Tldraw Docker with Persistent Storage

Self-hosted tldraw whiteboard with SQLite backend for persistent storage across containers and computers.

Features

• Persistent Storage: All drawings saved to SQLite database
• Shared Across Computers: Access your work from any computer
• Auto-save: Changes automatically saved every second
• Docker Volume: Data persists across container restarts
• Lightweight: Uses SQLite instead of heavy databases

Setup

docker compose up -d --build

Open http://tldraw.localhost

If tldraw.localhost doesn't resolve, add to /etc/hosts:

127.0.0.1 tldraw.localhost

How It Works

Storage Architecture

1. Frontend (React + Tldraw): Creates and edits drawings
2. Backend (Node.js + Express): Serves static files + REST API
3. Database (SQLite): Stores document snapshots in ./data/tldraw.db
4. Local Directory Mount: Database persists in your project folder

User Browser → Single Node.js Server (port 80) → SQLite DB
               ├─ Serves static files                ↓
               └─ REST API (/api/*)           ./data/tldraw.db

Data Persistence

• Drawings are stored in a SQLite database file: ./data/tldraw.db
• The database file is in your project's data folder (not inside the container)
• To move to another computer, just copy the entire project folder
• No need to export/import Docker volumes

Configuration

Change domain — edit docker-compose.yml:

- "traefik.http.routers.tldraw.rule=Host(`whiteboard.yourdomain.com`)"

Change port — if port 80 is in use:

ports:
  - "8080:80"

Data Management

Backup Your Data

Your database is stored locally at ./data/tldraw.db. Just copy this file or the entire project folder.

# Backup the database file
cp ./data/tldraw.db ./tldraw-backup.db

# Or backup entire project
tar czf tldraw-backup.tar.gz .

Move to Another Computer

Simply copy your entire project folder to the new computer. The data directory contains your database.

# On Computer A
tar czf tldraw-project.tar.gz /path/to/tldraw

# Transfer tldraw-project.tar.gz to Computer B

# On Computer B
tar xzf tldraw-project.tar.gz
cd tldraw
docker compose up -d --build

Reset All Data

rm -rf ./data
docker compose restart

Architecture

├── Dockerfile              # Single container build
├── docker-compose.yml      # Traefik + app
├── server.js               # Serves static files + REST API
├── src/
│   ├── App.jsx             # Tldraw with backend sync
│   ├── main.jsx
│   └── utils.js            # Throttle helper
├── data/
│   └── tldraw.db           # SQLite database (auto-created)
├── package.json            # All dependencies
└── vite.config.js

API Endpoints

• GET /api/document/:id - Load document snapshot
• POST /api/document/:id - Save document snapshot
• GET /api/documents - List all documents
• GET /health - Backend health check