Pipulate is Local First AI SEO Software

In an era dominated by cloud subscriptions and complex frameworks, Pipulate champions a local-first revolution. It’s a free, open-source framework that transforms how you build AI-assisted applications by embracing a radical philosophy: explicit code is better than abstract code when you have AI to help manage it. Think notebooks… but without having to look at the Python code 🚫🐍!

Your data. Your AI. Your machine. Your control.
No subscriptions, no vendor lock-in, no cloud costs.

Quick Start: Be Running in 5 Minutes

This guide shows you how to install Pipulate using two main commands in your terminal. This works on macOS or on Windows using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) with an Ubuntu (or similar Linux) terminal.

    📦 Your Machine            🔧 Add Foundation       🚀 Complete Environment
         Today                       with Nix                 Ready to Go!
                                                          
    ┌─────────────┐             ┌─────────────┐             ┌─────────────┐
    │ Sad Computer│    Step 1   │   🏗️ Nix    │    Step 2   │ 🎯 Pipulate │
    │   Without   │ ──────────► │ Foundation  │ ──────────► │   + AI +    │
    │    Nix😢    │             │  Installed  │             │   Jupyter   │
    └─────────────┘             └─────────────┘             └─────────────┘
                                                                    │
                                                             Step 3 │
                                                                    ▼
                                                             ┌─────────────┐
                                                             │ 🌐 Browser  │
                                                             │    Opens    │
                                                             │Automatically│
                                                             └─────────────┘
    
    Simple as 1-2-3! No Docker, no build steps, no cloud dependencies.
    Everything runs locally with complete privacy and control.

1. Install Nix (One-Time Setup)

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install

Close your terminal and open a new one after installation.

2. Install Pipulate

With a custom name

curl -L https://pipulate.com/install.sh | sh -s Botifython

Or default installation

curl -L https://pipulate.com/install.sh | sh

3. Run It

cd ~/Botifython
nix develop

These few commands:

✅ Updates to the latest version automatically
✅ Starts JupyterLab and the Pipulate server
✅ Opens web interfaces in your browser
✅ Provides a complete, reproducible development environment

That’s it! You now have a local-first development environment with AI integration.

4. Run It Again!

You can just forcibly exit out of that Terminal it’s running from.
Open a new Terminal, and once again:

cd ~/Botifython
nix develop

5. The Big Reset (If Necessary)

Things sometimes go wrong. This is how you do a full Pipulate reset. This will also delete anything you downloaded with Pipulate. Adjust custom install name to what you used.

rm -rf ~/Botifython
curl -L https://pipulate.com/install.sh | sh -s Botifython
cd ~/Botifython
nix develop

Wait for BOTH TABS to auto-open in your browser.

The Local-First Revolution in AI-Assisted Development

🎯 For SEO Practitioners

Use apps that produce SEO “deliverables” with AI assistance.

Step-by-step interfaces that guide users through complex processes
Local data processing with no cloud limits or costs
AI-assisted analysis using your own local models
Export capabilities for reports and data visualization

Integrated Data Science Environment

Jupyter Notebooks run alongside the FastHTML server, allowing developers to prototype workflows in a familiar environment before porting them to Pipulate’s step-based interface for end-users. The same Python virtual environment (.venv) is shared, and ad-hoc package installation is supported. If you’re using Cursor, VSCode or Windsurf, set your Ctrl+Shift+P “Python: Set Interpreter” to “Enter Interpreter Path” ./pipulate/.venv/bin/python. You might have to adjust based on the folder you use as your workspace. But then you’ll have a Python environment unified between Cursor, JupyterLab and Pipulate.

      ┌──────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────┐
      │   Jupyter Lab    │    │    FastHTML      │
      │   Notebooks      │    │     Server       │
      │ ┌──────────┐     │    │  ┌──────────┐    │
      │ │ Cell 1   │     │    │  │ Step 1   │    │
      │ │          │     │--->│  │          │    │
      │ └──────────┘     │    │  └──────────┘    │
      │ ┌──────────┐     │    │  ┌──────────┐    │
      │ │ Cell 2   │     │    │  │ Step 2   │    │
      │ │          │     │--->│  │          │    │
      │ └──────────┘     │    │  └──────────┘    │
      │  localhost:8888  │    │  localhost:5001  │
      └──────────────────┘    └──────────────────┘

