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Overview

Flowise can be installed in multiple ways depending on your use case:
  • NPM: Quick global installation for production or testing
  • Docker: Containerized deployment with Docker or Docker Compose
  • Development: Full source code setup for contributing or customization
Requirements: All installation methods require Node.js >= 18.15.0 (versions 18.15.0 to 18.x or 20.x are supported).

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NPM Installation

The fastest way to get started with Flowise.
1

Install Node.js

Download and install Node.js version 18.15.0 or higher.Verify your installation:
node --version
Expected output: v18.15.0 or higher
2

Install Flowise globally

npm install -g flowise
3

Start Flowise

npx flowise start
The application will be available at http://localhost:3000
To customize the port or other settings, use environment variables. See Environment Variables for details.

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Docker Installation

Run Flowise in a containerized environment.
1

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/FlowiseAI/Flowise.git
cd Flowise
2

Navigate to docker folder

cd docker
3

Configure environment variables

Copy the example environment file:
cp .env.example .env
Edit the .env file to customize your configuration. Key variables include:
PORT=3000
DATABASE_PATH=/root/.flowise
LOG_PATH=/root/.flowise/logs
SECRETKEY_PATH=/root/.flowise
BLOB_STORAGE_PATH=/root/.flowise/storage
These paths ensure your data persists across container restarts. See the full list of environment variables.
4

Start with Docker Compose

docker compose up -d
The -d flag runs containers in detached mode (background).
5

Access Flowise

Open your browser and navigate to:
http://localhost:3000
6

Stop containers (when needed)

docker compose stop

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Docker Image

Run Flowise directly from Docker Hub without cloning the repository. 
# Run the latest Flowise image
docker run -d \
  --name flowise \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -v ~/.flowise:/root/.flowise \
  flowiseai/flowise:latest
The -v ~/.flowise:/root/.flowise flag mounts a volume to persist your data (flows, credentials, logs) on the host machine.

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Development Setup

Set up Flowise for development, contributing, or advanced customization.
This setup is for developers who want to modify Flowise’s source code. For production use, we recommend the NPM or Docker installation methods.

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Prerequisites

1

Install PNPM

Flowise uses PNPM as its package manager:
npm i -g pnpm
Flowise requires pnpm version 10.26.0 or higher.

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Setup Instructions

1

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/FlowiseAI/Flowise.git
cd Flowise
2

Install dependencies

Install all dependencies for all modules in the monorepo:
pnpm install
3

Build all modules

pnpm build
If you encounter exit code 134 (heap out of memory), increase Node.js heap size:
export NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=4096"
pnpm build
4

Start the application

For production mode:
pnpm start
Access the application at http://localhost:3000
5

Development mode (optional)

For development with hot-reload:
  1. Create .env file in packages/ui and specify VITE_PORT (refer to .env.example)
  2. Create .env file in packages/server and specify PORT (refer to .env.example)
  3. Run development build:
pnpm dev
The app will be available at http://localhost:8080 with auto-reload on code changes.

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Module Structure

Flowise is a monorepo with the following modules:

server

Node.js backend serving API logic with Express

ui

React frontend with the visual workflow builder

components

Third-party node integrations (LLMs, vector stores, tools, etc.)

api-documentation

Auto-generated Swagger UI API documentation

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Configuration

After installation, you can configure Flowise using environment variables: 
PORT=3000
DATABASE_PATH=/your_database_path/.flowise
LOG_PATH=/your_log_path/.flowise/logs
For a complete list of configuration options, see Environment Variables.

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Next Steps

Quickstart

Create your first chatflow in minutes

Environment Variables

Explore all configuration options

Deployment

Deploy to production on AWS, Azure, GCP, and more

Contributing

Contribute to the Flowise project

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