Deploying Activepieces – Open-Source Business Automation Platform

Activepieces is an open-source, no-code business automation platform including a visual flow builder for connecting apps and automating repetitive tasks (lead management, marketing automation, internal ops). This guide deploys it via Docker Compose with PostgreSQL, Redis, and Traefik-managed TLS, then builds and tests a webhook-triggered flow.

Prerequisites: a Linux server (2 vCPU / 4GB RAM minimum), Docker + Docker Compose, a domain A record (e.g. active.example.com).

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Set Up the Project

$ mkdir -p ~/activepieces/{cache,letsencrypt,postgres,redis}
$ cd ~/activepieces

• cache — cached pieces + execution data
• letsencrypt — TLS certs
• postgres / redis — persistent DB/queue data

Generate keys:

$ openssl rand -hex 16
$ openssl rand -hex 32

Environment file:

$ nano .env

DOMAIN=active.example.com
LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL=[e-mail]

AP_ENVIRONMENT=prod
AP_FRONTEND_URL=https://active.example.com

AP_ENCRYPTION_KEY=PASTE_YOUR_32_CHARACTER_STRING_HERE
AP_JWT_SECRET=PASTE_YOUR_64_CHARACTER_STRING_HERE

AP_POSTGRES_DATABASE=activepieces
AP_POSTGRES_USERNAME=postgres
AP_POSTGRES_PASSWORD=CREATE_A_STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE
AP_POSTGRES_HOST=postgres
AP_POSTGRES_PORT=5432

AP_REDIS_HOST=redis
AP_REDIS_PORT=6379

Replace domain, email, the two generated keys (16-char → AP_ENCRYPTION_KEY, 32-char → AP_JWT_SECRET), and the DB password. AP_POSTGRES_HOST/AP_REDIS_HOST match the Compose service names below so containers can reach each other.

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Deploy with Docker Compose

$ nano docker-compose.yml

services:
  traefik:
    image: "traefik:v3.7.0"
    container_name: "traefik"
    restart: unless-stopped
    command:
      - "--providers.docker=true"
      - "--providers.docker.exposedbydefault=false"
      - "--entrypoints.web.address=:80"
      - "--entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entrypoint.to=websecure"
      - "--entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entrypoint.scheme=https"
      - "--entrypoints.websecure.address=:443"
      - "--certificatesresolvers.myresolver.acme.tlschallenge=true"
      - "--certificatesresolvers.myresolver.acme.email=${LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL}"
      - "--certificatesresolvers.myresolver.acme.storage=/letsencrypt/acme.json"
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - "./letsencrypt:/letsencrypt"
      - "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro"
    networks:
      activepieces:
        aliases:
          - "${DOMAIN}"

  app:
    image: ghcr.io/activepieces/activepieces:0.83.0
    container_name: activepieces-app
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - postgres
      - redis
    env_file: .env
    environment:
      - AP_CONTAINER_TYPE=WORKER_AND_APP
    volumes:
      - ./cache:/usr/src/app/cache
    labels:
      - "traefik.enable=true"
      - "traefik.http.routers.activepieces.rule=Host(`${DOMAIN}`)"
      - "traefik.http.routers.activepieces.entrypoints=websecure"
      - "traefik.http.routers.activepieces.tls.certresolver=myresolver"
      - "traefik.http.services.activepieces.loadbalancer.server.port=80"
    networks:
      - activepieces

  postgres:
    image: 'pgvector/pgvector:0.8.0-pg14'
    container_name: postgres
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file: .env
    environment:
      - 'POSTGRES_DB=${AP_POSTGRES_DATABASE}'
      - 'POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${AP_POSTGRES_PASSWORD}'
      - 'POSTGRES_USER=${AP_POSTGRES_USERNAME}'
    volumes:
      - ./postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    networks:
      - activepieces

  redis:
    image: 'redis:7.2'
    container_name: redis
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - './redis:/data'
    networks:
      - activepieces

networks:
  activepieces:

postgres uses the pgvector extension for workflow/user/execution data; redis runs the job queue; app is the web UI + API. The aliases entry on traefik resolves DOMAIN to Traefik's internal address — without it, requests from app back to its own public URL fail, since most cloud networks don't route a server's public IP back to itself.

$ docker compose up -d
$ docker compose ps
$ docker compose logs app

Look for a line confirming the app bound to your configured domain.

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First-Run Setup

Visit https://active.example.com (padlock confirms Traefik got a cert):

1. Sign up — first name, last name, email, password.
2. Set a Platform Name (e.g. My Automation Platform) to create your workspace.

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Build a Test Flow

1. Start from scratch under Build a Flow.

2. Trigger: search Webhook, pick Catch Webhook → Test Trigger → Generate Sample Data → Send in the dialog. Confirm Tested Successfully with a captured request under Result #1.

3. Action: + below the trigger → Sub Flows → Return Response. Set Response Type to JSON, body:

{
  "message": "Workflow executed successfully"
}

4. Publish, then Test Flow. Hover the Catch Webhook block, click trigger to simulate an incoming request. Both steps should show Succeeded with execution times.

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Next Steps

Activepieces is running with persistent PostgreSQL/Redis and automatic HTTPS. From here:

• Connect real app integrations instead of the test webhook
• Build custom pieces for internal tools not covered by the built-in connectors
• Invite team members and set up shared workflow permissions

For the full guide, visit the original article on Vultr Docs.