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+# Portainer Stacks
+
+My personal collection of Docker Compose stacks for Portainer.  
+This repository is the **single source of truth** for all my self-hosted services.
+
+## Folder Structure
+
+portainer-stacks/
+├── gitea/
+├── portainer/
+├── pihole/
+├── homeassistant/
+├── homepage/
+├── ... (additional services)
+└── README.md
+
+Each service folder contains its own docker-compose.yml (or docker-compose.yaml) file.
+
+## How to Work with This Repo
+
+1. Clone the Repository (first time only)
+
+git clone http://192.168.1.46:3131/kdouglas011/portainer-stacks.git ~/portainer-stacks
+cd ~/portainer-stacks
+
+2. Daily Workflow (pull → edit → push)
+Always start here
+cd ~/portainer-stacks
+git pull origin main
+3. Make your changes to any docker-compose.yml file
+Stage, commit, and push
+git add .
+git commit -m "Updated pihole stack - changed ports and password"
+git push origin main
+
+4. Deploy / Update the Stack in Portainer
+
+- Open Portainer → Stacks
+- Click Add stack (or edit an existing one)
+- Choose Repository as the build method
+- Fill in the following: 
+| Field                  | Value                                      |
+|------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
+| Repository URL         | http://192.168.1.46:3131/kdouglas011/portainer-stacks.git |
+| Repository reference   | refs/heads/main                            |
+| Compose path           | pihole/docker-compose.yml (use exact relative path) |
+- (Optional) Enable Automatic updates
+- Click Deploy the stack (or Update the stack)
+
+## Tips & Best Practices
+
+- Always run git pull origin main before editing anything.
+- Use clear, descriptive commit messages.
+- Test changes locally first:
+docker compose up -d
+- Never commit real passwords or secrets. Use Portainer environment variables instead (highly recommended for security).
+- Keep stacks modular — one service per folder keeps everything clean and easy to maintain.
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