Last Updated: 3/10/2026

Post-Installation Setup

You’ve installed LinkAce - great! Now let’s unlock its full potential by enabling automated backups, link monitoring, and other essential features.

Overview

LinkAce works right after installation, but these post-setup steps enable:

✅ Wayback Machine archiving - Automatic backup of your bookmarks to the Internet Archive
✅ Link monitoring - Regular checks to detect broken or moved links
✅ Application backups - Scheduled database and file backups
✅ Email notifications - Alerts for broken links and backup status

All these features require the system cron to be configured. Let’s set that up first.

1. Configure the System Cron (Required)

The cron job is the heart of LinkAce’s automation. Without it, automated features won’t work.

Get Your Cron URL

Log into LinkAce
Click your username in the top-right corner
Select “System Settings”
Scroll to the “System Cron” section
Copy the Cron URL displayed

It looks like: https://your-linkace-url/cron/abc123def456...

Add the Cron Job

Choose the method that fits your setup:

Option A: Using curl (Recommended)

Edit your crontab:


crontab -e

Add this line (replace with your actual cron URL):


* * * * * curl -s https://your-linkace-url/cron/YOUR-TOKEN-HERE

This runs every minute and triggers LinkAce’s task scheduler.

Option B: Using wget

If curl isn’t available:


* * * * * wget -q -O /dev/null https://your-linkace-url/cron/YOUR-TOKEN-HERE

Option C: Docker Exec Method

For Docker installations, you can run the scheduler directly:


* * * * * docker exec linkace-app-1 php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

Note: Replace linkace-app-1 with your actual container name. Find it with:


docker ps | grep linkace

Option D: Direct PHP Method

For non-Docker installations:


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

Replace /path/to/linkace with your actual LinkAce directory.

Verify the Cron is Working

After adding the cron job:

Wait 1-2 minutes
Return to System Settings in LinkAce
Check the “System Cron” section
You should see a green checkmark and “Last run: X seconds ago”

⚠️ Troubleshooting:

“Cron never ran” - Check that the cron URL is correct
“Permission denied” - Ensure the cron user can access Docker or PHP
“Command not found” - Use the full path to curl/wget/docker/php

2. Enable Wayback Machine Backups

The Wayback Machine automatically archives your bookmarks, preserving them even if the original sites disappear.

Enable in User Settings

Click your username → “User Settings”
Scroll to “Wayback Machine backups”
Enable “Backup links to the Wayback Machine”
(Optional) Enable “Backup private links” if you want private bookmarks archived
Click “Save Settings”

How It Works

When you save a new link, LinkAce sends it to the Internet Archive
The Wayback Machine crawls and archives the page
You can access archived versions even if the original disappears
Archives are publicly accessible on archive.org

Privacy Note: If you enable backup for private links, they will be archived on the public Internet Archive. Only enable this if you’re comfortable with that.

Limitations

Some websites block the Wayback Machine (robots.txt)
Login-required pages won’t be archived
Dynamic content may not archive perfectly
Non-HTTP(S) URLs (FTP, etc.) cannot be archived

3. Configure Email Notifications (Optional)

Email notifications keep you informed about:

Broken or moved links
Backup successes and failures
System errors

Edit Your .env File

Add or update these settings in your .env file:


# Sender information
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=linkace@yourdomain.com
MAIL_FROM_NAME=LinkAce

# SMTP configuration
MAIL_MAILER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=smtp.example.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=your-smtp-username
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-smtp-password
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls

Common SMTP Providers

Gmail:


MAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=your-email@gmail.com
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls

Mailgun:


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

SendGrid:


MAIL_HOST=smtp.sendgrid.net
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=apikey
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-sendgrid-api-key
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls

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 complete email configuration options, see Email Configuration.

Restart After Configuration

Docker:


docker compose restart

Non-Docker:


php artisan config:clear

Test Email

Test your configuration:


# Docker
docker exec -it linkace-app-1 php artisan linkace:test-email your@email.com
 
# Non-Docker
php artisan linkace:test-email your@email.com

Check your inbox for the test message.

4. Enable Application Backups (Recommended)

Automatic backups protect your data. LinkAce can back up to:

Local filesystem
Amazon S3
Any S3-compatible service (Backblaze B2, Minio, Wasabi, etc.)

