Building a SaaS Automation Platform: A Complete Technical Stack Walkthrough

You know that feeling when you're juggling five different apps just to get one workflow done? That's exactly the problem automation platforms solve. Today we're walking through how to build a production-ready SaaS automation builder from scratch—the kind that lets users connect their favorite tools and create custom workflows without writing a single line of code.

This isn't some toy project. We're talking about a real B2C platform that handles authentication, database management, file uploads, payment processing, and integrations with Google Drive, Slack, Discord, and Notion. All built with modern tools that actually scale.

Why Build Your Own Automation Platform

The automation space is exploding right now. Businesses and individuals are desperate for ways to streamline repetitive tasks. But here's the thing—most existing solutions either cost a fortune or lock you into their ecosystem.

Building your own platform gives you control. You decide the pricing model, the integrations, and the user experience. Plus, if you're looking to understand how these systems work under the hood, there's no better way than building one yourself.

The beauty of modern development tools is that you don't need a massive team anymore. With the right stack, a small team or even a solo developer can ship something genuinely useful. And if you're interested in taking your automation game to the next level, 👉 explore how GoHighLevel helps agencies build white-label automation solutions that they can sell to their own clients.

The Core Technology Stack

Let's break down what makes this platform tick. Each piece serves a specific purpose, and together they create something powerful.

Next.js 14 handles the frontend and backend. The App Router gives you server components out of the box, which means faster initial page loads and better SEO. You get API routes built in, so no need for a separate backend server.

Clerk manages authentication. Forget rolling your own auth system—Clerk handles sign-ups, logins, social providers, and even multi-factor authentication. The real magic is how cleanly it integrates with Next.js middleware, letting you protect routes with just a few lines of code.

Neon Tech serves as the database. It's Postgres, but serverless. That means it scales automatically and you only pay for what you use. Perfect for a SaaS where user activity can be unpredictable.

Prisma sits between your app and the database. It's an ORM that makes database queries feel natural in TypeScript. No more writing raw SQL for basic operations—though you can when you need to.

Uploadcare handles file uploads. Instead of wrestling with S3 buckets and presigned URLs, you get a plug-and-play solution. Users can upload files, you get a CDN-backed URL back. Simple.

Stripe processes payments. Monthly subscriptions, usage-based billing, whatever you need. The credit-based payment model lets users pay for what they actually consume rather than being locked into fixed tiers.

Building the Visual Workflow Builder

Here's where things get interesting. The drag-and-drop interface is built with React Flow, which gives you a node-based canvas right out of the box. Think of it like a flowchart editor, but for automation workflows.

Each node represents an action or trigger. Users drag nodes onto an infinite canvas, connect them with lines, and configure what happens at each step. The mini-map feature lets them zoom out and see their entire workflow at once—crucial when automations get complex.

The interface adapts to both light and dark modes, because apparently we're still having that debate in 2024. Aceternity UI components give it that polished, modern look without spending weeks on design.

What makes this powerful is the expandable sidebar. Users can browse available integrations, drag them into their workflow, and configure settings without leaving the canvas. No context switching, no interruptions.

Setting Up Real Integrations

This is where most tutorials wave their hands and say "just use Zapier's API." Not here. Every integration is built from scratch, which means you actually understand what's happening.

Google Drive integration uses OAuth to request specific permissions—reading files, watching for changes, accessing metadata. When a user uploads a file to their Drive, your platform can trigger a workflow automatically. The watch functionality uses webhooks to get notified of changes in real-time.

Slack and Discord connections let your platform send notifications and custom messages. Users authenticate once, and you store the access tokens securely. When their workflow completes or an error occurs, they get pinged exactly where they want.

Notion integration creates database entries programmatically. A user's workflow can capture form submissions, process the data, and automatically create organized records in their Notion workspace. No manual data entry required.

