Self-host preview

Set up a feedback home for your product.

Run Howllo, create an empty workspace, add your first board, and invite the people who will manage it.

Start with the server ↓See the board flow ↓

Howllo mascot setting up a blank feedback board

Release status: preview. Howllo is usable for evaluation and public feedback. The 1.0 roadmap lists security and self-hosting work still open, especially private media and session hardening.

What runs where

One API serves three clear views. A workspace holds the boards for one product or project.

Staff

Howllo App

Create workspaces and boards, set appearance and sign-in, invite staff, and moderate posts.

Customers

Howllo Web

Read boards, create topics, vote, comment, and follow product updates.

Operator

Howllo Admin

Configure the installation, global limits, email, and workspace quotas.

The Rust API uses PostgreSQL for accounts and content. MinIO stores uploads. App, Web, and Admin are separate frontends.

Start a local installation

These commands run the current source. Use your own PostgreSQL and MinIO addresses when they are already available.

Get the source and backing services

Install Node.js 22 or newer and Rust. Start the example PostgreSQL and MinIO services from the repository root.

git clone https://github.com/theparitt/howllo.git
cd howllo
docker compose up -d

Configure and start the API

Copy the example env, set strong secrets, and point the database and storage values at your services. The API listens on port 7700.

cp howllo-server/.env.example howllo-server/.env
cd howllo-server
cargo run

The API applies pending database migrations when it starts.

Start the three views

Back at the repository root, install frontend packages. Run each view in its own terminal.

npm ci
npm run dev:app    # localhost:7702
npm run dev:web    # localhost:7703
npm run dev:admin  # localhost:7701

Before exposing your server: set public HTTPS origins, CORS, strong admin and session secrets, backups, and private storage rules. The source checkout is not yet a one-command production stack. See the technical release plan.

Create a workspace, then a board

A new workspace starts with no boards. Nothing is public until you create and enable a board.

Open App → Your workspaces

Open Boards → Create board

Choose Bug reports, Feature requests, Discussion, or Announcements. Set its name, URL and options.

Preview, enable, and share

Review the board’s appearance and posting rules. Enable the board, then copy its public link for customers.

Howllo mascot preparing a blank board — Workspace first. Boards one at a time.

See the full board tutorial →

Choose sign-in

A fresh open-source install works with local accounts. Google and Microsoft are optional OpenID Connect choices.

Default

Local passwords

Users save a one-time recovery code at registration. No external identity service is required.

Staff login

Google or Microsoft

Add an enabled entry to HOWLLO_OIDC_PROVIDERS in the API env. Register the exact API callback shown below.

Customer login

Per workspace

In App → Customer sign-in, enter your own provider client ID and secret. Copy the redirect URI shown there into Google or Microsoft.

Staff callbackhttps://YOUR-API/api/auth/callback/googlehttps://YOUR-API/api/auth/callback/microsoft

Google issuer: https://accounts.google.com. Microsoft issuer: https://login.microsoftonline.com/YOUR-TENANT-ID/v2.0. Use a specific Microsoft tenant ID. Keep client secrets on the server.

Set HOWLLO_PUBLIC_API_URL and the frontend origins first. For customer providers, also set HOWLLO_OIDC_CONFIG_KEY so Howllo can encrypt the tenant’s client secret. Follow the exact OIDC setup for JSON examples and callback checks.

Invite a teammate

Staff roles belong to the workspace. The person you invite chooses whether to accept.

App → Staff → Invite

Enter an email and choose admin or moderator.

Share the invitation

With local accounts, share the one-time invitation code privately. The invitee signs in and accepts in App.

Check Staff

See the invitation status and the new staff member. An owner can change their Howllo role or remove access.

Howllo mascot offering a staff invitation — The invitee must accept before gaining a staff role.

See the staff tutorial →

Run and maintain the service

Use Howllo Admin for platform settings. Workspace staff use App for their own boards and members.

Set safe defaults

Admin → Platform settings controls quotas and limits; workspace owners can adjust allowed settings in App → Security.

Back up both stores

Back up PostgreSQL and MinIO together, then test a restore before relying on the installation.

Track release gates

Private media and browser session hardening are still open for 1.0. Check the public roadmap.