Overview: Taiga Back is the open source backend server for Taiga.io, a full-featured project management platform designed for agile teams. Built with Python and Django, it provides the RESTful API and business logic that powers Taiga’s frontend applications. It is intended for organizations that want full control over their project data by self-hosting the backend while leveraging Taiga’s proven agile workflow engine. The system supports issue tracking, backlog management, sprints, and task boards with a modular architecture that integrates with external services via its well-documented API. Taiga Back is ideal for DevOps teams, product managers, and developers seeking a privacy-focused alternative to SaaS project management tools.
The backend is designed for deployment in containerized environments and integrates with PostgreSQL, Redis, and SMTP servers. It supports user authentication via OAuth2, LDAP, and email/password, making it suitable for enterprise environments with existing identity systems. Its modular design allows customization of workflows without modifying core code, and its comprehensive API enables integration with CI/CD pipelines, chat tools, and custom dashboards.
What You Get
- RESTful API for project management - Exposes full CRUD operations for projects, epics, user stories, tasks, issues, and milestones with detailed documentation at https://docs.taiga.io/api.html. Supports filtering, pagination, and webhooks for automation.
- Self-hosted deployment support - Provides official Docker Compose configurations and installation guides at https://docs.taiga.io/ for deploying on private infrastructure with PostgreSQL, Redis, and SMTP dependencies.
- OAuth2 and LDAP authentication - Integrates with enterprise identity providers via configurable auth backends, allowing single sign-on without compromising data sovereignty.
- Webhook and event system - Triggers events for task creation, status changes, and comments; enables integration with external tools like Slack, Jenkins, or custom notification systems.
- Multi-tenant capable architecture - Supports multiple independent projects with granular role-based permissions (admin, member, guest) and project-level isolation.
Common Use Cases
- Building a private agile team dashboard - A software development team deploys Taiga Back on-premises to manage sprints, user stories, and tasks while ensuring compliance with data residency laws, using the API to build custom analytics dashboards.
- Integrating project management with CI/CD pipelines - A DevOps team configures Taiga Back webhooks to auto-update ticket statuses when commits are pushed or PRs are merged in GitLab, reducing manual tracking overhead.
- Problem: SaaS tools lack data control → Solution: Self-hosted Taiga - A healthcare startup needs to store all project data within its EU-based servers; they install Taiga Back with Docker, configure LDAP auth, and connect it to their internal Git repository without exposing sensitive data externally.
- Team: Distributed product teams managing multiple clients - A consulting firm runs separate Taiga projects for each client on a single self-hosted instance, using role-based access to isolate data while sharing administration tools across teams.
Under The Hood
Taiga is a flexible project management platform built on Python and Django, designed to support agile development workflows with a strong emphasis on customization and extensibility. It provides a modular architecture that enables integration with various tools and services while maintaining a clean separation of concerns.
Architecture
Taiga follows a monolithic architecture pattern with clear module boundaries and a focus on separation of concerns.
- The system is organized into distinct functional modules such as authentication, base utilities, and API handling
- Middleware components are used to manage cross-cutting concerns like logging and permissions
- Serializer-based data transformation ensures consistent API interactions
Tech Stack
Taiga leverages Python and Django as its core technology stack, supported by a range of third-party tools.
- Built primarily with Python and powered by the Django framework for robust web development
- Integrates numerous utility packages and services for authentication, database operations, and API management
- Employs Docker for containerization and includes installation/upgrade scripts for streamlined deployment
- Uses pytest and unittest for testing, with dedicated configuration and execution scripts
Code Quality
The project maintains a mature codebase with extensive test coverage and consistent error handling practices.
- An abundant test suite covers integration and permission scenarios effectively
- Standard Python exception handling patterns are consistently applied across the codebase
- Code style and naming conventions are maintained with minimal duplication and technical debt
- The structure supports scalable development and clear component interactions
What Makes It Unique
Taiga distinguishes itself through its modular design and flexible approach to authentication and API handling.
- Offers a highly extensible architecture that supports integration with third-party tools and services
- Implements modern Django practices while maintaining backward compatibility and customization options
- Provides a rich set of API endpoints that are well-documented and designed for flexibility