⚙️ Getting Started
Installing PolyBot
Get PolyBot running on your machine or VPS in under 10 minutes. The bot ships as a Docker image — no Python, no dependencies to manage.
System Requirements
- OS: Linux (Ubuntu 22.04 recommended), macOS, Windows (with WSL2 or Docker Desktop)
- RAM: 1 GB minimum (2 GB recommended if running both bots)
- CPU: 1 vCPU minimum
- Disk: 2 GB free space
- Docker: Version 24.0 or later
- Internet: Stable connection required for 24/7 operation (use a VPS)
💡 VPS Recommended
For 24/7 trading without leaving your computer on, use a cheap VPS like Hetzner Cloud (€3.79/mo) or DigitalOcean ($6/mo). See the VPS setup guide.
Step 1 — Install Docker
Docker is the only prerequisite. Choose your OS:
Ubuntu / Debian (Linux VPS)
# One-command Docker install
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
# Add your user to the docker group (no sudo required)
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Activate group membership without logout
newgrp docker
# Verify
docker --version
macOS
# Install via Homebrew
brew install --cask docker
# Then open Docker Desktop from Applications
open /Applications/Docker.app
Windows
Download and install Docker Desktop from docs.docker.com. Enable WSL2 integration when prompted. Then open PowerShell and verify:
docker --version
# Expected: Docker version 24.x.x or higher
Step 2 — Get Your PolyBot Package
After purchasing PolyBot, you receive your bot package via Discord DM or email. The package contains:
docker-compose.yml — the launch configurationconfig.example.yml — template config (copy to config.yml)- Setup instructions specific to your bot version
Place the package files in a dedicated folder:
mkdir ~/polybot && cd ~/polybot
# Extract your received package here
# Copy the example config to get started
cp config.example.yml config.yml
Step 3 — Launch the Bot
One command starts everything — the bot, the web dashboard, and all background services:
# Start PolyBot in the background
docker compose up -d
# View startup logs
docker logs polybot --follow
On first launch, the Setup Wizard automatically opens in the bot's web dashboard.
Step 4 — Open the Dashboard
Open your browser and navigate to:
- Local machine:
http://localhost:8080
- VPS:
http://YOUR_VPS_IP:8080
The Setup Wizard will walk you through pasting your Polymarket API key and choosing your starting mode.
Verify the Installation
# Check the container is running
docker ps
# Expected output includes:
# NAMES: polybot STATUS: Up X minutes PORTS: 0.0.0.0:8080->8080/tcp
# Check health
docker inspect polybot --format='{{.State.Health.Status}}'
# Expected: healthy
Common Installation Issues
Port 8080 already in use
# Edit docker-compose.yml and change the host port:
ports:
- "8081:8080" # Access at :8081 instead
Permission denied (Linux)
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker # Apply without logout
Not enough memory
If the container exits immediately with an OOM error, upgrade your VPS to at least 1 GB RAM. Check with: free -h
Cannot connect to dashboard on VPS
Your VPS firewall may be blocking port 8080. Open it with:
sudo ufw allow 8080
sudo ufw reload