Choosing a server
Exort is self-hosted, so the first step is to get a server (VPS) where it will run. Any provider works — what matters is the specs, the OS, and where the server is located.
Minimum requirements
Section titled “Minimum requirements”- OS: Ubuntu 22.04 or later
- CPU: 1 vCPU (2+ recommended for production traffic)
- RAM: 2 GB minimum
- Disk: 10 GB free space
- Network: a public IPv4 address, ports 80 and 443 open
A 2 GB server is enough to install and test Exort. For real campaigns, scale CPU and RAM with your click volume.
Recommended providers
Section titled “Recommended providers”Any provider that offers a clean Ubuntu image works. Popular, affordable options:
- Hetzner — best price/performance in the EU
- DigitalOcean — simple, global regions
- Vultr — global locations, hourly billing
- Linode / Akamai — reliable, developer-friendly
Choosing a location
Section titled “Choosing a location”Place the server close to your traffic. Redirect speed depends on the network distance between the visitor and your server — a server near your audience means faster redirects and more accurate tracking.
Using a domain
Section titled “Using a domain”A domain is not required to install Exort — the tracker starts on your server’s IP over HTTP. When you’re ready to use a custom domain, point its A record to your server’s IP address; Exort then issues an SSL certificate for it automatically.
Once your server is ready, continue to Installation.