Deploy and Host Interval on Railway

Interval is a way to build internal tools from backend code alone: you write actions with the Node or Python SDK, and Interval Server renders the forms, tables and approval flows for your team, no frontend to build. Interval was acquired by Meter in 2023 and its server was released as open source under the MIT license. This template runs that server on Railway with PostgreSQL and a MinIO service for file uploads.

About Hosting Interval

Interval Server is a Node.js application that needs a PostgreSQL database. The template builds it from a repository that adds a Dockerfile to the upstream server, serves it on a public domain with a health check on /health-check/, and generates the three secrets the server requires: SECRET for password encryption, WSS_API_SECRET for communication between Interval's own services, and AUTH_COOKIE_SECRET for session cookies. APP_URL is set to the public domain and DATABASE_URL references the Interval Postgres service over the private network.

Email is optional and goes through Postmark: leave POSTMARK_API_KEY empty and Interval simply does not send invitations or notifications. The Interval Uploads Storage service is a MinIO instance on a volume; connect it to Interval by setting the S3_* variables described in the README when you start using file inputs.

Common Use Cases

Admin tools: refunds, account lookups, feature flag toggles, written as functions in the backend that already has the data
Approval workflows and scheduled scripts that non-engineers can run from a UI
Data entry and moderation dashboards that would otherwise need a React app
Keeping internal tooling on your infrastructure now that the hosted Interval service is gone

Dependencies for Interval Hosting

Interval Server (Node.js 18) from the template repository
PostgreSQL 16 (ghcr.io/railwayapp-templates/postgres-ssl:16) on a Railway volume
MinIO on a Railway volume for uploads (optional to wire up)

Deployment Dependencies

Implementation Details

APP_URL=https://${{RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN}}
DATABASE_URL=${{Interval Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}
SECRET=${{secret()}}
WSS_API_SECRET=${{secret()}}
AUTH_COOKIE_SECRET=${{secret(32)}}
POSTMARK_API_KEY=            # optional
EMAIL_FROM=                  # optional, for example: Interval Bot bot@example.com

In your application, install @interval/sdk (or the Python package), point it at your instance with the endpoint option, and use the API key you create in the Interval dashboard.

Why Deploy Interval on Railway?

Interval is three moving parts (server, database, object storage) that Railway creates together with generated secrets and private networking. Because the SDK runs inside your own backend, the only thing you host is this server, and it is small.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Interval still maintained?

The hosted product was shut down after the Meter acquisition; the open source server and SDKs are on GitHub and still receive commits. This template tracks the server repository.

How do I connect my app?

Create an API key in the Interval dashboard, then initialize the SDK with that key and your server's URL as the endpoint. Actions your code registers appear in the dashboard for your team.

Do I need Postmark?

Only for emails. Everything else works without it; invitation and notification emails are simply not sent.

How do I enable file uploads?

Set S3_KEY_ID, S3_KEY_SECRET, S3_BUCKET, S3_REGION and S3_ENDPOINT on the Interval service to the MinIO service's credentials (its root user and password are in its variables), create the bucket in MinIO, and configure CORS as described in the README.

What does it cost?

Interval Server idles around 0.2 to 0.3 GB of RAM; with PostgreSQL and MinIO the whole stack is about $5 to $7 a month at Railway's rates for a handful of users.