// rag · pingcap/autoflow

autoflow

Graph RAG conversational knowledge base built on TiDB Serverless vector storage

★ 3.0k stars⑂ 194 forksApache-2.0updated 2026-04
▦ visual — this project's README ships no embeddable screenshot,
so here's a placeholder. The guide below is complete regardless.
// project facts

Project facts

autoflow is an open-source rag & knowledge project by pingcap (pingcap/autoflow on GitHub). It has 2,978 GitHub stars and 194 forks, is released under the Apache-2.0 license, and was last updated on GitHub on 27 April 2026.

GitHub stars
2,978
Forks
194
License
Apache-2.0
Last updated on GitHub
27 April 2026
Listing
Full install guide
Official site
Official site
// how it works

How it works

  1. Clarify your goal

    Decide what knowledge you want to make conversational — typically documentation or a website that the built-in crawler can ingest via sitemap scraping.

  2. Get AutoFlow

    Clone the repo and read the deployment docs linked from the README.

  3. Install and configure

    Deploy with Docker Compose (the docs suggest 4 CPU cores and 8 GB RAM) backed by TiDB Serverless vector storage, and configure your LLM settings.

  4. Run your first task

    Open the conversational search page, ask a question about your ingested content, and optionally embed the chat snippet on your site.

// features

Why people love it

Graph RAG knowledge base

Retrieval is built on a knowledge-graph RAG approach using TiDB Vector storage, via LlamaIndex and DSPy.

Perplexity-style search page

A conversational search interface for asking questions over your knowledge base.

Built-in website crawler

Crawls official and documentation sites through sitemap URL scraping to build coverage.

Embeddable JS snippet

Drop a simple JavaScript snippet into your website to add a conversational search window, typically at the bottom right.

TiDB-backed storage

TiDB stores chat history, vectors, JSON and analytics in one database.

Docker Compose deployment

Documented deployment path with Docker Compose in the project's deployment docs.

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// run it

Run it yourself

  1. Clone the repo

    Clone AutoFlow and enter the directory.

    git clone https://github.com/pingcap/autoflow.git
    cd autoflow
  2. Deploy with Docker Compose

    Follow the deployment docs linked in the README for the Docker Compose deployment (4 CPU / 8 GB RAM suggested).

    # see README for the exact command — deployment docs: https://autoflow.tidb.ai/deploy-with-docker
  3. Try the live demo first

    If you want to see it before deploying, the hosted demo runs at tidb.ai.

    # open https://tidb.ai
// use cases

What you can build

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// faq

Questions, answered

Who maintains AutoFlow?

PingCAP, the company behind TiDB, maintains AutoFlow as an open-source project.

Is AutoFlow free?

The code is Apache-2.0 licensed and free to use. You will typically use TiDB Serverless and an LLM provider, whose own pricing applies.

Does it need a paid API key?

It is an LLM-based RAG tool, so you should expect to configure an LLM provider; TiDB Serverless is used for vector storage. Check the deployment docs for the exact configuration.

How does it compare to plain vector RAG?

AutoFlow adds a knowledge-graph (Graph RAG) layer and a ready conversational UI with crawling and an embeddable widget, rather than just a retrieval library.

How do I get started?

Try the demo at tidb.ai, then follow the Docker Compose deployment guide linked from the README.

// keep exploring

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// alternatives

Alternatives in RAG & Knowledge

The most-starred other RAG & Knowledge projects in the LibreAI catalogue — the realistic shortlist if autoflow is not the right fit.

Get autoflow

Free and open — grab the source, star the repo, and start creating.