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Novel

AI-enhanced Notion-style WYSIWYG editor for modern web apps

A Notion-style WYSIWYG editor that integrates AI autocompletions, built with Next.js, Tiptap, and Tailwind, deployable to Vercel with a single click.

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Overview

Overview

Novel is a rich‑text editor that mimics Notion's block‑based experience while offering AI‑driven autocomplete suggestions. It targets developers and product teams who need a customizable, modern editor for knowledge bases, documentation, or collaborative writing tools.

Capabilities

The editor leverages Tiptap for extensible ProseMirror editing, TailwindCSS for styling, and the Vercel AI SDK to call OpenAI models for real‑time content generation. Community‑maintained packages extend support to Svelte and Vue, and a VSCode extension brings the experience into the IDE.

Deployment & Hosting

Deploying is streamlined: a one‑click Vercel deployment or local development with pnpm i && pnpm dev. Required environment variables include an OpenAI API key and a Vercel Blob token for asset storage. The stack runs on any Node environment, giving you full control over hosting and data handling.

Highlights

Notion‑style block editing with drag‑and‑drop
AI‑powered autocomplete via OpenAI
One‑click Vercel deployment or self‑hosted locally
Community packages for Svelte and Vue

Pros

  • Modern React/Next.js stack with Tailwind styling
  • Seamless AI integration for faster content creation
  • Easy deployment to Vercel or any Node server
  • Extensible through Tiptap plugins

Considerations

  • Requires an OpenAI API key (usage costs apply)
  • Vercel Blob token is still in beta
  • Primary focus on React; other frameworks rely on community support
  • AI calls add external latency and dependency

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Fit guide

Great for

  • Teams building collaborative documentation platforms
  • Developers needing AI‑assisted rich‑text input
  • SaaS products that require a customizable editor
  • Open‑source projects wanting a self‑hosted solution

Not ideal when

  • Projects without budget for OpenAI API usage
  • Non‑JavaScript ecosystems lacking community adapters
  • Environments with strict data residency requirements
  • Simple plain‑text editors where advanced features are unnecessary

How teams use it

Internal knowledge base

Employees create and edit richly formatted pages with AI suggestions.

Customer support portal

Agents draft responses faster using AI‑driven autocomplete.

Blog authoring platform

Writers generate outlines and fill sections via AI assistance.

Educational LMS content editor

Instructors build interactive lessons with block editing and AI help.

Tech snapshot

TypeScript92%
CSS7%
JavaScript1%

Tags

vercelai-sdktiptapprosemirrornextjschatgptnotionopenai

Frequently asked questions

What AI service powers the autocompletions?

OpenAI's models accessed through the Vercel AI SDK.

Can I self‑host without using Vercel?

Yes, you can run Novel locally or on any Node.js host; Vercel is just a convenient option.

Which frameworks are officially supported?

The core package is built for React; community packages provide Svelte and Vue support.

Do I need a paid OpenAI plan?

OpenAI usage is billed per request; a free trial may be available, but sustained use requires a paid plan.

Is there a VSCode extension for Novel?

Yes, a community‑maintained VSCode extension adds editor features directly inside the IDE.

Project at a glance

Dormant
Stars
15,908
Watchers
15,908
Forks
1,356
LicenseApache-2.0
Repo age2 years old
Last commitlast year
Primary languageTypeScript

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