Introduction to Plugins
What a FluxBilling plugin is, the types you can build, and how plugins run — start here.
A FluxBilling plugin is a no-code integration you build entirely in the admin panel — no programming required. Instead of writing code, you describe how FluxBilling should talk to an outside service by combining three things: a connection to that service's API, one or more visual flows that define what happens step by step, and a configuration form that the operator fills in when they install your plugin. This guide shows you how to build, test, package, and publish your own plugins. By the end of this article you'll understand what a plugin is, the types you can create, and how a plugin runs.
What you build with
Every plugin you create is assembled from the same three building blocks. You'll find a dedicated article for each one.
- Connections — a connection points at the external API your plugin calls. You set the base URL and how to authenticate (API key, bearer token, OAuth2, and more). See Connections and Authentication.
- Flows — flows are drag-and-drop diagrams. You wire together nodes (an HTTP request, a condition, a data transform, and so on) into a graph that the platform runs from start to finish. See Building Flows.
- Configuration — the configuration schema defines the settings an operator enters when they set up your plugin (their API key, account ID, region, and the like). See Configuration Settings.
Plugin types you can create
When you start a new plugin you pick a type. The type tells FluxBilling where your plugin plugs into the platform and which flows it expects. You build all of these the same way — with connections, flows, and configuration — but each type targets a different job.
| Type | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure Provider | Provisioning and managing customer services on an external control panel — creating, suspending, terminating, rebooting, and fetching status for things like VPS, game servers, or hosting accounts. |
| Payment Gateway | Taking payments, handling refunds, and receiving payment webhooks from a payment processor. |
| Notification | Sending event-driven messages to an outside channel, such as a chat or messaging service, when something happens in the platform (a new order, a paid invoice, an alert). |
| Automation | Running custom workflow logic and business rules that don't fit the other categories. |
| Authentication | Letting customers sign in through an external identity provider. |
| AI Provider | Connecting an AI service for text completions, embeddings, or image generation. |
| Custom | A free-form starting point when none of the above fit and you want to build from scratch. |
You don't need to memorize these — the New Plugin wizard presents them as cards with descriptions when you begin. See Creating a Plugin.
How a plugin runs
You never run your plugin manually. Instead, the platform triggers your flows in response to events and actions:
- When a customer orders a service from an Infrastructure Provider plugin, the platform runs your provisioning flow. When that service is suspended or terminated, it runs the matching flow.
- When a customer checks out with a Payment Gateway plugin, the platform runs your payment flow, and when the processor sends a webhook, it runs your webhook flow.
- When a platform event fires (for example, an order is created or an invoice is paid), a Notification plugin runs the flow you've subscribed to that event.
Each flow you build receives some input from the platform, walks through your nodes — calling the external API through your connection, transforming the response, branching on conditions — and returns a result the platform understands. Your configuration values and connection credentials are available throughout the flow using the {{config.key}} reference syntax, which you'll see used across the next articles.
Where you work
Everything happens in the admin panel under the Plugins area. From there you can launch the New Plugin wizard, open the flow builder, define your configuration form, test your connection, and eventually package your plugin to share or publish it. A plugin always starts life as a Draft so you can build and test it safely before you enable it.
Next steps
Ready to build? Head to Creating a Plugin to walk through the New Plugin wizard step by step.
Related: Creating a Plugin · Connections and Authentication · Building Flows