⚡ Nodus

The Next-Gen Autonomous AI Workflow & Browser Orchestration Platform

The power of n8n & Zapier, supercharged with autonomous AI browser agents, multi-language cloud sandboxes, durable DAG execution, encrypted credential vaulting, and real-time multiplayer collaboration.

Core Pillars • Comparison • Credential Vault • Node Ecosystem • Command Palette • Architecture • Engineering • Quick Start

_{Design complex automations together on a real-time multiplayer canvas, execute isolated Python/JS scripts in secure cloud sandboxes, manage encrypted API keys in the Credential Vault, and observe step-by-step video replays.}

🌟 The Vision

Traditional automation tools like Zapier and Make excel at standard API webhooks, but break whenever a website lacks a public API or requires custom code and human-like interactions. On the other hand, classic browser automation scripts (Puppeteer, Playwright) break the moment a CSS selector changes and lack visual workflow management.

Nodus bridges this gap completely.

It combines:

Visual DAG Flow Control & Data Routing (like n8n)
Universal Triggers & Webhook Integrations (like Zapier)
Isolated Multi-Language Cloud Sandboxes (E2B Python & JavaScript)
Encrypted Zero-Trust Credential Vault (AES-256-GCM Secret Store)
Autonomous AI-Driven Browser Infrastructure (Stagehand + Browserbase)
Real-time Multiplayer Collaboration (Figma for Automations)
Fault-Tolerant Background Execution (Trigger.dev v4)

Whether you are scraping dynamic SPAs behind logins, running data processing scripts in isolated sandboxes, automating enterprise SaaS workflows without APIs, or orchestrating multi-step AI pipelines—Nodus provides a single, unified visual platform.

💎 The 5 Pillars of Nodus

mindmap
  root((⚡ NODUS))
    Visual DAG Engine (n8n)
      Multi-branch Parallel Forks
      Diamond Convergence (Merge/Join)
      Loop & Iteration Control (forEach/while/until)
      Winner-Takes-All Branch Pruning
      Multi-Condition If/Else & Switch
    Cloud Code & Sandbox Execution (E2B)
      JavaScript & TypeScript Sandbox
      Python 3 Data Processing
      Real-Time Infinite Loop Detection
      Custom Theme-Matched CodeMirror
    Encrypted Credential Vault
      AES-256-GCM Ciphertext Storage
      Organization-Scoped Key-Value Secrets
      Dynamic {{ secrets.KEY }} Token Chips
      Pre-flight Missing Secret Validation
      Automatic E2B Sandbox Env Injection
    Autonomous AI Browser Agents
      Natural Language Browser Actions
      Schema-Driven AI Extraction
      Dynamic Element Observation
      Full Video Session Replays
    Multiplayer Realtime Collaboration
      Live Collaborative Canvas (Liveblocks)
      Real-Time Cursors & Presence
      Instant State Conflict Resolution
      Multi-Tenant Org Isolation (Clerk)

📊 Nodus vs. Traditional Platforms

Capability	Zapier / Make	n8n	Raw Selenium / Playwright	⚡ Nodus
Visual Flow Canvas	✅	✅	❌	🟢 Yes (React Flow)
Real-time Multiplayer Collaboration	❌	❌	❌	🟢 Yes (Liveblocks Cursors & Sync)
Encrypted Credential Vault	⚠️ Global only	⚠️ Basic	❌	🟢 Yes (AES-256-GCM Org Vault)
Multi-Language Cloud Sandboxes	⚠️ Basic JS	⚠️ Local node	❌	🟢 Yes (E2B Isolated JS & Python)
Live Infinite Loop Analysis	❌	❌	❌	🟢 Yes (Real-time AST Linter)
AI Autonomous Browser Actions	❌	❌	❌	🟢 Yes (Stagehand v4 AI)
Handling Sites Without APIs	❌	❌	⚠️ Brittle selectors	🟢 Yes (Natural Language & Vision)
Video Session Replays of Runs	❌	❌	❌	🟢 Yes (Browserbase HLS Replays)
Multi-Branch DAG & Sibling Pruning	⚠️ Limited	✅	⚠️ Code only	🟢 Yes (Topological DAG Engine)
Looping & Iteration Control	⚠️ Limited	✅	⚠️ Code only	🟢 Yes (Loop Primitive with 4 Modes)
Workflow Portability (JSON Export/Import)	⚠️ Proprietary	✅	❌	🟢 Yes (Validated Zod Schema)
Durable Long-Running Cloud Tasks	⚠️ Timeout caps	⚠️ Self-hosted	⚠️ DIY Infra	🟢 Yes (Trigger.dev v4 Workers)

