Typebot

Typebot is a self‑hosted, Fair Source chatbot builder that enables developers to construct highly interactive conversational flows without writing extensive code. From a technical standpoint, it functions as a modular engine that interprets a visual flow diagram—composed of blocks such as bubbles, inputs, and logic nodes—and renders it in real time on any web or mobile surface. The core runtime is a lightweight JavaScript library that can be embedded as a container, popup, or chat bubble, allowing instant integration with existing front‑ends while preserving the host page’s performance characteristics.

Architecture

• Frontend: React + Vite for the builder UI, exposing a declarative API (typebot.io) that serializes flows to JSON. The runtime library is built with vanilla JS and Web Components, ensuring zero external dependencies in the host environment.
• Backend: Node.js (Express) with a GraphQL layer for schema‑driven queries and mutations. The server exposes REST endpoints for webhook integration, result export (CSV), and analytics retrieval.
• Database: PostgreSQL for persistent storage of bot definitions, user sessions, and analytics. An optional Redis cache is available for session state in high‑traffic deployments.
• Containerization: Docker images (baptistearno/typebot-builder) are provided, with a docker-compose.yml that orchestrates the backend, database, and optional Redis. The stack is cloud‑agnostic; Kubernetes manifests are available for large‑scale deployments.

Core Capabilities

• Visual Builder: Drag‑and‑drop of 34+ block types (text, media, payment via Stripe, file picker) with real‑time preview.
• Logic & Scripting: Conditional branching, A/B testing nodes, and embedded JavaScript scripting for custom data manipulation.
• Integrations: Built‑in connectors to Webhooks, OpenAI GPT, Google Sheets/Analytics, Meta Pixel, Zapier, Make.com, and Chatwoot. Each integration can be configured via a simple form or by supplying raw HTTP payloads.
• APIs: A comprehensive REST/GraphQL API for creating, updating, and deleting bots; triggering conversations programmatically; and retrieving analytics.
• Analytics & Export: In‑app dashboards show drop‑off rates, completion metrics, and can export raw interaction logs to CSV.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Typebot is designed for self‑hosting with minimal friction. The Docker image bundles the entire stack; a single command spins up the backend, database, and optional cache. For scalability, horizontal pod autoscaling is supported via Kubernetes; the stateless backend can be replicated behind a load balancer, while PostgreSQL can be switched to a managed instance. High availability is achieved by persisting bot definitions in a single database and stateless session tokens stored in Redis. The runtime library is CDN‑ready, enabling edge deployment without additional infrastructure.

Integration & Extensibility

Developers can extend Typebot in several ways:

• Custom Blocks: Export a block’s schema and implement it as an npm package that plugs into the builder.
• Webhooks: Any node can fire a webhook; payloads are customizable and can be consumed by external services or micro‑services.
• OpenAI & LLMs: The OpenAI integration allows developers to inject GPT responses directly into the flow, enabling dynamic content generation.
• SDK: The JavaScript SDK (typebot.io) exposes events (onStart, onEnd, onAnswer) that allow host applications to react to conversation state changes.

Developer Experience

Typebot’s documentation is organized into a builder guide, API reference, and self‑hosting tutorials. The community is active on Discord and GitHub Issues; contributors can propose new integrations or block types via pull requests. Licensing under AGPLv3 ensures that any derivative work remains open source, while the Fair Source model offers a clear business‑friendly path for commercial deployments.

Use Cases

• Customer Support: Embed a lightweight chatbot that can route users to live agents or collect pre‑qualifying data.
• Lead Generation: Use conditional logic to capture contact information and push it to a CRM via Zapier or Google Sheets.
• E‑Commerce: Integrate Stripe payment blocks to enable checkout within the chat, reducing friction on product pages.
• Event Registration: Collect attendee details through date pickers and export results to a CSV for post‑event analysis.
• Internal Knowledge Base: Deploy an internal bot that queries a knowledge graph via webhooks and presents answers directly on the company intranet.

Advantages

• Zero Vendor Lock‑In: Full control over deployment, data, and customizations.
• Performance: The runtime is dependency‑free and lightweight; no iframe overhead.
• Flexibility: JavaScript scripting, custom blocks, and a rich integration ecosystem allow developers to tailor every aspect of the conversation.
• Scalability: Docker/Kubernetes‑ready stack supports small sites to enterprise‑grade deployments.
• Open Source: AGPLv3 guarantees that improvements remain community‑driven, fostering rapid feature growth.

In summary, Typebot offers a robust, developer‑centric platform for building, deploying, and scaling advanced conversational experiences while keeping the entire stack open, modular, and self‑hostable.