🛠️ For Developers

Transform your Jupyter Notebook experiments into production-ready workflows:

Reproducible environments with Nix Flakes
Simple architecture that one person can understand
Future-proof stack using web standards
Integrated development with JupyterLab and local AI

What You Can Build

Pipulate excels at data processing workflows and AI-assisted applications:

SEO Analysis Tools: Process search console data, analyze competitors, generate reports
Content Generation: AI-powered writing assistants with local models
Data Dashboards: Transform spreadsheets into interactive web applications
Automation Workflows: Step-by-step processes for repetitive tasks
Research Tools: Analyze data with local AI without privacy concerns

How It Works: Simplicity Meets Power

Pipulate runs like a desktop app but uses web technologies. Think Electron, but better:

🏠 Local-First: Everything runs on your machine - data, AI, and processing
🔄 Auto-Updating: One command keeps everything current
🌐 Cross-Platform: Identical experience on macOS, Linux, and Windows (WSL)
🧠 AI-Integrated: Local LLM integration with full privacy

Why Local-First Wins

Cloud-First	Pipulate Local-First
💸 Monthly subscriptions	🆓 Free forever
🔒 Vendor lock-in	🔓 Full control
📡 Internet required	🏠 Works offline
🐌 API rate limits	⚡ No limits
👁️ Data mining	🔐 Complete privacy
🔄 Constant updates break things	🛡️ Stable, reproducible environment

Why Pipulate? The Philosophy That Changes Everything

Traditional development follows the DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle, creating abstract, complex systems that are hard to understand and modify. Pipulate embraces WET (Write Everything Twice) - explicit, readable workflows that are:

🔍 Observable: See exactly what’s happening at every step
🔧 Customizable: Modify workflows without breaking abstractions
🤖 AI-Friendly: Clear code that AI assistants can easily understand and maintain
🚀 Future-Proof: Built on durable web standards that won’t become obsolete

Learn more about the WET Philosophy →

The Technical Magic

# This is how simple Pipulate code looks
@rt("/process-data")
def process_data():
    return Div(
        H1("Processing Complete ✅"),
        P("Your data has been analyzed locally"),
        hx_get="/next-step",
        hx_trigger="load"
    )

No template languages. No build steps. No client-side JavaScript frameworks. Just Python functions that generate HTML, powered by HTMX for seamless interactivity.

Architecture Overview Diagram

This diagram illustrates the high-level components and their interactions

                 ┌─────────────┐ Like Electron, but full Linux subsystem 
                 │   Browser   │ in a folder for macOS and Windows (WSL)
                 └─────┬───────┘
                       │ HTTP/WS
                       ▼
    ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
    │           Nix Flake Shell             │ - In-app LLM (where it belongs)
    │  ┌───────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐  │ - 100% reproducible
    │  │   FastHTML    │  │    Ollama    │  │ - 100% local
    │  │   HTMX App    │  │  Local LLM   │  │ - 100% multi-OS    
    │  └───────┬───────┘  └──────────────┘  │
    │          │                            │
    │    ┌─────▼─────┐     ┌────────────┐   │
    │    │MiniDataAPI│◄───►│ SQLite DB  │   │
    │    └───────────┘     └────────────┘   │
    └───────────────────────────────────────┘

This complete, self-contained environment runs identically on any operating system, providing the foundation for all Pipulate workflows and AI interactions.

The Complete Guided Experience

Ready to dive deeper? Our Guide takes you through the complete journey:

The WET Blueprint - The philosophy that changes everything
Understanding Pipulate - Architecture and approach
Building Your First Workflow - Hands-on development
Advanced Patterns - Expert-level techniques

System Requirements

macOS: 10.15 or later
Linux: Most modern distributions
Windows: WSL2 with Ubuntu 20.04+
Memory: 8GB RAM recommended
Storage: 2GB free disk space

Join the Local-First Revolution

The future of software development is looking more like the past, but with AI capabilities that make it even better. It’s a future where:

One person can understand and manage the whole stack
Privacy is the default, not an afterthought
Tools are simple but powerful
Users have complete control

Start your revolution today.

Install Pipulate →

Read the Guide →

View the Code →

Pipulate is free and open source software created by Mike Levin. Join the movement toward local-first, AI-assisted development.