🔐 Encrypted Credential Vault

Security is paramount in automated workflows. Nodus includes a built-in, organization-scoped Zero-Trust Credential Vault:

flowchart LR
    User["User in UI"] -->|Input Secret Key & Value| VaultModal["Credential Vault Dialog"]
    VaultModal -->|Server Action| Server["Server Cryptography Engine"]
    Server -->|AES-256-GCM + Random 12-byte IV| DB[("Neon Postgres (Encrypted Row)")]
    
    subgraph Execution_Time["At Workflow Execution Time"]
        Runner["Trigger.dev Worker"] -->|Fetch & Decrypt in Memory| Decrypt["AES-256-GCM Decrypt"]
        Decrypt -->|Interpolate {{ secrets.KEY }}| ActionExecutors["HTTP / Email / Resend"]
        Decrypt -->|Inject env vars| Sandboxes["E2B Python & JS MicroVMs"]
    end

Key Vault Features:

AES-256-GCM Symmetric Encryption: Every secret value is encrypted using standard AES-256-GCM with authenticated data tags and unique 12-byte initialization vectors (IV), preventing tampering and plaintext exposure in database records.
Organization-Scoped Multitenancy: Credentials strictly belong to the active Clerk organization (orgId). Workspaces cannot access or query foreign credentials.
Universal {{ secrets.KEY }} Token Insertion: Insert vault secrets into any input field, headers, or body payloads via the token insertion dropdown. Pills render with a branded Gold Lock icon badge.
Automatic Cloud Sandbox Injection: When executing code nodes, all organization secrets are automatically injected as environment variables in the E2B microVM (process.env.KEY in JS / os.environ["KEY"] in Python).
Reactive UI Warning & Missing Secret Chips: If a secret is deleted from the vault, all canvas input fields referencing that secret immediately update to render a red warning chip: [ ⚠️ Missing Secret · KEY ].
Pre-Flight Validation Engine: Workflows validate secret existence before triggering tasks. If any required secret is missing, execution is halted with an informative alert before consuming compute credits.

🧩 Workflow Node Ecosystem

Nodus features 20 production-ready nodes arranged in a clean, decoupled 3-Suite Modular Taxonomy:

features/workflows/system/suites/
├── flow/                             # Graph topology, branching, loops, and control flow primitives
├── core/                             # Compute sandboxes and network execution primitives
└── apps/                             # Third-party integrations and browser agent tools

1. Flow Suite (Graph Topology & Control Flow)

Node	Type	Kind	Description	Key Outputs
Start	`start`	`trigger`	Workflow entrypoint for manual canvas runs, scheduled triggers, and webhooks.	`timestamp`
If / Else	`if`	`action`	Evaluates multi-condition rule sets (`AND`/`OR`, regex, numeric comparisons, null checks) and routes to `True` or `False` branch handles.	`result`, `branch`, `reason`
Switch	`switch`	`action`	Multi-handle router directing execution across custom case branches or a default fallback branch.	`routeIndex`, `matchedValue`
Loop	`loop`	`action`	Iterates across lists or repeats execution in `for_each`, `count`, `while`, or `until` modes with dedicated `loop-body` and `done` output handles.	`item`, `index`, `iteration`, `isLast`, `totalItems`
Merge / Join	`merge`	`action`	Synchronizes parallel branch convergence supporting `first` (winner-takes-all pass-through), `combine` (map results), and `array` (flatten) modes.	`mergedData`, `branchCount`, `winner`
Wait / Delay	`wait`	`action`	Suspends execution durably for a specified duration in seconds before resuming.	`waitedSeconds`, `resumedAt`
Throw Error	`throw-error`	`action`	Intentionally halts workflow execution with a custom error message for dead-letter handling.	`errorMessage`, `failedAt`

