FAQ
General
Does pipel8ne run my pipelines?
No. pipel8ne designs pipelines and exports them as YAML. Your existing CI/CD platform (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps) actually executes them.
Is pipel8ne a SaaS product?
No. pipel8ne is fully self-hosted — you run it on your own infrastructure. Nothing is sent to any external service. Your pipeline data stays on your machines.
What CI/CD platforms are supported for export?
Currently: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Azure DevOps. More platforms are planned.
Can I import an existing YAML workflow file into pipel8ne?
Not yet. Import from repository is on the roadmap. For now, you build pipelines from scratch in the visual editor.
Is pipel8ne free?
Yes. pipel8ne is open-source under the MIT license. You can use it, modify it, and self-host it at no cost.
Pipelines
Why can't I activate my pipeline?
A pipeline requires a trigger to be activated. Open the pipeline, click Trigger, configure it, save, then you can change the status to Active.
Can I have multiple pipelines in one project?
Yes. A project can contain as many pipelines as you want (e.g. one for CI, one for deployment, one for nightly jobs).
What happens if I change a pipeline after exporting it?
Changing a pipeline in pipel8ne does not automatically update the YAML file in your repository. You need to re-export the pipeline and commit the new file.
Are there limits on the number of stages, jobs, or steps?
No artificial limits. Practical limits depend on your CI platform — for example, GitHub Actions has limits on workflow size and execution time.
Can stages run in parallel?
Yes. Stages without edges between them run in parallel. Connect stages with edges only when you need one to wait for another.
Credentials & Security
Can I see a credential's value after saving it?
No. Credential values are encrypted on save and never returned by the API. If you lose a credential, delete it and create a new one.
What encryption is used for credentials?
AES-256-GCM with a key derived from SECRETS_ENCRYPTION_KEY.
Are credentials included in the exported YAML?
No. The exported YAML references credentials by name as environment variable placeholders (e.g. ${ { secrets.MY_TOKEN } }). You add the actual values to your CI platform's secret management separately.
Self-Hosting
How do I update pipel8ne?
git pull
cd webapp && npm install && npm run build && cd ..
docker compose pull
docker compose up -dWhat database does pipel8ne use?
MongoDB. Version 6 or higher is required.
Can I run pipel8ne without Docker?
Yes. See the Manual Deployment guide.
I lost my SECRETS_ENCRYPTION_KEY. What happens to stored credentials?
They are permanently unrecoverable. You will need to delete them and re-enter all credential values. This is why backing up the key is critical.
Can multiple users share the same pipel8ne instance?
Yes. pipel8ne supports multiple user accounts. Admins can create accounts and assign roles. See User Management.
Troubleshooting
The backend starts but I can't log in
Check that JWT_SECRET is set in your .env. If it changed between restarts, existing tokens are invalidated — log in again.
The page loads but API calls fail
Check that NODE_ENV is set and that the backend is running on the expected port. If running behind a reverse proxy, verify the proxy is forwarding requests correctly.
Docker Compose keeps restarting
Run docker compose logs backend to see the error. Common causes: missing environment variables, wrong MongoDB connection string, port conflict.