The key to all of this is properly handling OAuth flows and securely storing credentials. Clerk makes this easier by providing built-in OAuth support for major providers. For others, you implement the standard OAuth 2.0 flow—redirect to the provider, receive the authorization code, exchange it for tokens, store them encrypted.

For developers and agencies looking to offer similar automation capabilities without building everything from scratch, 👉 check out GoHighLevel's automation platform which provides white-label solutions with built-in CRM, workflows, and integrations.

Handling Payments and Credits

The subscription model is straightforward—users pay monthly for base access. But the credit system is what makes it flexible. Each automation that runs consumes credits. Heavy users pay more, light users pay less.

Stripe handles the recurring billing. When users run low on credits, they can purchase more or upgrade their plan. The webhook system notifies your app when payments succeed or fail, so you can automatically adjust their account status.

Payment security is critical here. Never store credit card details yourself—Stripe handles all of that. You just track subscription status and credit balances in your database.

Local Development with HTTPS

Here's something that trips people up—many OAuth providers require HTTPS, even for localhost. The solution is Ngrok, which creates a secure tunnel to your local development server.

You start your Next.js app normally, then point Ngrok at it. Ngrok gives you a public HTTPS URL that routes to your machine. Configure your OAuth apps to use that URL during development, and everything works like production.

Bun serves as the JavaScript runtime and package manager. It's faster than Node.js for many operations and has better developer ergonomics. The performance difference becomes noticeable as your project grows.

Designing the User Experience

The landing page does the heavy lifting for conversions. Animations draw attention without being distracting. The copy focuses on outcomes—save time, reduce errors, connect your tools—rather than technical specs.

The sidebar navigation keeps everything accessible. Users can jump between workflows, settings, and integrations without losing their place. The settings page handles profile updates, billing management, and integration connections in one organized interface.

Dark mode isn't just aesthetic—many developers prefer it, especially during late-night coding sessions. The toggle switches seamlessly between modes, preserving user preferences across sessions.

What You're Actually Building

This platform lets non-technical users create complex automations. They connect their accounts, drag nodes onto a canvas, and define what happens when. Behind the scenes, your app coordinates between multiple APIs, manages state, handles errors, and processes payments.

The workflow engine executes automation sequences based on trigger events. When a file hits Google Drive, the engine fires the connected actions in order—maybe posting to Slack, creating a Notion entry, and sending an email. All automatic, all reliable.

The infrastructure scales with usage. Serverless databases and edge functions mean you're not paying for idle capacity. As users create more workflows and run more automations, everything scales automatically.

Getting Started

The foundation is solid Next.js 14 configuration with TypeScript. Add Shadcn UI for base components and Aceternity UI for animations. Set up Prisma with Neon Tech and configure your schema for users, workflows, and connections.

Implement authentication with Clerk first—everything else depends on knowing who the user is. Then tackle file uploads with Uploadcare. Once users can sign in and upload files, start building the workflow canvas with React Flow.

Integrations come next, one at a time. Start with Google Drive since it's widely used. Get OAuth working, test the file watching functionality, then move to the next integration. Each one follows a similar pattern once you understand the OAuth flow.

Stripe integration goes in last, once everything else works. Set up products and prices in your Stripe dashboard, implement the checkout flow in your app, and add webhook handlers to manage subscription lifecycle events.

Taking It Further

This is a foundation, not a ceiling. You can add more integrations—email providers, project management tools, social media platforms. Each new integration makes the platform more valuable.

Advanced features might include conditional logic (if this, then that), loops, error handling, and retry mechanisms. The workflow canvas can support variables, allowing users to pass data between nodes dynamically.

Analytics help users understand which automations run most often, which ones fail, and where they can optimize. Usage dashboards show credit consumption and help predict when users need to upgrade.

The platform you build here is genuinely useful. People will pay for tools that save them time and reduce manual work. Whether you're building this as a product to sell or as a learning project to master modern development, you're working with technologies that power real businesses today.