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Deploy Metabase

Dashboards and answers from your data on your own Metabase

DataWorkMetabase + PostgreSQL + Email

Deploy open source Metabase with a managed Postgres application database, email for invites and subscriptions, and a public HTTPS URL. The admin account is created at deploy, so the setup page is never open. You pay for compute, not per seat.

Metabase running on StackBlaze

What you get with Metabase

  • Questions without SQLPick a table, filter, summarize and group in the query builder, then switch the result to a bar, line, map or pivot table.
  • SQL when you want itWrite native queries in the SQL editor with the schema beside you, save them as questions and reuse them on dashboards.
  • Dashboards to shareArrange questions on dashboards with filters and tabs. Send them by email on a schedule, or set an alert when a result changes.
  • Managed PostgresQuestions, dashboards, users and settings live in a Postgres database, not in the H2 file Metabase uses by default.
  • Encrypted connectionsPasswords for the databases you connect are encrypted with a secret key generated at deploy and unique to this instance.
  • No open setup pageThe admin account is created on first start with a generated password before Metabase answers on its public URL.

After you deploy Metabase

  1. 1Open the public URLThe hostname is on the app page after deploy. The first start sets up the application database and the admin, which takes about three minutes.
  2. 2Sign in as adminSign in with admin@example.com and the password in MB_ADMIN_PASSWORD from the app’s Variables. Change the email and password in Account settings.
  3. 3Connect a database and ask a questionExplore the Sample Database and the E-commerce Insights dashboard, then add your own database in Admin → Databases and invite your team.

How Metabase is wired

Metabase and its Postgres application database ship together, with email from the platform. The public hostname serves the app, the API and embeds.

Postgres holds everything
Questions, dashboards, users, permissions and cached results live in the attached database. Restart or redeploy and they are still there.
Email is already wired
The Email add-on sends invites, password resets, alerts and dashboard subscriptions. No mail server to set up.
Keep the secret key
MB_ENCRYPTION_SECRET_KEY encrypts the credentials of every database you connect. It is generated once at deploy. Changing it later makes them unreadable.
Memory follows the size
Metabase runs on the JVM and needs about 2 GB. Its heap grows with the memory you give the app, up to 3 GB unless you set your own in JAVA_OPTS.

Why run Metabase on StackBlaze

  • Scale your appChange CPU, RAM, and replicas without a rebuild, or let autoscaling add replicas when CPU climbs.
  • Git-based CI/CDPush to GitHub and it builds and ships. Pull requests get their own preview URL on Pro and Business.
  • One-click rollbackA deploy went wrong? Go back to any previous successful deploy.
  • Environments built inProduction, staging, and dev as separate environments in one project, each with its own URL.
  • Built-in observabilityCPU, memory, and response time per app, live logs with search, and alerts to Slack, Discord, or a webhook.
  • Developer-first toolsA CLI and Stack MCP: deploy, read logs, and wire services from your terminal or your AI assistant.
  • Built for teamsInvite teammates with roles. An audit log records who changed what.
  • Managed Postgres with HAPostgres is run for you. Turn on high availability for a three-node cluster when the app needs it.

Common questions about Metabase

How do I sign in after deploy?

Open the public URL and sign in with admin@example.com and the password shown as MB_ADMIN_PASSWORD in the app’s Variables. The account is created on first start, so nobody else can claim the setup page.

Which databases can I connect?

Any database the open source edition supports, such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, BigQuery, Snowflake and Redshift. Add them in Admin → Databases. The Sample Database is there to try things first.

Does email work?

Yes. Invites, password resets, question alerts and scheduled dashboard subscriptions go out through the Email add-on from the first deploy.

Which edition is this?

The open source edition (AGPL). SAML and JWT single sign on, row level permissions and the configuration file belong to the paid editions.

Can I use my own domain?

Yes. Attach a custom domain from the dashboard, then set MB_SITE_URL to it so links in emails point there. Custom domains

How do I upgrade Metabase?

Change the image tag to a newer release and redeploy. Metabase migrates its application database on start. Back up the database before a major upgrade.

What does it cost?

You pay for the compute, storage and bandwidth Metabase and Postgres use, not per seat or per dashboard. Pricing

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