diff --git a/CASAOS_DEPLOYMENT.md b/CASAOS_DEPLOYMENT.md
index a053c89..2bcccfa 100644
--- a/CASAOS_DEPLOYMENT.md
+++ b/CASAOS_DEPLOYMENT.md
@@ -9,13 +9,22 @@ This guide explains how to deploy EuchreCamp on your CasaOS server.
 3. **Port 3000** available for the web interface
 4. **Port 5432** available for PostgreSQL (or use external database)
 
+## Prerequisites
+
+**External PostgreSQL Database Required**
+- PostgreSQL 15 or higher
+- Database name: `euchre_camp`
+- User: `euchre_camp`
+- Privileges: ALL on database `euchre_camp`
+
 ## Quick Start
 
 ### Option 1: Using CasaOS App Store (Recommended)
 
-1. Open CasaOS Dashboard
-2. Go to **App Store** → **Custom App**
-3. Click **Install** and configure the following:
+1. **Set up PostgreSQL database first** (see below)
+2. Open CasaOS Dashboard
+3. Go to **App Store** → **Custom App**
+4. Click **Install** and configure the following:
 
    **Basic Settings:**
    - App Name: `EuchreCamp`
@@ -24,36 +33,78 @@ This guide explains how to deploy EuchreCamp on your CasaOS server.
 
    **Environment Variables:**
    ```
+   DATABASE_URL=postgresql://euchre_camp:password@your-postgres-host:5432/euchre_camp
+   DATABASE_SHADOW_URL=postgresql://euchre_camp:password@your-postgres-host:5432/euchre_camp_shadow
    BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-secret-key-here
    BETTER_AUTH_URL=http://your-casaos-ip:3000
    TRUSTED_ORIGINS=http://your-casaos-ip:3000
    ```
 
-4. Click **Install**
+5. Click **Install**
 
 ### Option 2: Using Docker Compose
 
-1. **Build the Docker image:**
+1. **Set up PostgreSQL database first** (see below)
+2. **Build the Docker image:**
    ```bash
    docker-compose -f docker-compose.casaos.yml build
    ```
 
-2. **Start the application:**
+3. **Start the application:**
    ```bash
    docker-compose -f docker-compose.casaos.yml up -d
    ```
 
-3. **Check logs:**
+4. **Check logs:**
    ```bash
    docker-compose -f docker-compose.casaos.yml logs -f
    ```
 
+## PostgreSQL Database Setup
+
+### Option A: External PostgreSQL Server
+
+Connect to your PostgreSQL server and run:
+
+```sql
+-- Create database
+CREATE DATABASE euchre_camp;
+
+-- Create user
+CREATE USER euchre_camp WITH PASSWORD 'your-strong-password';
+
+-- Grant privileges
+GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE euchre_camp TO euchre_camp;
+
+-- Connect to database
+\c euchre_camp
+
+-- Grant schema privileges
+GRANT ALL ON SCHEMA public TO euchre_camp;
+```
+
+### Option B: CasaOS PostgreSQL Container
+
+If you want to run PostgreSQL in CasaOS:
+
+1. Install PostgreSQL from CasaOS App Store
+2. Configure it with:
+   - Database: `euchre_camp`
+   - User: `euchre_camp`
+   - Password: `your-strong-password`
+3. Use the connection string in your EuchreCamp configuration:
+   ```
+   DATABASE_URL=postgresql://euchre_camp:your-strong-password@192.168.1.100:5432/euchre_camp
+   ```
+   (Replace `192.168.1.100` with your CasaOS IP)
+
 ## Configuration
 
 ### Required Environment Variables
 
 | Variable | Description | Example |
 |----------|-------------|---------|
+| `DATABASE_URL` | PostgreSQL connection string (REQUIRED) | `postgresql://euchre_camp:pass@host:5432/euchre_camp` |
 | `BETTER_AUTH_SECRET` | Secret key for session encryption (generate with `openssl rand -base64 32`) | `your-generated-secret` |
 | `BETTER_AUTH_URL` | Public URL of your application | `http://192.168.1.100:3000` |
 | `TRUSTED_ORIGINS` | Comma-separated list of trusted origins | `http://192.168.1.100:3000` |
@@ -62,16 +113,18 @@ This guide explains how to deploy EuchreCamp on your CasaOS server.
 
 | Variable | Description | Default |
 |----------|-------------|---------|
-| `POSTGRES_PASSWORD` | PostgreSQL password (change from default!) | `euchrepassword` |
+| `DATABASE_SHADOW_URL` | Shadow database for migrations | Same as DATABASE_URL with `_shadow` suffix |
 
 ## Database Management
 
 ### First-Time Setup
 
-1. The PostgreSQL container will automatically initialize on first run
-2. Database migrations will be applied automatically
-3. Default admin user can be created via script:
-
+1. **Create the database and user** (see PostgreSQL Setup above)
+2. **Run database migrations:**
+   ```bash
+   docker exec -it euchre-camp npx prisma migrate deploy
+   ```
+3. **Create admin user:**
    ```bash
    docker exec -it euchre-camp node scripts/create-admin-via-api.js
    ```
@@ -79,8 +132,8 @@ This guide explains how to deploy EuchreCamp on your CasaOS server.
 ### Accessing the Database
 
 ```bash
-# Connect to PostgreSQL container
-docker exec -it euchre-camp-postgres psql -U euchre_camp -d euchre_camp
+# Connect to external PostgreSQL server
+psql -h your-postgres-host -U euchre_camp -d euchre_camp
 
 # List tables
 \dt
@@ -92,8 +145,8 @@ docker exec -it euchre-camp-postgres psql -U euchre_camp -d euchre_camp
 ### Backing Up Data
 
 ```bash
-# Backup PostgreSQL data
-docker exec euchre-camp-postgres pg_dump -U euchre euchre_camp > backup.sql
+# Backup PostgreSQL data (run on your PostgreSQL server)
+pg_dump -h your-postgres-host -U euchre_camp euchre_camp > backup.sql
 
 # Backup uploaded files
 tar -czf euchre_camp_files.tar.gz /var/lib/docker/volumes/euchre_camp_app_data