2. Core Suite (Code Sandboxes & Network Primitives)

Node	Type	Kind	Description	Key Outputs
JavaScript	`js-code`	`action`	Executes JavaScript / TypeScript in an isolated E2B cloud sandbox. Features live AST infinite loop detection, smart async IIFE wrapping, and token interpolation.	`result`, `stdout`, `stderr`
Python	`python-code`	`action`	Executes Python 3 in an isolated E2B cloud sandbox with math, data transformation, and scripting capabilities.	`result`, `stdout`, `stderr`
HTTP Request	`http-request`	`action`	Performs REST API requests (`GET`, `POST`, `PUT`, `DELETE`, `PATCH`) with custom headers, query params, and JSON payloads.	`status`, `data`, `headers`

3. Apps Suite (Third-Party Integrations & Cloud Browser Automation)

Category	Node	Type	Kind	Description	Key Outputs
Browserbase	Open URL	`open-url`	`action`	Navigates the cloud browser session to a destination URL.	`url`, `pageTitle`, `status`
Browserbase	Act	`act`	`action`	Executes natural-language actions ("Click the Sign In button", "Type %password% into input").	`success`, `message`, `currentUrl`
Browserbase	Extract	`extract`	`action`	Extracts structured data from web pages using natural language and strict Zod JSON schemas.	`extraction`, `itemCount`
Browserbase	Observe	`observe`	`action`	Discovers interactive elements matching a description and returns candidate selectors.	`matches`, `selector`, `description`
Browserbase	Agent	`agent`	`action`	Autonomous multi-step agent that plans and executes complex end-to-end web tasks.	`success`, `message`, `completedSteps`
Stripe	Stripe Webhook	`stripe-trigger`	`trigger`	Listens for real-time Stripe billing events (`payment_intent.succeeded`, `subscription.created`).	`event`, `customerId`, `amount`, `currency`
Google Forms	Google Forms Webhook	`google-form-trigger`	`trigger`	Receives live Google Forms submissions via webhook payloads.	`responses`, `email`, `timestamp`
Resend	Send Email	`send-email`	`action`	Delivers transactional HTML emails via Resend with vault API key resolution.	`emailId`, `status`
Slack	Slack Webhook	`slack`	`action`	Sends notification messages and structured payloads to Slack channels.	`messageContent`, `success`
Discord	Discord Webhook	`discord`	`action`	Sends rich formatted messages and alerts directly to Discord channels.	`content`, `success`

🗂️ Hierarchical Command Palette & Zero-Node Memory Footprint

To scale to thousands of integrations without client memory degradation, Nodus uses a Hierarchical Command Palette Drawer with on-demand chunk loading:

flowchart TD
    Root["Right Sidebar: Palette"] -->|Click Flow or Core| Direct["Direct Suite View (Flow / Core)"]
    Root -->|Click Apps| AppsList["Apps Category Directory"]
    AppsList -->|Click App (e.g. Stripe, Slack)| Category["Category View (e.g. Stripe)"]
    
    Direct --> TriggersDirect["Accordion: Triggers"]
    Direct --> ActionsDirect["Accordion: Actions"]
    
    Category --> TriggersApp["Accordion: Triggers"]
    Category --> ActionsApp["Accordion: Actions"]

Key Innovations:

Zero-Node Initial Memory: When browsing suites or app categories, 0 node manifests or executors are loaded into heap memory. Only pure metadata (IDs, brand icons, and count badges) is initially present.
On-Demand Dynamic Imports: Clicking into an active suite or category triggers dynamic import() loaders (loadPaletteNodeGroup) cached in a module map.
Code-Split Sidebar Inspector: The node property inspector is loaded dynamically with next/dynamic and skeleton fallbacks, keeping token input libraries completely unloaded during canvas navigation.
Store Hook Decoupling: Canvas dimensions are read non-reactively via useStoreApi().getState() during node placement, eliminating re-renders when the sidebar is resized.

