Pipulate Installation Guide
Pipulate is a simpler alternative to using Jupyter Notebooks for SEO automation. It lets you create step-by-step workflows that run locally on your machine, without needing to write Python code. Think of it as Jupyter Notebooks, but designed specifically for SEO practitioners who want to automate their work without becoming developers. It runs like a website on your local machine. Follow instructions to install…
Process
1. Install Nix (One-Time Setup)
First, install the Nix package manager:
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install
- Follow the on-screen prompts (type “Yes” when asked)
- You will be prompted for your (Apple) hardware login.
- You will not be able to see yourself type in the password.
- There will be 2 “Yes” to confirm messages.
- Important: After installation completes, close your terminal and open a new one.
2. Install Pipulate
With Nix installed, run this command to install Pipulate:
curl -L https://pipulate.com/install.sh | sh -s Botifython
- Replace
Botifythonwith your preferred name (or omit for default “pipulate”) - The installer downloads and configures everything automatically
- First-time installation creates a directory at
~/Botifython
3. Starting Pipulate
After initial installation, you can start Pipulate anytime with:
cd ~/Botifython && nix develop
This command:
- Updates to the latest version automatically
- Starts JupyterLab and the Pipulate server
- Opens web interfaces in your browser
Troubleshooting & Management
Reinstalling Pipulate
If you need to start fresh:
# Remove the existing installation
rm -rf ~/Botifython
# Reinstall
curl -L https://pipulate.com/install.sh | sh -s Botifython
Uninstalling the Nix Package Manager
If you need to remove Nix completely:
/nix/nix-installer uninstall
This removes the Nix package manager from your system (but preserves any Pipulate installations).
System Requirements
- macOS: 10.15 or later
- Linux: Most modern distributions
- Windows: WSL2 with Ubuntu 20.04+
- 8GB RAM recommended
- 2GB free disk space
About Nix
Pipulate uses Nix to ensure a consistent, reproducible environment across all operating systems. This means:
- Identical Environments: The same Python version, packages, and system libraries on every machine
- No Conflicts: Isolated from your system’s Python installation
- Easy Updates: One command to update everything
- Cross-Platform: Works identically on macOS, Linux, and Windows (via WSL)
The Nix environment includes:
- Python 3.x with all required packages
- JupyterLab for development and experimentation
- Local LLM support via Ollama
- All necessary system libraries
This approach eliminates the “works on my machine” problem and ensures Pipulate runs reliably everywhere.