Supabase Edge Functions elizaOS Worker Example
Deploy an AI chat agent as a serverless Supabase Edge Function. This example shows how to run an elizaOS agent as a stateless worker that processes chat messages via HTTP.
All handlers use the full elizaOS runtime with OpenAI as the LLM provider, providing the same capabilities as the AWS Lambda and chat demo examples.
Architecture
┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌────────────────┐
│ Test Client │────▶│ Supabase Edge │────▶│ Edge Function │
│ (curl/deno) │◀────│ Functions │◀────│ (elizaOS) │
└──────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └────────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────────────┐
│ OpenAI API │
└────────────────┘
Supported Languages
| Language | Support Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TypeScript | ✅ Native | Full Deno runtime support |
| Python | ❌ Not supported | Supabase Edge Functions use Deno runtime |
Note
: Unlike AWS Lambda, Supabase Edge Functions run on the Deno runtime, which only natively supports TypeScript/JavaScript in this example. Python is not supported by this runtime.
Prerequisites
- Supabase CLI installed
- Deno 1.40+ (for local development)
- Supabase project with Edge Functions enabled
- OpenAI API key
Quick Start
1. Set Environment Variables
Create a .env file in your Supabase project or set secrets:
# Local development
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-openai-api-key"
# Or set in Supabase Dashboard → Project Settings → Edge Functions → Secrets
supabase secrets set OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
2. Initialize Supabase Project
# If starting fresh
supabase init
# Copy edge functions to your project
cp -r packages/examples/supabase/functions/* supabase/functions/
3. Test Locally First
# Start Supabase local development
supabase start
# Serve edge functions locally
supabase functions serve eliza-chat --env-file .env
# Test with curl (in another terminal)
curl -X POST http://localhost:54321/functions/v1/eliza-chat \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ANON_KEY" \
-d '{"message": "Hello, Eliza!"}'
4. Deploy
# Deploy to Supabase
supabase functions deploy eliza-chat
# Set secrets (if not already set)
supabase secrets set OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
5. Test Your Deployment
# Get your project URL from Supabase Dashboard
curl -X POST https://YOUR_PROJECT.supabase.co/functions/v1/eliza-chat \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ANON_KEY" \
-d '{"message": "Hello, Eliza!"}'
Project Structure
packages/examples/supabase/
├── README.md # This file
├── functions/
│ ├── eliza-chat/ # TypeScript Edge Function
│ │ ├── index.ts # Main handler
│ │ ├── lib/
│ │ │ ├── runtime.ts # elizaOS runtime manager
│ │ │ └── types.ts # Type definitions
│ │ └── deno.json # Deno configuration
├── scripts/
│ ├── build-wasm.sh # Reserved helper for WASM experiments
│ └── test-local.sh # Local testing script
├── test-client.ts # Interactive test client
└── config.toml # Supabase config
API Reference
POST /functions/v1/eliza-chat
Send a message to the elizaOS agent.
Request:
{
"message": "Hello, how are you?",
"userId": "optional-user-id",
"conversationId": "optional-conversation-id"
}
Response:
{
"response": "I'm doing well, thank you for asking!",
"conversationId": "uuid-for-conversation-tracking",
"timestamp": "2025-01-10T12:00:00.000Z"
}
Headers:
| Header | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
Authorization |
Yes | Bearer YOUR_ANON_KEY or Bearer YOUR_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY |
Content-Type |
Yes | application/json |
GET /functions/v1/eliza-chat/health
Health check endpoint.
Response:
{
"status": "healthy",
"runtime": "elizaos-deno",
"version": "2.0.0-beta.0"
}
Configuration
Environment Variables / Secrets
| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
OPENAI_API_KEY |
Yes | - | Your OpenAI API key |
OPENAI_SMALL_MODEL |
No | gpt-5-mini |
Small model to use |
OPENAI_LARGE_MODEL |
No | gpt-5 |
Large model to use |
CHARACTER_NAME |
No | Eliza |
Agent's name |
CHARACTER_BIO |
No | A helpful AI assistant. |
Agent's bio |
CHARACTER_SYSTEM |
No | (default) | System prompt |
Setting Secrets
# Via CLI
supabase secrets set OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-xxx CHARACTER_NAME=MyAgent
# Via Dashboard
# Project Settings → Edge Functions → Secrets
TypeScript Implementation
The TypeScript implementation uses the Deno runtime natively:
// functions/eliza-chat/index.ts
import { serve } from "https://deno.land/std@0.168.0/http/server.ts";
import { handleChat, handleHealth } from "./lib/runtime.ts";
serve(async (req: Request): Promise<Response> => {
const url = new URL(req.url);
if (url.pathname.endsWith("/health")) {
return handleHealth();
}
if (req.method === "POST") {
return await handleChat(req);
}
return new Response("Method not allowed", { status: 405 });
});
Performance
Cold Starts
Supabase Edge Functions typically have faster cold starts than traditional Lambda:
- Cold start: 50-200ms (vs 2-5s for Lambda)
- Warm invocation: 5-20ms
Edge Locations
Edge Functions run on Deno Deploy's global edge network, providing low-latency responses worldwide.
Monitoring
Logs
# Stream logs
supabase functions logs eliza-chat --scroll
# Get recent logs
supabase functions logs eliza-chat
Supabase Dashboard
View metrics and logs in:
- Project → Edge Functions → Select function → Logs
Cost
Supabase Edge Functions pricing (as of 2025):
- Free tier: 500K invocations/month
- Pro tier: 2M invocations included, then $2 per 1M
- No duration-based billing (unlike Lambda)
Comparison with AWS Lambda
| Feature | Supabase Edge Functions | AWS Lambda |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | Deno (TS/JS) | Node, Python, Rust, etc. |
| Cold Start | 50-200ms | 2-5s |
| Global Edge | ✅ Built-in | Via Lambda@Edge |
| Supabase Integration | ✅ Native | Manual |
| Python Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| Rust Support | Via WASM | Native |
Troubleshooting
"Function not found" Error
Ensure the function is deployed:
supabase functions list
supabase functions deploy eliza-chat
"Unauthorized" Error
Check your authorization header:
# Get your anon key from Supabase Dashboard
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ANON_KEY" ...
"OpenAI API key not found"
Set the secret:
supabase secrets set OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key
CORS Issues
The function includes CORS headers by default. For custom domains, update the Access-Control-Allow-Origin header.
Cleanup
# Delete function
supabase functions delete eliza-chat
# Remove secrets
supabase secrets unset OPENAI_API_KEY
See Also
- elizaOS Documentation
- Supabase Edge Functions Docs
- Deno Documentation
- AWS Lambda Example - Same pattern for AWS