sqlite and pdo_sqlite for SQLite, or pdo_pgsql for PostgreSQLOptional:
composer create-project pushword/new pushword "^1.0"
cd pushword
The "^1.0" constraint keeps the project on Pushword’s stable 1.x line instead of silently crossing a future major version.
Existing applications should likewise constrain every pushword/* dependency, including pushword/installer, to ^1.
The installer creates the database and the demo content, then asks for the account you will log in with — email, password, role (ROLE_SUPER_ADMIN by default).
SQLite is the default. To create a new project directly on PostgreSQL, create the database first and pass its URL to the installer:
PUSHWORD_DATABASE_URL='postgresql://pushword:secret@127.0.0.1:5432/pushword?serverVersion=17&charset=utf8' \
composer create-project pushword/new pushword "^1.0"
For an existing project, set DATABASE_URL in .env.local, then run php bin/console doctrine:schema:update --force. This creates or updates the schema; it does not transfer data from an existing SQLite database.
Run unattended (CI, a provisioning script, composer --no-interaction), it cannot ask. In production it creates admin@example.tld with a random temporary password, prints that password once, and requires it to be changed before the account can access administration. A development install keeps the convenient admin@example.tld / p@ssword login; never expose those credentials in production.
Add another site or start a development server:
php bin/console pw:new
php -S 127.0.0.1:8004 -t public/
# or: symfony server:start -d
The installer writes the project’s Caddyfile. Install FrankenPHP and run:
frankenphp run --config Caddyfile
The first available port will be used automatically (like symfony server:start).
FrankenPHP can also run in worker mode (a long-running kernel). Pushword is safe to run this way — see Performance for how to enable it and why.
The installer checks which of the extensions above your PHP actually has, and — if a Docker daemon is answering — asks once whether to use Docker, recommending the answer that fits your machine. Answer no and no Docker file is written.
The image is FrankenPHP with every extension already in place, so it is the shortest path when installing them yourself is the hard part. See Docker for the development and production stacks, and for what has to live in a volume.
php bin/console pw:docker:init # if you said no, or want them added later
docker compose up --build
composer create-project installs admin, admin-block-editor, advanced-main-image, api, conversation, flat, page-scanner, static-generator, template-editor and version.
Add other extensions as needed:
composer req pushword/search # SQLite full-text search
composer req pushword/newsletter # campaigns and automations
composer req pushword/quiz # interactive quizzes
composer req pushword/page-update-notifier # email alert when a page changes
Each one registers its own routes and config on install — nothing to wire by hand.
To install all maintained Pushword bundles in an existing site instead, run:
composer require "pushword/pushword:^1.0"
This is the combined bundle package; use pushword/new above to create a site.
The Search extension keeps its own rebuildable SQLite index even when Doctrine uses PostgreSQL, so it still requires pdo_sqlite.
Pushword auto-detects the best available image driver in this order: VIPS > Imagick > GD.
libvips is ~4x faster and uses ~10x less memory than Imagick. It is the recommended driver for production.
# Install libvips system library
sudo apt install libvips-dev # Debian/Ubuntu
# or: brew install vips # macOS
# Install the PHP driver
composer require intervention/image-driver-vips
Requires the PHP FFI extension (php-ffi).
You can force a specific driver in config/packages/pushword.yaml:
pushword:
image_driver: vips # auto (default), vips, imagick, gd
sudo apt install php-imagick # Debian/Ubuntu
GD is the required fallback driver. Install the php-gd package when your PHP build does not already include it.
Stuck beyond what the docs cover? Robin, who wrote Pushword, takes paid work: advanced installations, migrations and bespoke development. First response within two business days.
Ask: contactpiedweb.com — or read what paid help covers.
Run composer require pushword/core in an existing Symfony project, then use vendor/pushword/core/install.php as the integration reference.
Update dependencies with:
composer update