🏗️ System Architecture

flowchart TD
    subgraph Client["Frontend Layer (Next.js 16 + React 19)"]
        UI["Visual Canvas (React Flow)"]
        Palette["Hierarchical Command Palette Drawer"]
        Inspector["Right Sidebar Inspector & CodeMirror 6"]
        LB_Client["Liveblocks Real-Time Client"]
        Console["Live Run Console & Video Replay"]
    end

    subgraph Auth_Data["Auth & Persistence Layer"]
        Clerk["Clerk Auth & Billing (RBAC & Plans)"]
        Postgres[("Neon Serverless Postgres\n(Drizzle ORM)")]
        Vault[("AES-256-GCM Vault Secrets")]
        LB_Cloud["Liveblocks Cloud (Presence & Room Storage)"]
    end

    subgraph Execution["Durable Execution Engine (Trigger.dev v4)"]
        Runner["runWorkflowTask (Topological DAG Runner)"]
        MergeSync["Merge Synchronizer & Branch Pruner"]
        Executors["Node Executors Registry"]
    end

    subgraph Cloud_Sandboxes["E2B Code Sandboxes"]
        E2B_JS["E2B JavaScript / TypeScript Sandbox"]
        E2B_PY["E2B Python 3 Sandbox"]
    end

    subgraph Browser_Infra["Autonomous Cloud Browser Layer"]
        BB["Browserbase Cloud Sessions"]
        Stagehand["Stagehand v4 AI Engine"]
    end

    UI <-->|Real-time Sync| LB_Client
    LB_Client <--> LB_Cloud
    UI -->|Mutations & Auth| Clerk
    UI -->|Persist Graph & Secrets| Postgres
    Postgres -.-> Vault

    UI -->|Trigger Run| Runner
    Runner -->|Pre-flight Secret Decryption| Vault
    Runner --> MergeSync
    Runner --> Executors
    Executors -->|Code Execution + Injected Secrets| E2B_JS
    Executors -->|Code Execution + Injected Secrets| E2B_PY
    Executors -->|Browser Automation| Stagehand
    Stagehand -->|Managed Browser & Recording| BB
    Runner -.->|Live SSE Step Events| Console
    BB -.->|Proxied HLS Video Replay| Console

⚡ Technical & Engineering Innovations

1. Granular Execution Store with `useSyncExternalStore`

To prevent live Trigger.dev streaming events from causing full graph re-render cascades:

WorkflowRunsProvider exposes a slice-based external store with referential snapshot caching.
StepNode and WorkflowEdge subscribe exclusively to their own computed status (useNodeRunStatus and useEdgeRunStatus).
Result: Canvas re-renders during live runs are reduced by over 90%, ensuring a locked 60 FPS animation frame rate even during heavy parallel streaming.

2. Isolated Cloud Sandboxes with Smart Code Wrapping

Rather than executing arbitrary code on worker instances, scripts execute inside isolated E2B microVMs:

Smart Wrapper: Automatically wraps top-level return statements in async IIFEs while preserving root-level ES import statements.
Strict Teardown: Sandbox destruction is guaranteed via finally { await sandbox.kill() }, preventing leaked cloud containers.
User-Friendly Error Formatting: Replaces raw internal timeout flags with clear error explanations pointing to potential infinite loops.

3. Real-Time AST Infinite Loop Detection

An integrated client-side static analyzer inspects code as the user types in CodeMirror:

Detects unbounded while (true) / while True:, for (;;), and invariant loop variables.
Renders non-intrusive amber warning banners with line numbers before execution occurs.

4. Structural Digest Hashing for 60 FPS Canvas Panning & Dragging

React Flow triggers coordinate changes on every frame (60–120fps). To eliminate costly graph re-traversals during dragging:

We compute a deterministic structural fingerprint (nodeId#nodesDigest#edgesDigest).
BFS traversal, upstream token generation, and switch edge pruning are completely decoupled from (x, y) coordinates.
Memoized store selectors with custom equality checking (equalityFn) prevent the Inspector and sidebar from re-rendering during node movement.

