the key detail: LinkStack explicitly lets you take your data with you from one instance to another, so you are not locked in when you start on a free instance and decide later to self-host.

Getting started: choose where LinkStack runs

LinkStack offers three broad ways to run, and the right one depends on how much control and setup work you want.

Option What it means Best if
Community / hosted instances Use a free instance generously hosted by community members You want to try LinkStack with no setup
Docker Run LinkStack in a container on your own machine or server You want self-hosting with minimal configuration
Web server (NGINX, Apache, etc.) Install LinkStack directly on your own web server or web-hosting provider You already run a server and want full control

The site lists these as "Community servers," "Docker," and "Hosted options," and notes you can "use one of the free instances online, make use of our premium hosted instances or host it yourself using a web server or docker." A hosted option is shown starting "From $1," while Docker and Community are marked FREE. Treat those as the signals the site gives — check the current instance or hosting page before committing, since pricing and availability can change.

Try before you self-host

The site recommends a specific order of operations: "Try out an online instance and host it yourself if you like it." In practice that means:

  1. Pick a community instance from the instance list (the site names linksta.cc as the official instance and shows others like an example community instance and a duck-themed one).
  2. Create an account on that instance.
  3. Build your profile and links there.
  4. If you like it, export your data and stand up your own instance.

This avoids doing server setup before you know whether the platform fits your needs.

Creating an account and building your page

On any instance — community, hosted, or your own — the starting flow is the same:

  1. Open the instance URL.
  2. Choose Create account (the homepage presents "Get Started" and "Create account" as the entry points).
  3. Register and verify your email if the instance has email verification enabled. LinkStack includes a built-in SMTP server for email verification and password reset, so verification may be handled by the instance itself.
  4. Add your links and customize the look with themes.

If you are running your own instance, note that LinkStack supports both single-user mode and multiple users. In multi-user mode, other people can register on your page and create their own profiles, and you manage them through the Admin Panel. In single-user mode, the instance is just yours.

Exporting your data from one instance

LinkStack's data portability is a first-class feature, not an afterthought. The site states: "Export all your data from one instance to another. You can decide where you want to be."

The general steps:

  1. Log in to the instance that currently holds your links and settings.
  2. Find the Export option for your data. The site presents "Export Your data" and "Import Your data" as a paired capability, so look for export in your account or admin settings.
  3. Save the exported file somewhere you control.

What gets exported, per the site's framing, is your links and settings — enough to reconstruct your presence on another instance. The exact file format and menu location are not specified in the available material, so check your instance's settings area rather than assuming a fixed path.

Importing into a new instance

Once you have your export file and a destination instance (your own Docker install, a web-server install, or another community instance):

  1. Log in to the destination instance.
  2. Go to the Import option.
  3. Upload or point to your exported file.
  4. Confirm the import and check that your links and settings came across correctly.

The site's promise here is direct: "Take your links with you. Export all your data from one instance to another." That is the whole point of the feature — you can start on a free community instance and later move to a self-hosted one without rebuilding from scratch.

A realistic migration scenario

Say you start on a free community instance, add a dozen links, and pick a theme you like. A month later you decide you want your own domain and full control, so you install LinkStack via Docker. Instead of re-adding every link and re-selecting your theme, you export from the community instance and import into your Docker instance. Your links and settings move with you, and you keep sharing the same page — just at a new address.

What to check before you commit

  • Instance rules and hosting: Community instances are run by volunteers. If you need guaranteed uptime or a custom domain, self-hosting (Docker or web server) is the more durable choice.
  • Multi-user vs single-user: Decide up front whether you want others to register on your instance. This affects how you configure it.
  • Email: If you rely on verification or password reset, confirm the instance's SMTP setup works for your address.
  • Pricing: The site shows a hosted option "From $1" and marks Docker and Community as free, but confirm current terms on the instance or hosting page before you rely on them.

The short version: start on a free instance to test the fit, build your page, then export and import into your own Docker or web-server install when you want control. LinkStack is designed so that move is straightforward rather than a rebuild.