Quick Local Backup Setup

For Docker installations:

Create backup directory:
```
mkdir ./backups
chmod 0766 ./backups
```

Edit docker-compose.yml:

Uncomment the backup volume line:


services:
  app:
    volumes:
      - ./.env:/app/.env
      - ./backups:/app/storage/app/backups  # Remove the # at start

Enable backups in .env:


BACKUP_ENABLED=true
BACKUP_DISK=local_backups
BACKUP_NOTIFICATION_EMAIL=your@email.com

Restart:
```
docker compose restart
```

For non-Docker installations:

Ensure storage is writable:
```
chmod -R 0766 storage/app/backups
```

Enable in .env:


BACKUP_ENABLED=true
BACKUP_DISK=local_backups
BACKUP_NOTIFICATION_EMAIL=your@email.com

Backup Schedule

By default:

Backups run at 2:00 AM daily
Old backups are cleaned at 1:00 AM daily
Maximum backup size: 512 MB

Customize in .env:


BACKUP_RUN_HOUR=02:00        # When to create backups
BACKUP_CLEAN_HOUR=01:00      # When to clean old backups
BACKUP_MAX_SIZE=512          # Max size in MB

For S3 backup configuration and advanced options, see Application Backups.

5. Configure User Preferences

Personalize your LinkAce experience:

Click your username → “User Settings”
Configure these important settings:

Essential Settings

Setting	Recommendation
Timezone	Set your local timezone for accurate timestamps
Date Format	Choose your preferred format (e.g., “2024-01-15”)
Time Format	12-hour or 24-hour
Language	Select your preferred language

Privacy Defaults

Set default visibility for new items:

Item Type	Options	Recommendation
Links	Private / Internal / Public	Private (for personal use)
Lists	Private / Internal / Public	Internal (for teams)
Tags	Private / Internal / Public	Internal (for teams)
Notes	Private / Internal / Public	Private (usually)

Visibility explained:

Private: Only you can see it
Internal: All logged-in users can see it
Public: Anyone can see it (if Guest Mode is enabled)

Display Preferences

Setting	Description
Display links as…	Choose between Card or List view
Entries per page	How many items to show (10-100)
Open links in new tabs	Whether external links open in new tabs
Enable Markdown	Use Markdown formatting in descriptions

Dark Mode

Disabled: Always light theme
Enabled: Always dark theme
Automatic: Follows your OS setting (recommended)

6. Install the Bookmarklet

The bookmarklet is the fastest way to save links.

Installation

Go to User Settings
Find the “Bookmarklet” section
Drag the Bookmarklet button to your browser’s bookmarks bar

Usage

Visit any webpage you want to save
Click the LinkAce bookmarklet in your bookmarks bar
A popup appears with the link pre-filled
Add tags/lists if desired
Click “Save”

The bookmarklet automatically:

Captures the URL
Fetches the page title
Extracts the description
Grabs a preview image

7. Invite Team Members (Optional)

If you’re using LinkAce with a team:

Go to System Settings (admin only)
Click “User Management”
Click “Invite User”
Enter their email address
Choose their role:
- User: Can create and manage their own bookmarks
- Admin: Full system access, can manage users and settings
Click “Send Invitation”

The user receives an email with a registration link.

For more details, see User Management.

8. Enable Guest Mode (Optional)

Guest Mode allows unauthenticated users to view public bookmarks.

Use cases:

Public bookmark collections
Resource libraries
Curated link directories

Enable Guest Mode

Go to System Settings (admin only)
Find “Guest Access”
Enable “Allow guest access”
Configure guest permissions:
- View public links
- View public lists
- View public tags
Click “Save”

Guests can now access: https://your-linkace-url/guest

Security Note: Only items marked as “Public” are visible to guests. Private and Internal items remain protected.

Verification Checklist

Confirm everything is working:

☐ Cron job running (check System Settings)
☐ Wayback Machine enabled (check User Settings)
☐ Email configured (send test email)
☐ Backups enabled (check for backup files)
☐ User preferences set (timezone, date format, etc.)
☐ Bookmarklet installed (test saving a link)
☐ Team members invited (if applicable)
☐ Guest mode configured (if desired)

Next Steps

Start Using LinkAce

Core Concepts - Understanding Links, Lists, and Tags
Managing Your Links - Complete workflow guide
Search & Filters - Find bookmarks fast

Advanced Configuration

Environment Variables - Complete configuration reference
System Settings - System-wide options
Application Backups - Detailed backup configuration

Maintenance

Upgrading LinkAce - How to update to newer versions
Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
CLI Commands - Command-line tools

Need Help?

If you encounter issues:

Check the Troubleshooting Guide
Search GitHub Discussions
Review the complete documentation
Ask the community for help

Enjoy using LinkAce! 🔖