Docker Compose app cannot start because Traefik is undefined
Error recorded 1 times in PanelAlpha Engine deploys on Dockerfile. The deploy log below is the recorded failure output.
TypeErrorAn error that occurred in the deployed application. It is not necessarily a PanelAlpha Engine error, but we keep working on improvements so you run into fewer of them.
Seen1 times
WhereDockerfile
StatusFixed (2.1.0)Fixed in PanelAlpha Engine 2.1.0. The error is resolved on our side, so you will not run into it anymore.
Why it happens
The application service declares a dependency on traefik, but the Compose project passed to Docker Compose does not define that service. This makes the Compose file invalid before containers can start. Missing ACME_EMAIL and DB_PWD variables are also reported, but the undefined service is the blocking error.
What the log looks like
Deploy log
Starting application (docker compose up -d)time="2026-09-10T21:49:23Z" level=warning msg="The \"ACME_EMAIL\" variable is not set. Defaulting to a blank string."time="2026-09-10T21:49:23Z" level=warning msg="The \"DB_PWD\" variable is not set. Defaulting to a blank string."service "app" depends on undefined service "traefik": invalid compose project