Govern and discover internal AI components across your org
Self-hosted control plane and registry for internal AI Skills, MCP servers, and agents, with per-harness config generation and usage insights.
1.13.1Add to Favorites
Why it matters
Observal serves as the central control plane and registry for all internal AI components-Skills, Agents, MCP servers, prompts, and sandboxes-enabling teams to discover, version, deploy, and monitor reusable AI tools across multiple coding IDEs and CLIs while capturing usage patterns and feedback loops that prevent duplicate work and silent failures.
Outcomes
What it gets done
Package Skills, MCP servers, hooks, prompts, and sandboxes into versioned, reusable agents
Run a governed registry where teams review, approve, and install trusted internal AI components
Generate harness-specific configs automatically for Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Kiro, and other tools
Capture session traces and usage analytics to identify which agents and workflows drive adoption
Source
Get it from source
Spark does not host a copy of it.
Open sourceReports
Agent outcome reports
No reports yet
Overview
Observal
Observal is a self-hosted control plane and system of record for internal AI components. It bundles MCP servers, skills, hooks, prompts, and sandboxes into versioned agents in a governed registry, generates per-harness config for any of nine supported coding tools, and captures session telemetry into AI-generated insight reports and full session replay. Use it when internal AI Skills, Agents, and MCP servers are scattered across siloed repos with no discoverability or usage visibility; it requires standing up a self-hosted server (Docker Compose or Kubernetes) plus a CLI on each developer machine, so it fits organizations with real AI sprawl, not a one-off tool.
What it does
Observal is a self-hosted control plane and system of record for an organization's internal AI components - Skills, MCP servers, hooks, prompts, and sandboxes. It bundles those five component types into versioned, installable "agents," publishes them to a governed registry, and captures usage telemetry from every session so silent AI failures (hallucinations, subtly wrong answers - the kind that never trigger a static error code) turn into actionable insight reports instead of going unnoticed.
When to use - and when NOT to
Use it when an organization has multiple teams independently building internal AI Skills, Agents, and MCP servers in siloed repos with little documentation, causing duplicated work because nobody can discover what already exists - Observal's registry is specifically the discoverability layer, and its per-harness config generation means one agent definition installs correctly into any of nine supported harnesses (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Codex, Kiro, Pi, OpenCode, Antigravity CLI, Goose) without maintaining separate setup instructions for each. It also fits teams that publish internal AI tools but have no visibility into whether they're actually used or working - session replay and AI-generated insight reports (via LiteLLM, against any provider including Anthropic, OpenAI, Bedrock, Gemini, Azure, or Ollama) close that feedback loop. It requires standing up a real service: a self-hosted server (API, web UI, PostgreSQL for the registry, ClickHouse for telemetry, Redis-backed job queue) plus a CLI installed on each developer machine, so it is not a lightweight single-command tool - it is infrastructure for organizations that already have enough internal AI sprawl to need governance.
Inputs and outputs
Input is a defined agent (a bundle of MCP servers, skills, hooks, prompts, and sandboxes) published to the registry, plus the session telemetry Observal's installed hooks capture automatically once a harness is connected - prompts, tool calls, thinking blocks, and responses, turn by turn. Output is harness-specific config files generated on observal pull <agent> --harness <name>, plus registry browsing/search with compatibility badges, admin review queues with side-by-side version diffs, a leaderboard by downloads, full session replay down to individual tool-call spans, and AI-generated insight reports summarizing what's working, what's hindering adoption, and quick wins.
Integrations
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Observal/Observal/main/install-server.sh | bash
The server deploys via Docker Compose (requires Docker Engine 24.0+ with Compose v2; images pull from GHCR, ports bind to loopback by default) or Kubernetes via Helm. The CLI installs as a standalone binary (no Python needed) or via uv tool install observal-cli/pipx, then connects with observal auth login followed by observal doctor --patch, which detects the harness and installs its telemetry hooks. Insight generation runs on LiteLLM, so it can point at whichever LLM provider an organization already uses. Audit logs, SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning, and the executive dashboard are all included in the Apache-2.0 open-source distribution.
