Hi Cloudron Support,
We have a fresh Cloudron Pro installation (domain dados.server.seuimovel.com.br). All the apps we plan to use are already installed and the admin user (admin@cloudron.local) is working, so we have full administrative access in the UI.
Our stack will consist of the following Cloudron apps (plus a few external services that must be connected to them):
Category Cloudron App Purpose
Data & Processes NocoDB Low‑code relational data store (tables/funnels)
Automations n8n Workflow engine (triggered by webhooks, timers, etc.)
Customer Service Chatwoot Live‑chat / ticketing system
Email Marketing Listmonk Newsletter & bulk‑email campaigns
Analytics Metabase BI dashboards and reporting
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External services we need to connect:
Z‑API – WhatsApp gateway (to be called from Chatwoot and n8n)
Amazon SES – high‑deliverability SMTP for Listmonk
The core open question is how to provide a single PostgreSQL database that can be used by both NocoDB and Metabase (and optionally by n8n for its own data). We have identified three possible approaches, but we need confirmation on whether each is supported on Cloudron, and, if so, the exact steps to implement them:
1️⃣ Use the internal PostgreSQL instance that NocoDB runs on (the one that is not exposed in the Cloudron UI).
Is it possible to expose that internal database to other apps (Metabase, n8n) via a network‑allowed hostname/port?
If it is possible, what configuration changes (e.g., Cloudron networking, app permissions, environment variables) are required?
2️⃣ Deploy a dedicated PostgreSQL app on Cloudron (the “PostgreSQL” addon) and configure both NocoDB and Metabase to connect to it.
What are the exact steps to:
Create the PostgreSQL app (or enable the addon) on Cloudron Pro
Retrieve the connection credentials (host, port, database, user, password) from the Cloudron UI
Configure NocoDB to use this external PostgreSQL (via its Settings → Database page)
Configure Metabase (Admin → Databases → Add database) with the same credentials
Optionally point n8n to the same PostgreSQL instance (if we want to store workflow data there)
3️⃣ Use an external PostgreSQL service (e.g., Supabase, Amazon RDS, Neon) and have all Cloudron apps connect to it.
What is the recommended way to store the external credentials securely in each app (environment variables, Cloudron Secrets, etc.)?
Are there any Cloudron‑specific networking restrictions we need to be aware of when an app connects to an external host?
Additional integration questions
n8n Chatwoot – We want n8n to listen to Chatwoot webhook events (new tickets, status changes) and also to push updates back to Chatwoot. Is there a built‑in “Chatwoot” node in n8n, or do we need to use generic HTTP/Webhook nodes? Any documentation for the required authentication (API token, JWT) would be appreciated.
Chatwoot Z‑API (WhatsApp) – We plan to forward incoming WhatsApp messages from Z‑API to Chatwoot and send replies back through Z‑API. What is the recommended webhook configuration on Z‑API, and does Chatwoot support a custom “WhatsApp” channel out‑of‑the‑box, or must we use the generic “API” channel?
Listmonk Amazon SES – We intend to use Amazon SES as the SMTP relay for Listmonk. Are there any Cloudron‑specific steps (e.g., adding SES credentials as a “Mail Server” addon, or setting environment variables) to make this work reliably?
Metabase NocoDB tables – Once the PostgreSQL connection is established (options 1‑3 above), will Metabase automatically discover the NocoDB tables (including the separate tables we will create for each funnel: Captação, Oportunidades, Follow‑up, Relacionamento, Gestão)? If not, what is the minimal configuration needed in NocoDB to expose those tables to external queries?
Automation of “Responsável” field – In NocoDB we need the “Responsável” column to be automatically populated based on the ticket owner in Chatwoot (or the workflow owner in n8n). Is there a native NocoDB trigger we can use, or should we create an n8n workflow that updates the record via NocoDB’s REST API? Any example workflow would be helpful.
Documentation request – Could you provide (or point us to) a consolidated Cloudron documentation page that covers:
Managing app‑to‑app networking and permissions (especially for database sharing)
Storing and retrieving secret credentials for external services (SES, Z‑API, external PostgreSQL)
Exporting/importing NocoDB schemas so that we can version‑control our funnel tables
Summary of what we need
Confirmation on whether Option 1 (internal NocoDB PostgreSQL) can be exposed, and the exact steps if it is possible.
Full, step‑by‑step guide for Option 2 (dedicated Cloudron PostgreSQL), including how to point NocoDB, Metabase, and optionally n8n to it.
Guidance for Option 3 (external PostgreSQL), especially regarding secret handling and network policies.
Answers to the integration questions (n8n Chatwoot, Chatwoot Z‑API, Listmonk SES, Metabase NocoDB tables, automation of “Responsável”).
Links to any relevant Cloudron documentation or example repositories that cover the above topics.
We prefer to keep everything inside Cloudron whenever possible to reduce external dependencies, but we are open to using external services (SES, Z‑API, external PostgreSQL) if they are required for robustness.
Thank you for your help – we look forward to a detailed response so we can move forward without further trial‑and‑error.
Best regards,
Luis
