ClearFlask

ClearFlask is an open-source, self-hosted feedback management platform. It provides a centralized system for collecting and analyzing customer feedback to inform product development and roadmap planning. The platform allows product teams to gather user requests, organize them into categories, and track the progress of features from suggestion to implementation.

The software is deployed as a web application consisting of a server and a connection layer. It can be installed via Docker Compose for quick starts or deployed to production environments using Kubernetes Helm charts. Users can host the platform on their own infrastructure to maintain data sovereignty or use managed cloud hosting for simplified maintenance. The system is designed to be accessible via a web browser once the server is configured and the admin account is created.

Key features

• Feedback collection and analysis for product development
• Support for self-hosting via Docker and Kubernetes
• Integration with AWS S3 or MinIO for object storage
• Support for MySQL, Aurora, ElasticSearch, or OpenSearch for search and filtering
• Compatibility with AWS DynamoDB or LocalStack for data storage
• Email notifications via SMTP or AWS SES
• Automated TLS certificate management
• Horizontal Pod Autoscaling for Kubernetes deployments

The architecture is split into two main components: a Tomcat application that serves API requests and a NodeJS layer for server-side rendering and static file delivery. It is designed for teams that require full control over their data and infrastructure, offering flexibility in database and storage choices. The system integrates with various AWS services or their open-source equivalents to handle scaling and persistence. For production workloads, the software supports IAM roles for automated access key detection when running in EC2 or ECS environments.

ClearFlask is a flexible tool for product managers and community leads who need a private feedback board.