AFFiNE Tutorial: Open-Source AI Workspace with Docs, Whiteboards, and Databases

May 11, 2026 · View on GitHub

Learn how to use toeverything/AFFiNE to build, extend, and self-host a modern knowledge workspace combining documents, whiteboards, and databases — powered by BlockSuite, CRDT-based collaboration, and integrated AI copilot features.

Why This Track Matters

AFFiNE is one of the most ambitious open-source alternatives to Notion and Miro, combining document editing, whiteboard canvases, and structured databases into a single workspace. With approximately 66,000 GitHub stars, it represents a significant shift in how developers think about collaborative knowledge tools.

This track is particularly relevant for developers who:

want to understand how modern block-based editors are architected with BlockSuite
need to learn CRDT-based real-time collaboration patterns using yjs and OctoBase
are building AI-augmented productivity tools and want to study copilot integration patterns
plan to self-host a Notion-like workspace with full data ownership and extensibility

This track focuses on:

understanding the BlockSuite framework and its block-tree content model
mastering the dual page/edgeless editing modes and their underlying data structures
learning CRDT synchronization with yjs for conflict-free real-time collaboration
integrating AI copilot features into document and whiteboard workflows
building custom blocks and plugins to extend the workspace
deploying and operating self-hosted AFFiNE instances in production

Current Snapshot (auto-updated)

repository: toeverything/AFFiNE
stars: about 68.3k
latest release: v0.26.3 (published 2026-02-25)

Mental Model

flowchart LR
    A[Knowledge need] --> B[Workspace creation]
    B --> C[Block-based content authoring]
    C --> D[Page and edgeless modes]
    D --> E[CRDT sync and collaboration]
    E --> F[AI copilot augmentation]
    F --> G[Database views and organization]
    G --> H[Plugin extension and deployment]

Chapter Guide

Chapter	Key Question	Outcome
01 - Getting Started	How do I set up AFFiNE locally and create my first workspace?	Working dev environment and first workspace
02 - System Architecture	How does BlockSuite, OctoBase, and yjs fit together?	Clear mental model of the full stack
03 - Block System	How do blocks, pages, and edgeless canvases work?	Understanding of the content model
04 - Collaborative Editing	How does real-time CRDT sync and conflict resolution work?	Ability to reason about collaboration
05 - AI Copilot	How are AI features integrated into the workspace?	Understanding of copilot architecture
06 - Database and Views	How do database blocks, kanban, and table views work?	Ability to build structured data workflows
07 - Plugin System	How do I extend AFFiNE with custom blocks and plugins?	Plugin development readiness
08 - Self-Hosting and Deployment	How do I deploy and operate AFFiNE in production?	Production deployment baseline

What You Will Learn

how AFFiNE's BlockSuite framework organizes content into a composable block tree
how page mode and edgeless (whiteboard) mode share the same underlying data model
how yjs CRDTs enable real-time conflict-free collaboration across clients
how the AI copilot integrates with blocks for writing assistance, summarization, and generation
how database blocks support table, kanban, and filtered views within documents
how to build custom blocks and plugins using AFFiNE's extension architecture
how to self-host AFFiNE with Docker and configure storage backends

Source References

LobeChat Tutorial — AI chat framework with plugin architecture and multi-model support
Dify Tutorial — LLM app development platform with visual workflow orchestration
SiYuan Tutorial — Local-first personal knowledge management system

Start with Chapter 1: Getting Started.

Full Chapter Map

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