Windmill

Key Features

• Multi-language script execution with Python, TypeScript, Go, Bash, and SQL support in a single platform
• Automatic UI generation from script parameters with type inference and validation
• Human-in-the-loop workflows with customizable approval processes and notification systems
• Git synchronization for version control of scripts, flows, and resources with branch-based deployments
• Advanced scheduling engine with cron expressions, event triggers, and dependency management
• Real-time execution monitoring with detailed logs, performance metrics, and error tracking
• Role-based access control with fine-grained permissions for scripts, resources, and workflow execution
• PostgreSQL integration for complex data operations, analytics queries, and persistent workflow state management

Common Use Cases

• 1Internal tool development where business users need UI access to developer-written scripts
• 2DevOps automation requiring approval workflows for infrastructure changes and deployments
• 3Data pipeline orchestration with mixed SQL queries, Python transformations, and API integrations
• 4Business process automation where non-technical stakeholders trigger and monitor automated workflows
• 5Compliance-heavy environments requiring detailed audit trails and approval processes for system changes
• 6Rapid prototyping of workflow automation before migrating to enterprise platforms
• 7Cross-team script sharing with governance, documentation, and controlled access to organizational tools

Prerequisites

• Minimum 2GB RAM recommended for Windmill execution environments and PostgreSQL operations
• Port 8000 available for Windmill web interface access
• Basic understanding of at least one supported language (Python, TypeScript, Go, Bash, or SQL)
• Familiarity with workflow concepts like triggers, scheduling, and approval processes
• PostgreSQL knowledge for database maintenance, backup strategies, and performance tuning
• Git repository access if planning to use version control synchronization features

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  windmill: 
3    image: ghcr.io/windmill-labs/windmill:latest
4    container_name: windmill
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    environment: 
7      DATABASE_URL: postgres://${DB_USER}:${DB_PASSWORD}@postgres:5432/${DB_NAME}
8      BASE_URL: http://localhost:8000
9    ports: 
10      - "8000:8000"
11    depends_on: 
12      - postgres
13    networks: 
14      - windmill
15
16  postgres: 
17    image: postgres:16-alpine
18    container_name: windmill-postgres
19    environment: 
20      POSTGRES_DB: ${DB_NAME}
21      POSTGRES_USER: ${DB_USER}
22      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
23    volumes: 
24      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
25    networks: 
26      - windmill
27
28volumes: 
29  postgres_data: 
30
31networks: 
32  windmill: 
33    driver: bridge

.env Template

1DB_NAME=windmill
2DB_USER=windmill
3DB_PASSWORD=changeme

Usage Notes

Individual Services(2 services)

Copy individual services to mix and match with your existing compose files.

windmill:
  image: ghcr.io/windmill-labs/windmill:latest
  container_name: windmill
  restart: unless-stopped
  environment:
    DATABASE_URL: postgres://${DB_USER}:${DB_PASSWORD}@postgres:5432/${DB_NAME}
    BASE_URL: http://localhost:8000
  ports:
    - "8000:8000"
  depends_on:
    - postgres
  networks:
    - windmill

postgres:
  image: postgres:16-alpine
  container_name: windmill-postgres
  environment:
    POSTGRES_DB: ${DB_NAME}
    POSTGRES_USER: ${DB_USER}
    POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
  volumes:
    - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
  networks:
    - windmill

Quick Start

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  windmill:
5    image: ghcr.io/windmill-labs/windmill:latest
6    container_name: windmill
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    environment:
9      DATABASE_URL: postgres://${DB_USER}:${DB_PASSWORD}@postgres:5432/${DB_NAME}
10      BASE_URL: http://localhost:8000
11    ports:
12      - "8000:8000"
13    depends_on:
14      - postgres
15    networks:
16      - windmill
17
18  postgres:
19    image: postgres:16-alpine
20    container_name: windmill-postgres
21    environment:
22      POSTGRES_DB: ${DB_NAME}
23      POSTGRES_USER: ${DB_USER}
24      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
25    volumes:
26      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
27    networks:
28      - windmill
29
30volumes:
31  postgres_data:
32
33networks:
34  windmill:
35    driver: bridge
36EOF
37
38# 2. Create the .env file
39cat > .env << 'EOF'
40DB_NAME=windmill
41DB_USER=windmill
42DB_PASSWORD=changeme
43EOF
44
45# 3. Start the services
46docker compose up -d
47
48# 4. View logs
49docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/windmill/run | bash

Troubleshooting