Who it's for
Platform and developer-experience teams at organizations running enough internal AI Skills, Agents, and MCP servers across enough coding harnesses that discovery, governance, and usage visibility have become real problems rather than a one-off documentation gap. It's released under the Apache 2.0 license.
Source README
██████╗ ██████╗ ███████╗███████╗██████╗ ██╗ ██╗ █████╗ ██╗ ██╔═══██╗██╔══██╗██╔════╝██╔════╝██╔══██╗██║ ██║██╔══██╗██║ ██║ ██║██████╔╝███████╗█████╗ ██████╔╝██║ ██║███████║██║ ██║ ██║██╔══██╗╚════██║██╔══╝ ██╔══██╗╚██╗ ██╔╝██╔══██║██║ ╚██████╔╝██████╔╝███████║███████╗██║ ██║ ╚████╔╝ ██║ ██║███████╗ ╚═════╝ ╚═════╝ ╚══════╝╚══════╝╚═╝ ╚═╝ ╚═══╝ ╚═╝ ╚═╝╚══════╝
Observal is the control plane and system of record for internal AI components
If you find Observal useful, please consider giving it a star. It helps others discover the project and keeps development going.
What is Observal and what does it solve?
Observal is the control plane and system of record for internal AI components. Every tech-forward organization today creates internal Skills, Agents, MCP servers and other AI components to boost productivity. Though the creation of these components has been prolific, the adoption and usage of such components is sparse. Developer/AI users today end up creating their own version of AI components without reusing existing packages.
The cause is largely due to two problems:
Lack of a discoverability layer
Organizations store their AI components and agents in siloed github repositories with little to no documentation. Users are not able to locate similar components and this results in multiple developers creating the same/similar components again.
Missing feedback loop
Any software where usage patterns are not understood and the principle of user-centric development is violated tends to fade out. Such is the problem with development of MCPs, Skills and Agents. Developers publish and maintain these components with little visibility into how they're actually used. Additionally, AI failures don't trigger static error codes: they hallucinate or provide subtly incorrect answers. This leaves users clueless about what went wrong compounding the feedback problem.
Observal solves this by providing a centralized discovery layer for AI components alongside useful insights into AI usage patterns. It turns silent failures into actionable feedback, ensuring internal AI tools are continuously optimized for the people using them.
Observal supports Claude Code, Cursor, Kiro, Pi, Copilot, Codex, OpenCode, and other tools.
Why teams use Observal
- Package components into reusable agents: Bundle Skills, MCP servers, hooks, prompts, and sandboxes into one versioned unit.
- Run a governed registry: Review submissions, approve internal agents, inspect version diffs, and give developers one trusted place to install from.
- Render across multiple Coding IDE/CLI: Generate the correct config for each supported harness instead of maintaining separate setup instructions for every harness.
- Learn what works: Use real adoption and session data to find which agents, tools, prompts, and workflows are helping teams.
- Replay sessions when needed: Use traces as evidence for debugging, review, audits, and deeper analysis.
Supported harnesses
| harness |
|---|
| Claude Code |
| Kiro |
| Cursor |
| Pi |
| Copilot (CLI & VS Code Extension) |
| Codex |
| OpenCode |
| Antigravity CLI |
| Goose |
One command to install any agent into any supported harness. The config files are generated per-harness automatically.
Quick Start
Observal has two parts: a server (API + web UI + databases) you self-host, and a CLI you install on each developer machine.
1. Deploy the server
One-line install (requires Docker Engine ≥ 24.0 with Compose v2):
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Observal/Observal/main/install-server.sh | bash
This downloads a Docker Compose package, generates operator-owned secret files with restricted container-group access, binds published ports to loopback by default, pulls container images from GHCR, and starts the stack. With a terminal it runs guided setup; without a terminal the same command applies safe defaults automatically.