5. Single-Winner Branch Pruning

When workflows split into parallel execution paths (e.g. attempting 3 fallback login methods), the MergeSynchronizer dynamically tracks sibling branch lifecycles:

As soon as the first winning branch finishes, all sibling branches in the queue are cancelled in real time.
Prevents wasteful compute and eliminates race conditions.

🛠️ Tech Stack

Framework: Next.js 16 (App Router, React 19 Server Actions, Turbopack)
Visual Canvas: React Flow / @xyflow/react
Code Editor: CodeMirror 6 (@uiw/react-codemirror + @codemirror/lang-javascript + @codemirror/lang-python)
Cloud Code Sandboxes: E2B (@e2b/code-interpreter)
Multiplayer State: Liveblocks (Real-time CRDTs, Cursors, Presence)
Durable Task Engine: Trigger.dev v4
AI Browser Framework: Stagehand v4
Autonomous Browser Infrastructure: Browserbase (HLS Video Replays, Cloud Chromium)
AI Model Provider: Google Gemini (Powers Stagehand Vision & Natural Language Agents)
Database & ORM: Neon Serverless Postgres + Drizzle ORM
Authentication & Monetization: Clerk (Organizations, RBAC, Billing & Pricing Tables)
Styling: Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui
Email Service: Resend
Telemetry & Monitoring: Sentry

🏁 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Node.js (v20+) and npm
Accounts for: Clerk, Neon, Trigger.dev, E2B, Liveblocks, Browserbase, Google AI Studio, and Resend.

1. Clone & Install

git clone https://github.com/your-username/nodus.git
cd nodus
npm install

2. Configure Environment

cp .env.example .env.local

Ensure all keys are provided in .env.local:

# App Public URL (Used for webhook destination URLs & callbacks)
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=http://localhost:3000

# Clerk Authentication & Organization Billing
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_...
CLERK_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_SIGN_IN_URL=/sign-in
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_SIGN_UP_URL=/sign-up
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_SIGN_IN_FALLBACK_REDIRECT_URL=/workflows
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_SIGN_UP_FALLBACK_REDIRECT_URL=/workflows

# Neon Serverless Postgres Database
DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:password@ep-xyz-pooler.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?sslmode=require
DATABASE_URL_UNPOOLED=postgres://user:password@ep-xyz.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?sslmode=require

# Trigger.dev Background Execution Task Runner
TRIGGER_SECRET_KEY=tr_dev_...

# Organization Credential Vault (AES-256-GCM 32-byte master key - generate via `openssl rand -hex 32`)
VAULT_MASTER_KEY=0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef

# E2B Cloud Code Sandbox (JavaScript & Python)
E2B_API_KEY=e2b_...

# Liveblocks Real-Time Multiplayer Collaboration
NEXT_PUBLIC_LIVEBLOCKS_PUBLIC_KEY=pk_liveblocks_...
LIVEBLOCKS_SECRET_KEY=sk_liveblocks_...

# Browserbase Cloud Browsers & Observability
BROWSERBASE_API_KEY=bb_...
BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID=...

# Gemini AI (Powers Stagehand v4 Autonomous Browser Agents)
GEMINI_API_KEY=AIzaSy...

# Resend Transactional Email
RESEND_API_KEY=re_...

# Sentry Monitoring & Error Reporting (Optional)
NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN=https://...
SENTRY_DSN=https://...
SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN=...
SENTRY_ORG=...
SENTRY_PROJECT=...

3. Push Database Schema

npm run db:push

4. Start the Trigger.dev Task Runner

npm run trigger:dev

5. Start the Web App

npm run dev

Navigate to http://localhost:3000 and build your first workflow.

