What Is Pipulate?
Pipulate is a free, open-source SEO desktop application that runs entirely on your computer. It gives you the power of complex SEO scripts and Jupyter notebooks, but with a friendly, guided interface where AI helps you every step of the way.
┌─────────────┐ 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 │ │
│ └───────────┘ └────────────┘ │
└───────────────────────────────────────┘
Core Features
Local-First Revolution
- Your Data Stays Yours: No cloud storage means complete privacy
- No Subscription Costs: Use hardware you already own
- No Vendor Lock-in: Freedom from proprietary platforms
- Full Resource Access: Run intensive tasks 24/7 without limits
Workflow-Based Design
- Guided Progression: Clear path from start to finish
- Persistent State: Each step’s results are saved
- Interruptible: Stop and resume complex processes anytime
- Easy to Follow: Perfect for documenting and sharing SEO processes
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ - Fully customizable steps
│ Step 01 │─piped─►│ Step 02 │─piped─►│ Step 03 │ - Interruption-safe & resumable
└─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ - Easily ported from Notebooks
│ │ │ - One DB record per workflow run
▼ ▼ ▼
State Saved State Saved Finalized?
Integrated AI Capabilities
- Local LLM Integration: Uses Ollama to run AI models on your computer
- Contextual Help: AI assistance that understands your workflow
- Content Generation: Create SEO content without external APIs
- Data Analysis: AI-assisted interpretation of your SEO data
┌──────────────────┐
│ Local Ollama │ - No API keys needed
│ Server │ - Completely private processing
└────────┬─────────┘
│ Streaming via WebSocket
▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ Pipulate App │ - Monitors WS for JSON/commands
│(WebSocket Client)│ - Parses responses in real-time
└────────┬─────────┘
│ In-memory or DB backed
▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ Bounded │ - Manages context window (~128k)
│ Chat History │ - Enables RAG / tool integration
└──────────────────┘
Developer-Friendly Environment
- Integrated Jupyter: Create and test SEO code in familiar notebooks
- Simple Plugin System: Add new workflows with minimal boilerplate
- Consistent Environment: Works identically across macOS, Linux, and Windows (WSL)
- Open Architecture: Every component is transparent and modifiable
┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ Jupyter Lab │ │ FastHTML │
│ Notebooks │ │ Server │
│ ┌──────────┐ │ │ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ Cell 1 │ │ │ │ Step 1 │ │
│ │ │ │--->│ │ │ │
│ └──────────┘ │ │ └──────────┘ │
│ ┌──────────┐ │ │ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ Cell 2 │ │ │ │ Step 2 │ │
│ │ │ │--->│ │ │ │
│ └──────────┘ │ │ └──────────┘ │
│ localhost:8888 │ │ localhost:5001 │
└──────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
Who Pipulate Is For
SEO Professionals
If you’re tired of:
- Subscription costs for SEO tools
- Limited API access or usage caps
- Privacy concerns with cloud-based platforms
- Fragmented workflows across multiple tools
Pipulate gives you a consistent, integrated SEO workbench completely under your control.
Technical SEOs & Developers
If you already use Python for SEO but want:
- A better way to share your scripts with non-technical team members
- A consistent environment for SEO tool development
- An easy way to turn notebooks into reusable applications
- Freedom from cloud deployment and maintenance headaches
Pipulate provides the infrastructure so you can focus on SEO logic.
Agencies & In-House Teams
If your organization needs:
- Consistent SEO workflows across team members
- Better knowledge transfer for complex SEO tasks
- Lower tool costs without sacrificing capabilities
- Privacy for client or proprietary data
Pipulate creates a standardized, guided approach to SEO processes.
The Pipulate Difference
Why Local-First Matters
┌───────────────────────────────┐ # Benefits of Local-First Simplicity
│ Web Browser │
│ │ - No mysterious client-side state
│ ┌────────────────────┐ │ - No full-stack framework churn
│ │ Server Console │ │ - No complex ORM or SQL layers
│ │ & Web Logs │ │ - No external message queues
│ └─────────┬──────────┘ │ - No build step required
│ ▼ │ - Direct, observable state changes
│ ┌─────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Server-Side State │ │
│ │ DictLikeDB + JSON │ ◄─── (Conceptually like server-side cookies)
│ └─────────────────────┘ │ - Enables the "Know EVERYTHING!" philosophy
└───────────────────────────────┘
Privacy & Control: Your SEO data never leaves your machine. No cloud providers can access your competitive intelligence, client data, or proprietary methodologies.
Performance: Use your full CPU/GPU power for intensive tasks like large-scale crawling, AI processing, or data analysis without per-use costs or rate limits.
Reliability: No internet outages, API downtime, or service discontinuations can interrupt your work.
Why Workflows Beat Scripts
Traditional SEO scripts require technical knowledge to run and modify. Pipulate transforms these scripts into guided, step-by-step workflows that:
- Guide Non-Technical Users: Clear instructions and validation at each step
- Preserve Expertise: Document your methodology in a reusable format
- Enable Collaboration: Share complex processes without sharing code
- Maintain Flexibility: Each step can be customized or extended as needed
The Magic of Reproducibility
Using Nix Flakes, Pipulate guarantees that your environment works identically across:
- Different operating systems (macOS, Linux, Windows via WSL)
- Different team members’ machines
- Different points in time (no “dependency hell”)
This means when you create a workflow, it will work reliably for anyone, anywhere.
Getting Started
Pipulate is designed to be simple to install with just two commands:
- Install Nix (one-time setup):
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install - Install Pipulate:
curl -L https://pipulate.com/install.sh | sh - Run Pipulate:
cd ~/pipulate nix develop
That’s it! Your browser will open to both Pipulate (localhost:5001) and JupyterLab (localhost:8888).
Real-World Applications
SEO Audit Automation
Transform manual audit checklists into guided workflows that:
- Collect site data systematically
- Run technical checks automatically
- Generate consistent reports
- Preserve audit methodology
Content Analysis Pipelines
Convert content analysis scripts into user-friendly workflows:
- Analyze competitor content at scale
- Generate content briefs with AI assistance
- Track content performance over time
- Identify content gaps and opportunities
Rank Tracking & Reporting
Build custom rank tracking solutions that:
- Monitor keywords across multiple search engines
- Generate automated reports
- Integrate with other SEO data sources
- Maintain complete data ownership
Link Building Workflows
Systematize link building processes:
- Prospect identification and qualification
- Outreach template generation
- Response tracking and follow-up
- Campaign performance analysis
A Philosophy of Simplicity
At its core, Pipulate embraces simplicity — not by sacrificing power, but by carefully choosing technologies that work together elegantly:
- No complex JavaScript frameworks or build systems
- No complicated deployment or cloud infrastructure
- No fragile state management across multiple services
Instead, Pipulate focuses on making SEO workflows explicit, observable, and understandable. Everything is designed to be transparent and straightforward, following our belief that the best tools get out of your way and let you focus on what matters: doing great SEO work.
The Future of SEO Tools
Pipulate represents a new approach to SEO tooling:
From SaaS to Self-Hosted: Own your tools and data completely From Scripts to Workflows: Make technical expertise accessible to everyone From Cloud to Local: Leverage your hardware without ongoing costs From Proprietary to Open: Understand and modify every aspect of your tools
Join us in building a more open, accessible approach to SEO tools — where your data stays yours, and technology serves your needs instead of locking you in.
Ready to try Pipulate? Check out our installation guide to get started in just a few minutes.