Semaphore UI is a modern, open-source web UI and API for running automation with Ansible, Terraform/OpenTofu, PowerShell, Shell/Bash, and Python.

Semaphore is written in Go (lightweight, fast) and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It supports SQLite, MySQL, and PostgreSQL.

• I’m installing or operating Semaphore (admins/operators)

  • Install: Installation
  • Configure: Configuration
  • Secure: Security
  • Auth: LDAP or OpenID Connect
  • Scale & run remotely: Runners
  • Keep it healthy: Logs, Upgrading, Troubleshooting
  • Enterprise setups: High availability

• I’m using Semaphore day-to-day (teams/users)

  • Organize work: Projects and Teams
  • Run automation: Tasks and Schedules
  • Connect your code: Repositories
  • Targets and variables: Inventory and Variable Groups
  • Credentials: Key Store
  • Connect tools: Integrations

• I’m here for a specific tool

  • Ansible
  • Terraform/OpenTofu
  • Shell/Bash
  • PowerShell
  • Python

Use this as a simple “happy path” to get productive quickly:

1. Install Semaphore using your preferred method: Installation
2. Run initial setup (config + first admin user): Interactive setup
3. Create a project to isolate work (teams, infra, apps): Projects
4. Connect what Semaphore needs
   • Source: Repositories
   • Secrets/credentials: Key Store
   • Targets: Inventory
   • Variables: Variable Groups
5. Create a task template and run it
   • App-specific guides: Ansible, Terraform/OpenTofu, Shell/Bash
   • Run and monitor: Tasks
6. Automate & operationalize
   • Schedule runs: Schedules
   • Control access: Teams and custom roles
   • Get alerts: Notifications

If you’re new, these terms show up everywhere in the UI:

• Project: the main unit of separation (teams/infrastructures/applications) — Projects
• Repository: where your playbooks/modules/scripts live — Repositories
• Inventory: hosts/groups/connection settings for Ansible-style runs — Inventory
• Variable Group (Environment): reusable variables and configuration per project — Variable Groups
• Key Store: encrypted credentials (SSH keys, tokens, passwords) — Key Store
• Task / Task template: the definition and the run of automation — Tasks
• Runner: where tasks execute (local or remote) — Runners

• CI/CD in Semaphore: build, deploy, and rollback — CI/CD
• Run at scale: distribute execution using runners — Runners
• Programmatic automation: integrate Semaphore into your pipelines — API
• Manage via CLI: setup, users, runners, migrations — CLI

• Help / community: join the Discord
• Bug reports / feature requests: open an issue on GitHub Issues
• Source code: GitHub

If something isn’t working as expected, start here: Troubleshooting FAQ