🗺️ Product Roadmap

🧪 Verification & Test Suite

# Run all unit and integration tests (188 tests passing across 52 suites)
npm test

# Run system parity integrity verification test
npx tsx --test features/workflows/system/parity.test.ts

# Run TypeScript typecheck
npm run typecheck

# Run Next.js production build
npm run build

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

_{Designed & Developed with ❤️. Star ⭐ the repository if you find it inspiring!}

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.agents/skills		.agents/skills
.gemini		.gemini
app		app
components		components
design		design
drizzle		drizzle
features		features
hooks		hooks
lib		lib
public		public
specs		specs
trigger		trigger
.dockerignore		.dockerignore
.gitignore		.gitignore
.mcp.json		.mcp.json
.prettierignore		.prettierignore
.prettierrc		.prettierrc
.railwayignore		.railwayignore
AGENTS.md		AGENTS.md
GEMINI.md		GEMINI.md
README.md		README.md
components.json		components.json
drizzle.config.ts		drizzle.config.ts
eslint.config.mjs		eslint.config.mjs
instrumentation-client.ts		instrumentation-client.ts
instrumentation.ts		instrumentation.ts
liveblocks.config.ts		liveblocks.config.ts
neon.ts		neon.ts
next.config.ts		next.config.ts
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
postcss.config.mjs		postcss.config.mjs
proxy.ts		proxy.ts
railpack.json		railpack.json
sentry.edge.config.ts		sentry.edge.config.ts
sentry.server.config.ts		sentry.server.config.ts
skills-lock.json		skills-lock.json
trigger.config.ts		trigger.config.ts
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

Navigation Menu

Repository files navigation

⚡ Nodus

The Next-Gen Autonomous AI Workflow & Browser Orchestration Platform

🌟 The Vision

💎 The 5 Pillars of Nodus

📊 Nodus vs. Traditional Platforms

🔐 Encrypted Credential Vault

Key Vault Features:

🧩 Workflow Node Ecosystem

1. Flow Suite (Graph Topology & Control Flow)

2. Core Suite (Code Sandboxes & Network Primitives)

3. Apps Suite (Third-Party Integrations & Cloud Browser Automation)

🗂️ Hierarchical Command Palette & Zero-Node Memory Footprint

Key Innovations:

🏗️ System Architecture

⚡ Technical & Engineering Innovations

1. Granular Execution Store with `useSyncExternalStore`

2. Isolated Cloud Sandboxes with Smart Code Wrapping

3. Real-Time AST Infinite Loop Detection

4. Structural Digest Hashing for 60 FPS Canvas Panning & Dragging

5. Single-Winner Branch Pruning

🛠️ Tech Stack

🏁 Quick Start

Prerequisites

1. Clone & Install

2. Configure Environment

3. Push Database Schema

4. Start the Trigger.dev Task Runner

5. Start the Web App

🗺️ Product Roadmap

🧪 Verification & Test Suite

📄 License

About

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages

Latest commit

History

Folders and files

Repository files navigation

⚡ Nodus

The Next-Gen Autonomous AI Workflow & Browser Orchestration Platform

🌟 The Vision

💎 The 5 Pillars of Nodus

📊 Nodus vs. Traditional Platforms

🔐 Encrypted Credential Vault

Key Vault Features:

🧩 Workflow Node Ecosystem

1. Flow Suite (Graph Topology & Control Flow)

2. Core Suite (Code Sandboxes & Network Primitives)

3. Apps Suite (Third-Party Integrations & Cloud Browser Automation)

🗂️ Hierarchical Command Palette & Zero-Node Memory Footprint

Key Innovations:

🏗️ System Architecture

⚡ Technical & Engineering Innovations

1. Granular Execution Store with useSyncExternalStore

2. Isolated Cloud Sandboxes with Smart Code Wrapping

3. Real-Time AST Infinite Loop Detection

4. Structural Digest Hashing for 60 FPS Canvas Panning & Dragging

5. Single-Winner Branch Pruning

🛠️ Tech Stack

🏁 Quick Start

Prerequisites

1. Clone & Install

2. Configure Environment

3. Push Database Schema

4. Start the Trigger.dev Task Runner

5. Start the Web App

🗺️ Product Roadmap

🧪 Verification & Test Suite

📄 License

About

Resources

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages

1. Granular Execution Store with `useSyncExternalStore`