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Invites and signups

There are two ways a person gets an account on your instance: open public signup, or a single-use invite link you hand out. The usual pattern is to open signup just long enough to create your own account, close it, and add everyone else by invite.

The signup gate​

PUBLIC_SIGNUP_ENABLED controls whether anyone can register from the login page.

PUBLIC_SIGNUP_ENABLED=true

In a production deploy it defaults to closed when the variable is unset, which is the safe default for a box that might be reachable from outside. The setup builder sets it to true so first-run registration works. Turn it off once your account exists:

PUBLIC_SIGNUP_ENABLED=false

Then docker compose up -d. The Instance settings section of the console shows the current state under public_signup so you can confirm which mode you are in without reading the file.

Single-use invites​

The Invites tab mints a link that lets one new person register their own account and their own fresh workspace, even while public signup is off. Each link is single-use.

When you mint one you can:

  • Lock it to an email so only that address can redeem it.
  • Add a note for your own reference.
  • Set an expiry in days (1 to 365).

If you lock the invite to an email and your instance has an email sender configured, the join link is sent straight to that address. Otherwise the link is shown to you once, at mint time. It is a credential, so copy it then, hand it over yourself, and keep the expiry short.

The list below the form shows every invite with a status of open, consumed, expired, or revoked, plus who redeemed it. You can revoke any invite that has not been used yet, which makes the link stop working immediately.

Letting owners invite​

By default only the operator mints invites. COBBLR_SELF_SERVE_INVITES opens a second path: with it on, a regular workspace owner can generate a "start your own workspace" link for someone else. Each invitee becomes an owner who can then invite more, so it defaults to closed in production. Turn it on only when you want that kind of growth:

COBBLR_SELF_SERVE_INVITES=true

The waitlist​

If you point a public signup form at your instance, submissions land in the Waitlist tab. Approving an entry mints an invite locked to that email (emailed when a sender is configured) and marks the row invited; dismissing declines it. On an instance you run for yourself or a known group, this tab stays empty.