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Getting StartedPost Installation

Last Updated: 3/9/2026

Post-Installation

After completing the LinkAce setup, follow these essential steps to unlock the full potential of the application, including automated link archiving, health checks, and backups.

1. Configure the Cron Job (Critical)

The cron job is required for LinkAce’s automation features. Without it, the following features will not work:

  • ❌ Wayback Machine archiving
  • ❌ Automated link health checks
  • ❌ Scheduled application backups
  • ❌ Cleanup tasks (old logs, trashed items)

What is the Cron Job?

The cron job is a scheduled task that runs every minute and triggers LinkAce’s background workers. These workers process queued jobs like archiving links, checking link health, and performing backups.

Get Your Cron Token

  1. Log in to LinkAce as an administrator
  2. Navigate to System Settings:
    Click your username (top-right) → System Settings
  3. Locate the Cron Token:
    Under the “Cron” section, you’ll see:
    • Cron Token: A unique secret token (e.g., abc123def456)
    • Pre-built Cron URL: The full URL to call (e.g., https://your-linkace.com/cron/abc123def456)

Setup Instructions by Environment

For Docker Installations

Add a cron job to your host system (not inside the Docker container).

Option 1: Using crontab (Linux/macOS)

  1. Open your crontab:

    crontab -e

  2. Add this line (replace with your URL):

    * * * * * curl -s https://your-linkace.com/cron/abc123def456 > /dev/null 2>&1

  3. Save and exit. The cron will run every minute.

Option 2: Using a cron service

If your server doesn’t support cron, use a free cron service like:

Configure the service to call your cron URL every minute.

For Non-Docker Installations (PHP)

Add a cron job to your server’s crontab.

  1. Open your crontab:

    crontab -e

  2. Add this line (adjust the path to your LinkAce installation):

    * * * * * cd /path/to/linkace && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

  3. Save and exit.

Verify the Cron is Working

  1. Wait a few minutes after setting up the cron
  2. Check the System Logs:
    Navigate to System Logs in LinkAce (username dropdown → System Logs)
  3. Look for cron entries:
    You should see log entries like: 
    [timestamp] Cron job executed successfully
[timestamp] Link checks scheduled: 5 links queued

If you don’t see cron logs, double-check:

  • The cron URL is correct (including the token)
  • The cron job is saved and active
  • Your server can reach the LinkAce URL (check firewall rules)

2. Configure Email Settings

Email is required for:

  • User invitations
  • Password resets
  • Broken link notifications
  • Backup failure alerts

Add Email Configuration to .env

Open your .env file and add the following settings:

# Email sender details
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS="[email protected]"
MAIL_FROM_NAME="LinkAce"

# Email method (smtp, sendmail, mailgun, ses, postmark, log)
MAIL_MAILER=smtp

# SMTP settings (if using SMTP)
MAIL_HOST=smtp.example.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=your-smtp-username
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-smtp-password
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls  # or ssl, or leave empty for none

Common Email Providers

Gmail / Google Workspace:

MAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=your-email@gmail.com
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password  # Use App Password, not account password
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls

Mailgun:

MAIL_MAILER=mailgun
MAILGUN_DOMAIN=your-domain.com
MAILGUN_SECRET=your-api-key

Amazon SES:

MAIL_MAILER=ses
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-access-key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-secret-key
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=us-east-1

For more providers, see the Laravel Mail documentation .

Test Email Configuration

Run the built-in email test command:

Docker:

docker compose exec app php artisan mail:check

Non-Docker:

php artisan mail:check

Enter an email address when prompted. Check your inbox for the test email.

Restart After Changing .env

If you’re using Docker, restart the containers to apply changes:

docker compose restart app

3. Configure System Settings

Navigate to System Settings (username dropdown → System Settings) and review these important settings:

Guest Access

  • Enable Guest Mode: Allow unauthenticated users to browse Public links, lists, and tags
  • Use case: Public bookmark collections, open knowledge bases
  • Default: Disabled (login required)

Automation Settings

  • Link Health Checks: Enable regular checks for broken links
    • Check frequency: How often to check each link (e.g., every 7 days)
    • Notification: Email or in-app alerts for broken links
  • Wayback Machine Archiving: Enable automatic archiving of new links
  • Backup Schedule: Configure daily backups (see Backups)

Privacy Defaults

  • Default visibility: Set the default visibility for new links, lists, and tags (Public, Internal, or Private)
  • Guest registration: Allow or disable self-registration (if Guest Mode is enabled)

Notifications

  • Email notifications: Enable/disable email alerts for broken links, backups, and system events
  • In-app notifications: Enable/disable dashboard notifications

