Relay.app

Relay.app is shutting down and is no longer accepting new customers. Free accounts closed on August 15, 2026. Paying customers retain temporary access until September 14, 2026 at 23:59 Pacific Time, after which their accounts and associated data are scheduled for permanent deletion. Existing users should export and rebuild every important workflow immediately.

Relay.app shutdown timeline

• July 16, 2026: new signups and free-to-paid upgrades were disabled. Paid subscriptions were cancelled so customers would not be charged again.
• August 15, 2026: free accounts closed and associated data was scheduled for permanent deletion.
• September 14, 2026 at 23:59 PT: access ends for paying customers and remaining paid-account data is scheduled for permanent deletion.

Relay.app says annual customers should receive prorated refunds for the unused remainder of their billing periods. Paying workspaces receive temporary additional capacity during the wind-down, but this should be used for migration and validation rather than new long-term automation.

Can you still sign up for Relay.app?

No. New registrations and upgrades are turned off. Relay.app should not be shortlisted for a new automation project. Existing paying customers can use their workspaces only through the final transition window and should treat the deadline as fixed.

What existing customers must export

Relay.app provides a full workspace export and individual export tools. The full workspace package is the safest first step because it collects workflows, sequences, MCP servers, tables and run information in one archive.

The exported ZIP can include:

• A separate folder for each workflow, sequence, MCP server and table.
• Workflow structure as JSON.
• A generated Markdown prompt for rebuilding the workflow elsewhere.
• Run history as CSV and individual run records as JSON.
• Table data as CSV when applicable.

Large workspace exports may take up to 24 hours to prepare. Relay.app emails a download link when the export is ready, and that link remains available for only 48 hours. Do not wait until the final day.

Export workflows individually

Users can select Export workflow from a workflow’s overflow menu to download its JSON structure. This JSON is not a portable package that other platforms can import automatically because each automation product uses a different schema.

Relay.app recommends using the generated Copy build prompt option. The prompt describes the workflow in a format that can help rebuild it in products such as n8n, Zapier or Make. Preserve the JSON as a technical reference and the prompt as a migration aid.

Preserve run history and evidence

Run-history exports are important for audit, debugging and migration testing. Users can export a CSV of runs for a workflow or download a single run as JSON. A run export can contain metadata, timestamps, status, step history, inputs and outputs, errors, AI usage and chat history when available.

The workflow run-list CSV supports up to 100,000 rows per export and truncates larger histories. Teams with high-volume workflows should split records or create additional exports before the deadline.

Save visual records

The workspace export does not include workflow screenshots. Relay.app provides a separate Save workflow as screenshot option for the full canvas and individual steps. Screenshots help migration teams understand branches, approvals and layout when reconstructing complicated automations.

Credentials and connected applications

Relay.app states that stored credentials and tokens for connected applications will be deleted with the account, after which Relay.app will no longer access those apps. Even so, customers should not rely solely on platform deletion.

Create an inventory of every connection, then revoke Relay.app OAuth grants and rotate API keys after replacement workflows are operational. Review Google, Microsoft, Slack, CRM, database and finance-app security dashboards for remaining authorisations.

How to choose a replacement

Select a destination based on the existing workload rather than general popularity:

• n8n: strong for technical teams, complex workflows, code and self-hosting.
• Zapier: easier for nontechnical teams and broad SaaS connectivity.
• Make: visual scenarios with detailed branching and transformation.
• Gumloop: AI-agent workflows, reusable skills, MCP and team access.
• Pipedream: developer-owned event workflows and embedded integrations.
• Microsoft Power Automate: best considered by organisations centred on Microsoft 365 and Power Platform.

No replacement will import Relay.app JSON perfectly. Compare triggers, action coverage, human approvals, AI behaviour, credential sharing, run retention and pricing before rebuilding.

Migration process

1. Download the full workspace export immediately.
2. Save the emailed archive before its 48-hour link expires.
3. Export screenshots for every critical workflow.
4. Create an inventory of workflows, owners, triggers, schedules and credentials.
5. Rank automations by business impact and migration difficulty.
6. Rebuild critical workflows in the selected platform using prompts, JSON and screenshots.
7. Run old and new workflows in parallel where possible.
8. Compare output, timing, duplicates, approvals and error handling.
9. Switch triggers only after production validation.
10. Revoke Relay.app credentials and archive the evidence required for audit.

Testing the replacement

A workflow that appears equivalent may behave differently under API errors, retries, time zones, missing fields and duplicate events. Test normal cases and failure cases. Pay special attention to waits, scheduled triggers, loops, human approval steps and AI output reviews.

Verify that each replacement preserves least-privilege permissions. Do not reuse broad credentials simply because they were already connected in Relay.app.

AI and human-in-the-loop migration

Relay.app supported AI steps, web research, image generation, audio transcription, knowledge, MCP and agentic tool use. It also emphasised human-in-the-loop actions and AI-output reviews. Replacements should preserve approval gates rather than silently converting them into fully autonomous actions.

Record the model, prompts, structured outputs, review criteria and fallbacks used by each AI step. Retest quality and cost because models and credit systems differ between platforms.

Data deletion and privacy

Relay.app says customer content and product data not exported will be permanently deleted at the end of the applicable wind-down window. Admins can delete a workspace earlier, while members can delete their accounts. Early deletion is irreversible.

Organisations should preserve only records they are legally or operationally required to keep. Store exported archives in an approved encrypted location, restrict access and apply an appropriate retention schedule because run data can contain confidential business and customer information.

What Relay.app previously offered

Before the shutdown, Relay.app was a polished automation platform known for collaborative workflows, AI steps, human approvals, sequences, tables, MCP support, custom JavaScript and app integrations. Those capabilities explain why migrations may require more than copying triggers and actions.

This historical context is useful for choosing a replacement, but it should not be read as a recommendation to adopt Relay.app now.

Immediate checklist

• Do not create new business-critical Relay.app workflows.
• Export the full workspace now.
• Download the archive within 48 hours of the email.
• Save screenshots separately.
• Rebuild and test critical workflows first.
• Rotate or revoke connected credentials after cutover.
• Complete migration before September 14, 2026 at 23:59 PT.

Verdict

Relay.app is no longer a viable purchase because the service is closing. Existing paying customers have a short migration window and should prioritise export, reconstruction, testing and credential revocation immediately. The platform’s export tools are unusually helpful, but its JSON is not directly portable. Preserve prompts, JSON, run history, table data and screenshots, then validate replacements under real failure conditions before the final shutdown deadline.