Deployment docs are linked directly from this README:
- Setup guide: fastest path from zero to a working stack
- Self-hosting overview: deployment models and operator docs
- Production deployment: hardened production topology
- Databases: Postgres, ClickHouse, migrations, retention
- Upgrades: safe upgrade and rollback flow
- Release verification: verify checksums, provenance, and signed tags
- Backup and restore: backup plan before upgrades
From source (for contributors):
git clone https://github.com/Observal/Observal.git && cd Observal
cp .env.example .env
make up
2. Install the CLI
Standalone binary (no Python required):
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Observal/Observal/main/install.sh | bash
Python (3.11+):
uv tool install observal-cli
# or: pipx install observal-cli
3. Connect your harness
observal auth login
observal doctor --patch
This authenticates with your server, detects your harness, installs telemetry hooks, starts capturing sessions automatically, and prepares it for agent installs and registry commands.
Once logged in, run /observal inside your harness and it takes the wheel. Pull agents, submit components, browse the registry, run diagnostics:
/observal pull security-auditor
/observal scan
/observal doctor
Or just tell your agent what you want and it figures out the right commands.
How Observal works
Agents are portable context packages
An agent bundles 5 component types into a single installable package: MCP servers, skills, hooks, prompts, and sandboxes. You define the agent once, publish it to the registry, and Observal generates the right config files for whichever supported harness the user runs.
observal pull security-auditor --harness pi
The registry is the distribution layer
The registry is where agents live. Admins review submissions, version diffs keep changes auditable, and one command installs an agent into any supported harness.
Insights close the loop
Real usage data flows back as reports: what's helping, what's getting in the way, and where to improve. Session traces provide the underlying evidence for debugging and auditing.
Agent Registry
Browse, search, and install agents with harness compatibility badges:
Build agents visually with live config preview for every harness:
Components library: MCPs, Skills, Hooks, Prompts, Sandboxes:
Agent Insights
AI-powered insight reports analyze usage patterns across all sessions, what's working, what's hindering, and quick wins. Powered by LiteLLM, works with any provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, Bedrock, Gemini, Azure, Ollama).
See Insights LLM Setup for configuration.
Session Replay
Full session overview with token counts, models, tools, and turn-by-turn timeline:
Every turn captured: user prompt, tool calls, thinking block, assistant response:
Drill into any span to see exact tool inputs and outputs:
Review and Governance
Admin review queue with full prompt inspection and approve/reject:
Side-by-side version diffs before approving a new release:
Leaderboard tracks top agents and components by downloads:
Open-source features
Audit logs, SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning, and the executive dashboard are included in the Apache-2.0 distribution.
Audit log with parameterized search:
Documentation
Full docs at docs.observal.io.
Start here for deployment and operations:
| Need | Link |
|---|---|
| Fast local or source setup | SETUP.md |
| Self-hosting overview | docs/self-hosting/README.md |
| Production deployment | docs/self-hosting/production-deploy.md |
| Single-node deployment | docs/self-hosting/single-node-deploy.md |
| Docker Compose setup | docs/self-hosting/docker-compose.md |
| Databases and migrations | docs/self-hosting/databases.md |
| Upgrades | docs/self-hosting/upgrades.md |
| Backup and restore | docs/self-hosting/backup-and-restore.md |
Tech Stack
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Frontend | Vite 6, React 19, TanStack Router, Tailwind CSS 4, shadcn/ui |
| Backend | Python 3.11+, FastAPI, Strawberry GraphQL |
| Databases | PostgreSQL 16 (registry), ClickHouse (telemetry) |
| Queue | Redis + arq |
| CLI | Python, Typer, Rich |
| Telemetry | Session hooks, local transcript reconciliation, push-based ingest |
| Deployment | Docker Compose (10 services), Kubernetes (Helm) |
Community
GitHub Discussions for questions and ideas. Discord for chat. Open Issues for confirmed bugs.
Reporting Issues
observal doctor support bundle
Produces a redacted diagnostic archive. Review before sharing: observal doctor support inspect observal-support-*.tar.gz
For live debugging, Observal uses loguru-based dev logging (internally called "optic"). Stream logs with:
observal logs
Logs are written to ~/.observal/logs/dev.log and include structured context for every request, background job, and telemetry event.
Security
Report vulnerabilities via GitHub Private Vulnerability Reporting or email contact@observal.io. Do not open a public issue. See SECURITY.md.
FAQ
Common questions
Discussion
Questions & comments · 0
Sign In Sign in to leave a comment.