4. Configure User Settings

Navigate to User Settings (username dropdown → User Settings) to personalize your experience:

Display Preferences

  • Timezone: Set your local timezone (affects timestamps)
  • Date format: Choose your preferred date format (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD, DD/MM/YYYY)
  • Time format: 12-hour or 24-hour
  • Language: Select your preferred language (if translations are available)
  • Default view: Choose how links are displayed (compact list, detailed list, or cards)
  • Links per page: Set pagination (default: 24)

Sharing Services

  • Enable sharing buttons: Choose which services to show on link detail pages:
    • Twitter (X)
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Reddit
    • Bluesky
    • Email

5. Install the Bookmarklet

The bookmarklet allows you to save links to LinkAce from any browser with one click.

Installation Steps

  1. Navigate to User Settings:
    Username dropdown → User Settings

  2. Locate the Bookmarklet section:
    You’ll see a button labeled “Add to LinkAce”

  3. Drag the button to your bookmarks bar:

    • Chrome/Edge: Drag to the bookmarks bar (press Ctrl+Shift+B to show it)
    • Firefox: Drag to the bookmarks toolbar (press Ctrl+Shift+B to show it)
    • Safari: Drag to the favorites bar (View → Show Favorites Bar)

Using the Bookmarklet

  1. Navigate to any web page you want to save
  2. Click the “Add to LinkAce” bookmark
  3. A popup will appear with the URL, title, and description pre-filled
  4. Add tags, lists, and notes as desired
  5. Click Save

The bookmarklet respects your login session and default privacy settings.

LinkAce can automatically back up your database and uploaded files to S3-compatible storage.

Quick Setup

  1. Choose a storage provider:

    • Amazon S3
    • Backblaze B2
    • DigitalOcean Spaces
    • MinIO (self-hosted)
    • Any S3-compatible service

  2. Add credentials to .env:

    BACKUP_ENABLED=true
BACKUP_DISK=s3
BACKUP_ARCHIVE_PASSWORD=your-encryption-password

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-access-key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-secret-key
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=us-east-1
AWS_BUCKET=your-bucket-name
AWS_ENDPOINT=  # Optional: for non-AWS S3 providers

  3. Configure backup schedule in System Settings:

    • Daily backups: Set the hour (e.g., 2:00 AM)
    • Retention: Keep backups for X days

  4. Restart containers (Docker):

    docker compose restart app

For detailed instructions, see Application Backups.

7. Import Existing Bookmarks (Optional)

If you’re migrating from another bookmark manager or browser:

  1. Export your bookmarks to HTML:

    • Chrome: Bookmarks → Bookmark Manager → ⋮ → Export bookmarks
    • Firefox: Bookmarks → Show All Bookmarks → Import and Backup → Export Bookmarks to HTML
    • Safari: File → Export Bookmarks

  2. Import into LinkAce:
    Navigate to Import (username dropdown → Import) and upload your HTML file.

See Importing Bookmarks for detailed instructions.

8. Invite Users (Multi-User Setup)

If you’re setting up LinkAce for a team or family:

  1. Configure SSO (optional):
    Set up Single Sign-On for OAuth/OIDC providers (Google, GitHub, etc.)

  2. Invite users:
    Navigate to User Management (username dropdown → User Management) and send invitations.

  3. Set visibility defaults:
    Decide whether new content should default to Public, Internal, or Private.

See User Management for more details.

Troubleshooting

Cron Not Working

  • Check the cron URL is correct (including the token)
  • Test manually: Visit the cron URL in your browser (you should see “OK”)
  • Check server logs: Look for cron execution errors
  • Verify firewall: Ensure your server can reach the LinkAce URL

Email Not Sending

  • Run the test command: php artisan mail:check (or via Docker)
  • Check SMTP credentials: Verify username, password, host, and port
  • Check logs: System Logs → look for mail errors
  • Try a different provider: Some ISPs block port 587/465

Backups Failing

  • Check S3 credentials: Verify access key, secret key, and bucket name
  • Check permissions: Ensure the S3 user has write access to the bucket
  • Check logs: System Logs → look for backup errors

For more help, see the Troubleshooting guide.

Next Steps

Now that LinkAce is fully configured:

  1. Start adding links: Use the dashboard “Quick Add” form or the bookmarklet
  2. Organize your bookmarks: Create Lists and Tags
  3. Explore features: Learn about Link Monitoring, Search, and RSS Feeds
  4. Set up the API: Generate API Tokens for integrations

Enjoy using LinkAce! 🚀

Introduction